BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend
- June 30, 2015
- Arc System Works
Held back only by a somewhat poorly optimized release, BlazBlue Chrono Phantasma Extend is a fun, deep fighter with lots of fun to be had for any type of player.
BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend is a definitive 2D fighting game, offering an enhanced and extended experience of the series' signature fast-paced battles and intricate storyline. Dive into the Chrono Phantasma storyline, uncover hidden truths, and enjoy improved gameplay mechanics in both single-player and multiplayer modes. This immersive installment brings the BlazBlue franchise to new heights, engaging fans and newcomers alike with its robust content and captivating lore.
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend offers a rich and engaging storyline with a variety of modes, making it a great addition for fans of the fighting genre.
- The game features polished graphics, fluid animations, and a diverse roster of characters, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
- It provides a challenging yet rewarding experience, with deep mechanics that cater to both casual players and competitive gamers.
- Players transitioning from the PS3 version may find the upgrades minimal and not worth the investment.
- The online multiplayer experience can be frustrating due to a lack of cross-platform compatibility and matching with more experienced players.
- The story pacing can be slow and confusing, which may deter casual gamers from fully enjoying the narrative.
- story26 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The story in BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend is noted for its depth and complexity, featuring a lengthy and detailed narrative filled with branching paths, multiple endings, and a mix of humor and supernatural elements. While some players find the plot confusing, the game offers a rich experience for fans of anime aesthetics and storytelling, making it a standout in the fighting game genre. Overall, the game is praised for its ambitious narrative and extensive content, appealing to both newcomers and series veterans.
“An amazing experience utilizing both compelling gameplay, an amazing storyline that can include over-the-top slapstick humor, and memorable characters of an ever-increasing roster.”
“If there’s one area where BlazBlue dwarfs the fighting game competition, it’s the sheer amount of content; for fans of the overarching story, there’s the utterly dense story mode, which by itself is filled with branching paths, prequel chapters, multiple endings, and even gag endings to unlock.”
“Here, BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend gives us a meaty storyline, lots of voiced dialogue, and plenty of animated scenes that really flesh out the plot.”
“The story was really confusing, and when I tried online play, it matched me with people that were way above my skill level.”
“I would recommend watching the BlazBlue anime to get up to speed on the story for this one.”
“[Arrived in Europe far too late, oddly pixelated sprites, some dodgy voice acting, horrendous story pacing.]”
- gameplay12 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The gameplay is highly praised for its engaging mechanics, diverse character roster, and a variety of modes, including stable online multiplayer. Players appreciate the blend of classic and innovative elements, along with a compelling storyline and humor. However, some reviewers suggest that while the system is deep, it could benefit from further refinement in future iterations.
“An amazing experience utilizing both compelling gameplay, an amazing storyline that can include over the top slapstick humor, and memorable characters of an ever increasing roster.”
“Great fighter with an extremely diverse roster, almost too deep mechanics and more single player content than most other games in the genre.”
“[Great fluid combat with nice new mechanics, new characters are diverse, massive range of modes, online multiplayer is largely stable.]”
“In gameplay perspective, the brand new feature compared to the vanilla version is Celica as a playable character. Lambda is just a '2nd' version of Nu with barely any fighting style differences, but at least she has her own ending in arcade mode.”
“Although a deep system, the battle mechanics could do with a major mix-up, and that should be coming in the next title, Central Fiction.”
- graphics9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their sharpness and vibrant visuals, contributing to an overall polished look. While some players appreciate the over-the-top anime aesthetics, others find the art style and character dialogue somewhat cheesy. Despite minor issues with the port's visual quality, the game's graphics are considered a highlight, enhancing the frenetic gameplay experience.
“The art and graphics of the game look pretty sharp, but I just couldn't get into the gameplay.”
“Bright, crisp visuals really help to polish the overall look.”
“[Ridiculous amount of content, online mode, visuals are gorgeous].”
“The cheesy art style with campy character dialogue used to fill in the blanks left me underwhelmed.”
“As for the quality of this particular port, it has some issues, like the lack of cross-platform compatibility, along with its PS3, instead of PS4, visuals.”
“The art/graphics of the game look pretty sharp, but I just couldn't get into the gameplay.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by over-the-top slapstick elements and memorable character interactions, including amusing jokes about a notably smelly ninja. Players appreciate the blend of compelling gameplay and a storyline that effectively incorporates this comedic style.
“An amazing experience utilizing both compelling gameplay, an amazing storyline that can include over-the-top slapstick humor, and memorable characters of an ever-increasing roster.”
“Plus, the other characters make funny jokes about a rather ripe-smelling ninja.”
- music3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its impressive variety, ranging from energetic tracks that enhance the excitement of fights to somber melodies that complement the supernatural narrative. Overall, it contributes significantly to the game's vibrant atmosphere and engaging gameplay experience.
“The variety in the music is particularly impressive, as it can range from throbbing, pulsing music meant to get you worked up, to far more somber soundtracks that lend themselves to the supernatural story at play.”
“Really fun fighting game, nice follow-up to the previous ones, great cast of characters, lots of action and super colorful with great music.”
“On the auditory side of the presentation, there are plenty of quick comments made by the fighters, the requisite grunts and impacts, and plenty of outstanding music.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend is praised for its engaging gameplay and depth, but it suffers from subpar optimization at launch, which detracts from the overall experience.
“Held back only by a somewhat poorly optimized release, BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend is a fun, deep fighter with lots of enjoyment to be had for any type of player.”
Critic Reviews
BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend Review
Anyone who loves the fighting genre should try out BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend, and especially those very much into over-the-top anime aesthetics and storylines. Make no mistake, though, despite providing newbies the necessary tools to enjoy almost everything that's offered here without any major problems (and there's definitely a lot to enjoy), similar to the previous titles, this is mainly directed at the pros. As for the quality of this particular port, it has some issues, like the lack of cross-platform compatibility, along with its PS3, instead of PS4, visuals, yet, as a whole, it's a product of high quality.
70%BlazBlue: Chronophantasma Extend
If there’s one area where BlazBlue dwarfs the fighting game competition, it’s the sheer amount of content; for fans of the overarching story, there’s the utterly dense story mode, which by itself is filled with branching paths, prequel chapters, multiple endings and even gag endings to unlock. There is also a sidestory that revolves around an original character from a spinoff manga, which goes down the anime-trope hole even further (included the age-old classic of a boy being trapped in a girl’s body), as well as the admittedly-cute “Teach Me, Miss Litchi!” comedy segments. For those who prefer less talking and more fighting, fret not; in addition to the Arcade mode, there are several other time-consuming modes such as battling against super-tough AI opponents, pulling off challenging combos, and leveling up individual characters through a dungeon-like gauntlet consisting of rare rewards and super-tough opponents. The online mode is basic, yet functional, consisting of a lobby where players can move around customizable avatars. Unfortunately, the inability to cross-play against console owners makes the PC version a potential wasteland for online multiplayer.
70%BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend Review
While there's little to recommend upgrading from the PlayStation 3 version of the game, BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend is a confident execution of a title that knows its strengths. It may not match the subtle finesse or wider fame of heavy-hitting giants such as Tekken and Street Fighter, but instead delivers an ambitious take on storytelling in fighting games. Though this approach and delivery will not appeal to everybody, what remains is nonetheless a superb fighter with variety and much to enjoy, boasting qualities more than worthwhile in their own right.
80%
