izigame.me

※Shiromi Score @2025: 3680/9000 - 🤨 NOT ENOUGH!!
Released in 1998, Guilty Gear entered the fighting game scene as an exceptionally challenging 2D fighter. At the time of its release, it stood out among contemporaries like Street Fighter Alpha 3, King of Fighters '98, and Marvel vs Capcom due to its distinctive art style, innovative mechanics, and punishing difficulty.
But does this classic still hold up today?
Game Features
One of Guilty Gear's most notable strengths is its bold and distinctive character design. Unlike many fighting games of its era that relied heavily on martial arts stereotypes or traditional archetypes, Guilty Gear took creative risks by introducing characters with exaggerated yet stylish aesthetics inspired by rock music culture.
Characters like Sol Badguy, Ky Kiske, May and more exhibit designs that clearly communicate their personalities through visual language alone.
Another standout feature is the game's soundtrack, composed by Daisuke Ishiwatari. It heavily incorporates hard rock and metal influences, creating energetic tracks that complement the intensity of battles.
Personally, I particularly enjoyed Ky Kiske's theme, "Holy Orders (Be Just Or Be Dead)". This track features powerful guitar riffs and dynamic percussion arrangements that effectively enhance the tension during battles. Its melodic shifts perfectly match Ky's disciplined yet aggressive fighting style, making battles against him memorable experiences. And I really enjoy the music DJMAX Respect V as the DLC.
A great example of how impactful this music can be is らふ(Raf)'s performance version of "Holy Orders". That's my favorite one. Where the intense electric guitar riffs deliver raw emotion and tension, truly resonating with me on a personal level.
Game System
Guilty Gear introduced several unique mechanics rarely seen before its time:
※Instant Kill: Characters possess moves capable of instantly defeating opponents under specific conditions.
※Tension Gauge: This system encourages aggressive play by rewarding offensive actions with meter build-up for powerful special moves and discouraging passive or overly defensive playstyles.
※Negative Penalty: Penalizes overly defensive behavior by reducing players' resources if they avoid engagement excessively.
※Air Dash Mechanics: Allow players more freedom in aerial movement compared to many contemporary fighters at that time.
These systems were innovative in 1998, adding layers of strategic depth rarely seen before. However, they also significantly raised entry barriers for newcomers unfamiliar with such complex mechanisms.
Despite its innovations, Guilty Gear suffers from severe balance issues and punishing difficulty spikes. The inability to adjust difficulty settings makes progression frustratingly difficult for many players.
Testament and Justice—the final bosses—are notoriously challenging due to their aggressive COM behavior and frequent use of instant-kill moves.
Especially when you unlocking the hidden character, Baiken, it requires players to remain undefeated until clear all stages of Sol or Ky, being instantly eliminated by Justice's instant kill move within seconds can be extremely frustrating.
While this design provides depth for dedicated players seeking challenging gameplay, it also severely limits the opportunities for gamers who prefer balanced difficulty curves to try.
Reasons to Play
※Unique artistic direction with bold character designs inspired by rock culture.
※Exceptional soundtrack delivering intense emotions during gameplay.
※Innovative mechanics offering strategic depth uncommon at its release time.
※Historical significance as the origin point of a long-running influential franchise.
Reasons to Avoid
※Extreme difficulty spikes without adjustable settings create frustration rather than enjoyment.
※Severe balance issues make the gameplay feel unfair at times when you face some characters or COM opponents who frequently execute instant-kill moves unexpectedly.
※Limited convenience features are common in modern games, and the lack of adjustable COM difficulty settings makes them unsuitable for players with limited gaming time or patience.
And my experience playing through GG1 was exhausting rather than enjoyable.
I have finished all the stages, and I wouldn't recommend it to play, but buy it(?).
Additional Suggestion
When you start playing, the game may not be synchronized with your monitor's refresh rate(the game runs too fast). To fix this, you can either set a frame rate limit in your GPU driver preferences or download the RivaTuner Statistics Server (RTSS) and limit the framerate to 60 for GuiltyGear.exe.