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Blazblue Cross Tag Battle On Nintendo Switch Is Basically Dead, Will New DLC Revive it?


Posted on January 24, 2019 by Rae Michelle Richards

Last year brought a number of brand new indie and AAA fighting games to fruition. Alongside big names like Final Fantasy Dissidia NT entering the console arena for the first time and Soul Calibur VI teaming up with Square Enix, Arc System Works launched their own dream crossover title, Blazblue: Cross Team Battle last June.  During the summer months – after launch – it felt like CTB was sure to continue to foster a healthy community and would be a game that had potential to not just be a flash in the pan. When your roster spans Rooster Teeth’s RBWY franchise, Atlus’ Persona series, Arc System Works own Blazblue franchise and with newcomers from the criminally underappreciated Under Night In-Birth series, how could things go wrong?

Last night I loaded up BBTAG for the first time in a few months to try out the last DLC Pack that I finally got around to purchasing. After playing around with the katana-wielding Yuzuriha in a handful of offline VS matches, I went online to adjust my profile and pick up a few icons. While connected I decided to check the lobbies and surprisingly there were literally zero people playing online last night around 11 PM MST.  A fighting game’s ranked or competitive scene dying, I can see, it takes developer support and community interest to keep tournaments and the like going. But even the dozens of casual lobbies were empty. Things were a little better this evening, but not by much, with a grand total of 12 people in one casual lobby.

So what are some factors that might have worked against Blazblue: Cross Tag Battle to cause it to die within six months? I don’t have the exact answer but here are a few ideas:

  1. Poorly Received DLC Model BBTag shipped with two versions – a full priced $69.99 USD release that included the complete 40 character roster or a $49.99 USD version that unlocked only half of the fighters. Arc System Works rolled out 3 free RWBY characters over the course of early summer until a major update hit at the end of August that unlocked the remaining DLC characters. Despite not being released for a full two months after launch, criticism of the launch line-up was swift due to the fact that the majority of the sprites, announcers, and movesets were datamined almost immediately.
  2. Nintendo Online Requirement –  It’s much easier for folks to hop online and play the various free to play titles available on Switch than it is to fork over $20 USD for the now mandatory online subscription. Yes, Online on other platforms also requires a sub fee but for the first three months of its life, anyone who owned Cross Tag Battle could hop on battle online without a paywall.
  3. Lack of Developer Support – Everything looked a lot brighter when the last of the DLC characters were revealed in August. Unloading the remainder of the roster in one big mega patch was a bit of a gamble after the slow drip-feed leading up to the announcement. While BBTag’s add-on characters were significantly cheaper than say Capcoms ($6.99 for 3 Characters Vs. $39.99 CDN for the current SFV Season Pass), Arc didn’t do much to make the mega patch an event. A press release was sent out, we covered it, the community loved it and then…. that was everything we’ve heard about Blazblue Cross until the end of the year….
  4. The Smash Factor – When talking about 2018 fighting games, I can’t ignore the fact that Nintendo released one of its most anticipated games right as the year was coming to a close. Packing in an impressive roster of 75 characters, all of whom come with the game, a full single-player campaign, and marketing presence that Blazblue: Cross Tag Battle could never hope to match- it is a sound argument that some of BBTag’s community have simply moved over to Smash for the time being.

“What’s Next?” – As a community, we simply do not know. Back during the release stream for the last two character packs in August 2018, Arc posted the above image on their screens both on stream and at the event – seeming to tease a fifth “fate” or franchise to join the fray. Since then we’ve heard absolutely nothing but “Anime FGC News” on Twitter recently reported that something would be announced in February. EVO 2019 isn’t until August, so lets all hope that Blazblue Cross Tag Battle gets an entire second season of additional characters – with a fifth franchise there is so much more potential.


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Blazblue: Cross Tag Battle | Review (Nintendo Switch)


Posted on July 2, 2018 by Rae Michelle Richards

ARC Systemwork’s latest multiplatform fighting game is a dream matchup more than half a decade in the making as the cast of ARC’s Blazblue square off against the protagonists of Persona 4: Ultimax. Joining the fray as well are several fighters from Ecole Software’s Under Night: Rebirth series.  As if borrowing characters from the developer of Melty Blood wasn’t enough of a reason to be paying attention to Blazblue Cross Tag Team Battle, Team RWBY from Rooster Teeth’s multi-season animated action show join the cast to round out a roster that spans more than 40 characters.  

CAN’T ESCAPE FROM CROSSING FATE

At its core Blazblue: Cross Tag Battle is a 2 Vs 2 fighting game that utilizes flashy finishers, character specific special moves, assists and timely character swaps, not unlike the Marvel Vs Capcom franchise. Merging together three existing fighting franchises (each well known for their signature mechanics) together and incorporating RBWY characters while making the whole package feel cohesive might sound like an impossible task. Rather than merge mechanics from Blazblue, Persona and Under Night franchises into the basic systems – ARC Systemwork’s decided to start with a simple easy to understand base and build from there. Characters (generally speaking) will share a common set of input commands for their special moves, counters and basic attacks. Blazblue Cross Tag Battle is also incredibly new player friendly thanks to the Auto Combo system – by simply pressing either the A or B buttons in succession (A + A +A or B + B +B for example) the game will perform preset combos for you. Similarly, Distortion Finishes and EX Moves also share a pool of input commands that make it approach to try out different team combinations without having to master all of the nuance first. Players looking to turn the tide in battle can also hold down the C button to launch a brand-new type of attack – the cross attack – where both team members jump on screen and hit their opponent for a good chunk of damage. All of these mechanics come together to form the basis of a fighting system that is extremely beginner friendly while still offering the depth and fighting game aficionados demand. 

Where nuance starts to show is with the characters themselves rather than the base system. Each franchise has slightly unique gameplay alterations that change-up how they are played. Blazblue fighters handle pretty much identical to their their Central Fiction counterparts, so if you’ve played that title or any of the previous Blazblue games you should feel right at home with Ragna, Makoto, Noel and crew. Yukiko, Yue, Chie and the rest of the Persona crew are able to call their series’ iconic personality manifestations forward to aid them in battle. Persona’s generally come in for a second or two to deal damage but in one specific case heal your opponent. Unlike the Persona Summons in Ultimax, the ones in Cross Tag Battle can actually be destroyed. Unlike their colleagues, Under Night In Birth characters’ combos work a little differently than the others. Rather than using moves of the same type (A + A +A), Linne and company are able to freely swap between light, heavy and even sweep attacks while maintaining their combos. 

HEAVEN OR HELL LET’S ROCK

Blazblue: Cross Tag Battle has a lot to offer folks like myself who prefer to play their fighting games offline. While yes, ranked online play is present and very much alive on Nintendo Switch, it was not the focus of my three weeks with the game. A four chapter long single player campaign is available right from the start. Not counting the prologue each one comes in at about an hour and a half – complete with visual novel style dialogue sections, animated portraits and fantastic voice work. Once you’ve mastered the single player campaign there’s also your standard VS mode with multiple difficulty levels (although adjustable difficulty levels being hidden in the options menu is a bit of a crime). Those looking for a more traditional arcade experience will probably enjoy the challenge of Survival Mode as it comes the closest to scratching that particular itch. Also of note is Cross Tag Battle’s training mode that doesn’t just include the basics than throw you to the wolves – advanced tactics, counters and nuance are taught in the later tutorials and anyone who wants to get serious about BBCTB should check it out. 

I’ve enjoyed my time with Blazblue Cross Tag Battle – everything from the sprite work to the remixed music tracks absolutely feel like they belong in their respective franchises. With well-known voice actors coming into reprise their characters – and the voice cast of RWBY joining in, the whole thing feels lovingly crafted. Mechanically speaking Cross Tag is very deep while still being approachable. I also felt like my time was respected as everything you do from online matches to training to just playing around in training earns you in-game currency which can be spent on unlocking alternate colors, customization character cards and concept art. 

 

 

 


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Blazblue Cross Tag Battle Releases Yang For Free + Two New Character Packs


Posted on June 19, 2018 by Rae Michelle Richards

Fans of Blazblue, RWBY, Under Night: Rebirth or Persona 4: Arena should be excited because ARC System Works just dropped two new character packs as paid DLC alongside Yang from Team RWBY as a free add-on for all platforms. 

Character Packs #2 contains: 

  • Jubei (Under Night: Rebirth) 
  • Aegis (Persona 4: Arena) 
  • Carmine (Blazblue) 

Character Pack #3 contains: 

  • Hakumen (Blazblue) 
  • Naoto (Persona 4: Arena) 
  • Vatista (Under Night: Rebirth) 

Each pack is available separately for $4.99 CDN or as part of the $19.99 CDN Season’s Pass. Alongside the first character pack which was free for the first 14 days of release, we’ve had 9 of the promised 20 DLC characters released thus far. No word yet on who Character Pack #4 might contain but the Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon, Labyrsm as she has been datamined in adorable Chibi form. 

Blazblue Cross Tag Battle is available for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PC. 


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Blazblue Cross Tag Battle Blasts Its Way Onto PC and Consoles Today


Posted on June 5, 2018 by Rae Michelle Richards

Arc System Works latest 2D fighter, Blazblue: Cross Team Battle, sees the universes of Persona 4, Under Night Rebirth, Blazblue and Rooster Teeth’s RWBY collide in the most epic crossover fighting game this side of Smash Bros.  BCTB’s accessible yet deep fighting system – combining aspects of Blazblue, Persona 4 Arena and Under Night: Rebirth together – allows players to ease into their favorite characters, while allowing more experienced veterans room to pull off impressive combos. 

Here are some of the features of Blazblue: Cross Team Battle as Arc System Works PR outlined in their press release: 

 BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle Features 

CROSS 

  • Cross over between 4 different universes! Play as characters from the BlazBlue, Persona 4 Arena, Under Night In-Birth, and (for the first time ever in a fighting game), RWBY series! 

TAG 

  • Dive deep into the accessible 2 vs 2 gameplay system in a gorgeous 2D tag team based fighting game! 

BATTLE 

  • Take the fight to your friends, online, or against CPU opponents in robust single and multiplayer modes! 

LOOK GOOD DOING IT 

  • High definition anime styled 2D characters alongside beautiful 3D backgrounds and smooth animation brings the game to life! 

ARC ASSEMBLED 

  • Developed by Arc System Works, creators and developers of critically acclaimed and fan favorite fighting series BlazBlue, Guilty Gear, and Dragon Ball Fighter Z! 

Available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Windows PC, Blazblue: Cross Team Batle isn’t just more accessible gameplay wise but price wise as well. The Standard Edition, which includes a 20-character roster, is priced at $59.99 CDN. Additional characters will be sold in sets of 3 for $4.99 as add-on DLC but during the game’s first two weeks the first character pack is available for free alongside Blake from RWBY who will be free indefinitely. A season pass of sorts, the Cross Tag Collection, priced at $19.99 includes all 5 character packs. 

More coverage of Blazblue: Cross Tag Battle will be forthcoming later this week as Arc System Works has provided us with a digital Nintendo Switch copy for coverage. Until then make sure to check out several brand new launch day screenshots below. 






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Arc System Works warns about streaming guidelines for BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle


Posted on June 3, 2018 by Jason Nason

Online of videogames has become a big thing in recent years. There are a lot of gamers on Twitch, YouTube, and most recently Facebook Gaming who play their games, stream them, and provide VOD after the fact for fans of the games and themselves.

Arc System Works has issued a reminder of some of their guidelines for online gaming content creators of some dos and don’ts when it comes to Arc System Works’ upcoming game BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle. The studio has stated that they want to give gamers the freedom to upload content, however when it comes to story mode, that is where most of the restrictions and guidelines will reside.

Here are the video/streaming guidelines as set by Arc System Works:

DO

  • Stream matches to your heart’s content. Either against other players (local or online), or against the CPU.
  • Put together tutorial videos to break down characters, teams, strategies, or show how to pull off that amazing combo.

DO NOT

  • Stream Episode Mode at all. Very short clips of Episode Mode content up to Chapter 2 are permitted for video content only. 
  • Stream or upload any music-only content. Music playing in the background during matches, online lobbies, and etc are totally fine. A soundtrack rip or upload is not.

These rules, in general, apply across the board with Arc System Works games. Unfortunately, these rules are non-negotiable with the powers that be, and violating these rules could result in your channel being issued a content ID claim, or worse, a channel strike/account suspension.


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Three new DLC fighters detailed for BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle


Posted on April 19, 2018 by Jason Nason

Arc System Works America revealed the next three fighters joining the BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle roster in the Cross Tag Character Pack 3.

Cross Tag Character Pack 3 will feature three new additions to the Cross Tag Battle line up: The leader of the Six Heroes, Hakumen (BlazBlue), the Detective Prince, Naoto Shirogane (Persona), and the ancient living weapon, Vatista (Under Night In-Birth).

Cross Tag Character Pack 3 will be available individually for $4.99 USD or as part of the Cross Tag Character Collection for $19.99 USD (collecting all 6 Character Packs).

BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle will br released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Steam on June 5th.


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Arc System Works unveils BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle Collector’s Edition


Posted on April 14, 2018 by Jason Nason

Arc System Works unveiled new details about the release of the collector’s edition of the team anime fighting game, BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle for the Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam). The game and collector’s edition will hit stores on June 5th, 2018.

The collector’s edition can only be pre-ordered as a limited edition on the official Arc System Works Gear store (which is currently under development) starting on May 4th.

The BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle Collector’s Edition will include the BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle game (PS4 or Switch), a full color, 52 page art book, 15 song soundtrack, and will be in a special BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle steel game case. It will also include 4 acrylic figures featuring BlazBlue‘s Ragna, Persona‘s Yu, Under Night In-Birth‘s Hyde, and RWBY‘s Ruby.

The Collector’s Edition will retail for $99.99 USD.

If you pre-order the standard edition at retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop, you’ll also receive a special mini soundtrack featuring 7 select tracks from BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle.

Finally Arc System Works also unveilled a brand new English language character trailer. Check that out below.

http://darkainartsgamers.tumblr.com/post/172878106130/more-at-httpgamersdarkainartscom


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BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle’s first DLC character pack announced


Posted on February 15, 2018 by Jason Nason

Arc System Works America announced today the three new fighters joining the BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle line up in the DLC Character Pack 1.

The characters joining in the battle are Platinum the Trinity (BlazBlue), Kanji Tatsumi (Persona 4 Arena), and Orie (Under Night In-Birth).

BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle features a dream-team roster of characters that have never before been gathered in a single 2D fighting game. Featuring fighters pulled from the BlazBlue, Persona 4 Ultimate Arena, UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH EXE: LATE, and the RWBY universes, Cross Tag Battle‘s 2v2 tag based combat is perfect for fans of the genre. BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle will be released on June 5th, 2018 on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Steam (PC).

https://youtu.be/dJNrP9rQJqs

http://darkainartsgamers.tumblr.com/post/170928539455/more-at-httpgamersdarkainartscom


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Blazblue Cross Tag Battle coming to the Americas on June 5th


Posted on January 13, 2018 by Jason Nason

Arc System Works announced today that their upcoming fighter Blazblue Cross Tag Battle will be released in Japan on May 31st with a release set for North America on June 5th.

BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle will feature a dream-team of characters that have never before been gathered in a single 2D fighting game. Featuring characters from BlazBlue, Persona 4 Ultimate Arena, UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH, and RWBY, the 3D animated series, developed by the visionary creators at Rooster Teeth Productions.

Cross Tag Battle features the work of Arc System Works’ up-and-coming illustrator: Konomi Higuchi as the game’s lead character designer.

BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle will be release for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Steam 3 platforms.

https://youtu.be/rsqwErCYEhg
https://youtu.be/KGY-JDYidlY
https://youtu.be/ldK5ed0SXSA
https://youtu.be/b9JNFpRS0c8
https://youtu.be/3YvnAaWfDyY


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Arc System Works Announces New Crossover Fighting Game: Blazblue Cross Tag Battle


Posted on July 17, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

The developers responsible for the Guilty Gear and Blazblue series of fighting games has announced their latest project – a colorful crossover between Person 4 Ultimax, Blazblue, Under-Night: In-Birth….. and RWBY! So this tag-team fighting title is not only a “best of” when it comes to characters from some of the more recent non-Capcom Japanese fighters out there, but characters from Rooster Teeth’s popular web series will also jump into the fray as well.

A list of confirmed character so far is scant at best – Hyde Kido from Under-Night (which was developed by Melty Blood devs Ecole Software), Yu Naraukami from SEGA / Atlus’ Person 4, Ragna the Bloodedge from Blazblue and of course Ruby Rose from RWBY.

No word on if the game will be a simultaneous international release or if it will hit Japanese arcades first followed by home consoles later. Arc has been silent on any sort of date or even confirming platforms for their latest brawler.

Check out the trailer below:


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