Official Site: http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/blazblue-continuum-shift-extend-ps3.html
Source: Youtube Channel jourdal
Developer: Arc System Works
Publisher: Aksys Games
Platforms: [Playstation 3], Xbox 360
Release Date: February 14, 2012
Genre: Fighting
Pros:
+ Lots of unlockable content
+ Rebalanced characters and difficulty
+ "Almost" everything great about the series so far put together in one
+ Extra stories that delves deeper into the lore of BlazBlue
+ The addition of Relius Clover
+ Another mode added for those who like playing single-player
+ Optimized online gameplay
+ The in-game money and level system is great for single-player play
+ Abyss mode adds some light RPG elements great for single-player play
Cons:
- An expensive DLC for those who own the original and 3 of the DLC characters
- Legion mode is not present in this "supposed" definitive version of BlazBlue
- A lot of the English voice actors have been swapped out
- Public online community is pretty dead
- Honestly, it's only one extra characters
- Odd typos and weird dialogue problems in conversations
Recommended:
*Yes: If you've never bought any of the BlazBlue or you're a big fan
*No: If you've bought Continuum Shift with the 3 DLC characters
I was hesitant about purchasing Extend as it was mainly 4 new characters for me for $40 (it was 1 new character for those who paid for the 3 DLC characters before Extend released). But I got a really good sale discount, there were new modes, new story lines, new characters, and I really liked BlazBlue. I liked the addition of Abyss mode, which was ported from the handheld editions, and the currency/level system as it gave me an incentive to keep playing to unlock more content much like Calamity Trigger was like. I had never played the 3 DLC characters before, so it pleases me that all 3 turned out to be really fun to play. The exclusive Relius Clover for the Extend edition is okay, but I can understand why a lot of people who bought Continnum Shift and all the DLCs didn't want to buy an entire expansion just for him. The additional story arcs were great and quite moving on some of them. What I really didn't like that made me upset was that some of the voice actors were different. The main problem is that they're mixed in with the original voice actors so some attacks just sound so odd when it's a totally different voice. It was also saddening to hear it in Story mode as it no longer captures the essence and being of that character anymore as well as being inconsistent. There was also some very odd typos where words are misspelled, words didn't match what the voice was saying, and weird dialogue changes in the middle of a conversation where some characters suddenly have the Japanese voice actors speak and then go right back into English voices. This expansion seems rather rushed and unpolished in terms of content quality, but the core gameplay is still very solid and a lot of fun.
Aesthetics
Art Style: 2D Hand-drawn sprites with multi-layer hand-drawn backgrounds
+ Slight changes to UI, certain animations, and graphics to make it smoother
+ New content in gallery and new CGs for story
+ As usual, the music is incredible and new songs have been added
+ Additional levels have been added
- Typos in texts and voice overs not matching to texts or fluctuates to Japanese
- Changes to English voice actors is disappointing and jarring in-game
Aesthetics: 7/10
Buttons
Controller: PS3 controller or Fightstick
+ Nothing has really changed for the controls. Still easy to navigate the menus, character moves and skills are still solid and response time is very tight.
Buttons: 10/10
Concept & Content
Core Concept: Classic 2D Fighter
+ The new story arcs are pretty well written and has the same great quality
+ New modes like Unlimited Mars and Abyss Mode are great additions for solo
+ The 3 DLC characters with Relius Clover is added to the roster
+ Currency and Leveling system adds more replay value and incentive to the game
+ A LOT of unlockable content such as pictures, unlimited characters, and voices
+ Online play is optimized and runs much smoother
- Legion Mode was taken out
- For competitive players, not much new was added
Concept and Content: 9/10
Duration
+ Replay value for solo play has been "extended" significantly
+ More stories means longer play time
+ Lots of content to unlock so there's incentive to play more
+ Abyss Mode has 4 tiers and has light RPG elements for more "depth"
Duration: 9/10
Fun
+ I like the currency/leveling system a lot, that progression for solo play is great
+ I really like the RPG elements within Abyss mode
+ The additional 4 characters are really fun and unique
+ Relius Clover has the coolest and most intricate Astral Heat
+ The stories for the new characters and side stories were rather moving
-The lack of polish in texts, voice actor changes, erratic language voice overs was a disappointment and I hope this doesn't happen in Chrono Phantasma
Fun: 9/10
Overall
Despite the lack of polish in bringing it over to the Western Market and disappointments with voice actor changes, the sheer amount of solo play content that was added more than makes up for it (but still makes me sad). BlazBlue Continuum Shift Extend is the definitive version of the series thus far with all the characters up to date, all the stories including Calamity Trigger, and all the different modes excluding Legion mode. The expansion is quite an expensive payment for those just wanting Relius Clover in their roster, but a worthwhile one if more single-player content is what they seek. For those who really like the series other than just solely on the competitive scene or those who have never even bought the game, BlazBlue Continuum Shift Extend is a great buy for any gamer remotely interested in the 2D Fighter genre. Overall: 8.8/10
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