Arc System Works’ upcoming fighting game, Guilty Gear Strive, is easily one of the most anticipated games of 2021, despite not being released. The last two betas have been an open-eyeing experience, and even though there have been some sore spots, the game has been on the minds of just about anyone who enjoys fighting games.
With the game being delayed back in 2020 and again earlier this year, we’re less than two weeks left before the game releases. We were granted an interview with Arc System Works and ask them a few questions regarding GGST before the game is released.
Q: Arc SystemWorks detailed the available modes available in Guilty Gear Strive, and one of them was the ability to experience the story without fighting any opponents. What was the reason behind adding this mode?
A: The Story Mode does not contain the competitive element that was present in the Xrd series on purpose. The main reason for this is that the traditional format of match-ups occurring at key points inevitably ends up hurting the story.
Q: Will there be alternate outfits & skins for characters be available throughout the lifespan of Guilty Gear Strive?
A: There will be the option to change colors, but we are not currently planning on introducing skins for Guilty Gear Strive. Our current priority is on developing new characters to add to the game.
Q: Will the Jukebox allow the players to listen to their favorite tracks play in training mode or during online play?
A: Yes, you will be able to choose from a large selection of songs, including some from previous entries in the series.
Q: Can the stages in Guilty Gear Strive transition from breaking the corner with attacks and combos, or can this be turned off?
A: Currently, in the Training Mode, you can have the durability of the walls reset after each combo. However, there is no limit to how many times you can transition stage via corner breakers during a match.
Q: Will there be customization for the UI, such as changing the round Icon and health bar colors and shape, etc?
A: We have no plans to implement this at the time of release, but we had been considering it during development.
Q: When we first had a chance to play Guilty Gear Strive, we noticed that the lobbies weren’t what we expected. This is the same reaction that most had when they played the beta. Do you have any plans to address the lobby system?
A: We are aware of the lobby system and have been collecting feedback regarding it. We are working on the lobby system to ensure that everyone who plays the game will have a better experience.
Q: With the current status of the world, netcode is very important, especially for fighting games. With the confirmation rollback netcode for Guilty Gear Strive, will the lobbies be able to handle the stress of hosting multiple games?
A: This game uses a P2P network for online battles, so lobby connection isn’t going to be an issue. Regardless, we’re making every effort to make this title fun to play both in and outside of the battles. Rollback Netcode was planned from the start as well.
Q: One of Millia Rage’s iconic moves is the hairpin projectile, which has been removed in Guilty Gear Strive. What was the decision to make such a change to the character?
A: If you are referring to Silent Force, it wasn’t a question about whether or not the move appeared in previous titles, but rather whether or not it was in line with the character’s concept for this game.
Q: Potemkin’s heat knuckle anti-air move is now blockable. What was the thought process for this move change? Does this limit his potential to make reads punishing the opponent jump in attempts outside of Heavenly Potemkin Buster?
A: There are basically almost no moves in this title that can’t be guarded. The reasoning behind this was to make it easier to figure out approaches on how to play the character. For Potemkin, we really wanted to encourage a style that focuses on raising the opponent’s R.I.S.C. level. His ground and anti-air moves will have varying applications allowing the player to make strategic decisions, rather than simply hoping for the best.
Q: While the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 owners will be able to fight against each other thanks to cross-play support, while the PC version can not. Why was this implemented, and are you worried that this could cause the PC version of Guilty Gear Strive to either not take off or die off earlier than the console versions?
A: We would love to implement cross-play between Steam and PlayStation. The only reason it won’t be there at launch is that we simply couldn’t fit in with our development schedule.
Thanks for taking out some time and answering our questions. We know you’re super busy working on getting this game completed, so we’ll let you go. We’re looking forward to checking out the title once it gets released.
Guilty Gear Strive is scheduled to be released on June 11th, 2021, for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC (Steam). Look for our review and coverage of Guilty Gear Strive once we gain access to the game.
