Guilty Gear or BlazBlue?

[rinri]

I'm going to ask both communtities, so it won't be one-sided by asking one instead of both.

Anyways, i've been interested in fighting games for a while, and these two anime-styled fighting games have caught my attention visually. However without having a demo avaliable (as far as i know) and not being able to understand gameplay well, i'm not sure what is the difference between the two. Having both games being quite expensive and a time commitment, i think i should probably pick between the two.

For context, I am a Street Fighter player, currently playing SFV (Yes, depsite the various faults I still love the game) and a seasoned Smash Bros. player. I've played Skullgirls a bit and greatly enjoyed it, but still knows very little about it.

I should have probably include this earlier so you'd understand my playstyle, but I play these characters in their game respectively:
SF - Ibuki, Chun Li
SSB (across all versions) - Marth, Ness
SG - Fillia


Thank you in advance for the input ^_^

EDIT: I suck at grammer :L, also more info.

[lostsomething]

You can always use the Steam "demo" ie play for < 2 hours and refund if you decide against it.

Myself, I'd say Guilty Gear's the better prospect. GG and BB are probably more similar to each other than they are anything else that's out there but GG's better looking with probably the best cell-shaded graphics out there, more popular, and probably at least a little bit more accessible.

[Penguinator]

Guilty Gear:
- Five buttons: P, K, S, H and D in a rainbow layout. D isn't used as much as others, but it's still definitely a five-button game. Macros aren't really necessary since the commands aren't that specific (Burst = D + one other button, Roman Cancel = three non-D buttons, Blitz is H + one non-D button, Dead Angle is block + two non-D buttons).
- More freedom (aka "creativity"): RC system works anytime, with any move (even regular movement like airdash or plain idle standing); especially notable on YRCs which creates new possibilities with special moves to produce unorthodox movement and strong projectiles.
- Slower pace: More hit/block stop, and RC slowdowns slow things up a noticeable amount.
- Generally shorter combos: Opponent hitting ground is a hard knockdown, combo ends when you can't juggle anymore
- Simpler okizeme: hard knockdown means no different wake-up patterns, but you still have the same options in neutral (ie. invuln backdash, reversal moves, 1F reversal throws, reversal Blitz, etc)
- Many strong universal mechanics: In addition to Burst, RCs, guard cancel ("Dead Angle") and IB/FD, Xrd has Blitz and 1F throws/airthrows which means player skill matters much more than your character power (eg. you can Blitz safejumps, you can punish things by IB into throw, you can use a Burst super for guaranteed invuln reversal etc.).
- Less characters: Each character is really unique and plays differently. The balance is regarded by most to be pretty good, though there's definitely a strong top tier (Sin, Elphelt, Johnny, Raven) which has simply better tools (eg. longer range, better okizeme, burst-safe combos etc). That being said, because the universal mechanics are so strong, even lower tiered characters can be played very competively (FAB got into winners top 8 in Sai 2017 with Potemkin, the universally-agreed worst character).
- Better tutorials: In GG, the game makes you do the work to progress forward. It gives quick instructions, but makes you do simple tasks repeatedly until you get the right amount correctly. In "missions" this means doing the thing correctly a required amount of times, and in basic "tutorial" it means moving around and attacking to get to the next part (which helps new players build muscle memory almost subconsciously).

Blazblue
- Four buttons: A, B, C, and D in square layout. You may want to use macros since some mechanics are specific (eg. Burst and Overdrive are ABCD, Roman Cancel is ABC, Counter Assault is back + AB, Crush Trigger is neutral + AB)
- Less freedom: RC system works only on hit or block. That being said, it's not that far from GG which means it has way more freedom than any non-ASW 2D games.
-Faster pace: Hitstop is shorter and movement is faster.
- Generally long combos: While you can do very basic combos for BnB, reaching good average damage requires doing pretty flashy combos even from basic 2P confirms. Opponent hitting ground doesn't affect the combo, it's all about combo timers depending on your starter move.
- Complex okizeme: You have different methods for wake-up like fully invuln one, delaying, or rolling to left or right. That being said, some characters have tools that force you to wake-up in regular safe way, so in the end against strong characters you might as well have no options at all .
- Less strong universal mechanics: Besides Burst, RCs, guard cancel ("Counter Assault") and IB/FD, there's only Overdrive.which works pretty much like meterless RC or guard cancel with character specific added bonuses (eg. Arakune can curse his opponent immediately, trapping them in mixups). This means it's harder to overcome character power with player skill (eg. against strong okizeme you might not be able to do anything, characters with slow normals may not be able to punish some things (because ground and air throws are 7F), some characters have invuln reversals (wake-up Overdrive into Exceed Accel kinda works, but it's so slow that opponent can react to it, so it becomes a mindgame))
- More characters: Having 35 means there's some overlap, but on the other hand you really have loads of options to choose from. There are definitely characters that are weak and ones that are clearly strong, which combined with less universal mechanics means if you play competitively, you might not be very pleased at some matchups since there's only so much you can do vs. what the opponent can do.
- Worse tutorials: In BB, 90% of the information is conveyed with text; there are even some tutorials which you can pass by literally skipping the text. Even in the "how to use a character" tutorials, you can complete the thing by skipping all text and kill the opponent by spamming light punches.

Overall, the two games are so damn similar that it's really up to the small details (which can be mostly noticed only by playing) to decide which one you prefer. I personally recommend GGXrd just because the combos and okizeme are generally shorter/simpler, the universal mechanics are really solid, and the tutorial is probably the best in any fighting game ever made.
BB is very similar, but in my shallow opinion (played BBCP and BBCF only a fraction of GGXrd, ie. about 30 matches vs. 15 000 matches), it goes for style over substance in many aspects, making it harder to learn and understand.

[ttv/AmaterrasVT]

Purely my personal opinion as someone who plays both games, but I started on GG first, and then branched into BB.

BB is more combo heavy and okizeme / meaty is pretty hard to do since tech roll is a thing in BB. Neutrals are paced faster than BB, combo timing is stricter for some characters, all characters have their own "Drive" gimmick, which is nice.
OTGs are also a thing here, so expect long, execution heavy combos.
Character balancing is also pretty whack, counter picks and mastery of several characters are a must for hardcore players, at least in my local scene. SF players might feel overwhelmed at first due to the super fast pace of the game and lack of footsies and neutral game.
*inb4 Nu-13 and her fullscreen high-low mixup smh*.
Personal recommended chara:
> Azrael: some buttons and combos are links like SF. Damage is very high and health is pretty high. Crazy rushdown potential. Has a full invul DP.
> Ragna & Jin: your normal, everyday Shoto. With the difference that one can literally heal himself with every Drive attack and the other can freeze you, leading to a free combo extender.
> Mai: very easy executions, combos are very simple by BB's standard. Health is sub-par, but the damage output is very high. Has an unblockable move, can zone from long range or close-mid range rushdown.

GG is slower than BB in general, footsies, neutrals, and Dhalsim-esque zoning is present here (Axl Low).
You gain access to the Roman Cancel mechanic which lets you slow down time for a small period to either catch your breath, assess the situation at hand, or extend combos depending on what you use it for.
You cannot OTG after a combo ender here, any attempt to OTG will result in knocking your opponent back and lets them tech out instantly.
GG has more defensive options than BB (e.g, Blitz Shield).
Meaties and Projectile okizeme is the meta here, basically you get a hard knockdown, throw a meaty / oki, continue pressure and hit confirm accordingly.
Character balancing is great here, any character can beat each other no matter what the tier lists say, personal skill is the key to winning, this is due to the many defensive option that GG offers. So even a short ranged chara can win against zoners.
SF players might want to play this first because the actions are not as fast as BB, and neutral game is actually a thing here.
Personal recommended chara:
> Kum Haehyun: literally (not)Gouken. His buttons are links like SF. Has controllable fireballs, non-invul DP, Tatsu, etc. SF players might feel at home with this character, but he is not so beginner friendly. Has a pretty high defense.
> Sol Badguy: your Ken of the game. Literal shoto, but with a short range projectile. You want rushdown? This is your man.
> Ky Kiske: this one's the Ryu. Have all the answers for almost literally every possible situation. Got zoned? Fight with your own projectiles. Got RTSD'ed? DP that ho. Zoning? Great meaty and oki? Mixups? Long ranged buttons? He got those.
> Leo Whitefang: probably one of the easiest character, execution-wise. Gameplan literally consists of stringing buttons into a rekka, knockdown, meaty, rinse and repeat. Known as the "noob killer". Buttons are pretty long ranged, making him a beast in footsies.
This is the Guile of this game, he's got 2 different sonic booms and 2 different flash kicks. But he's not a zoner, he's best used as a rushdown character and is very nasty on super-close range. Don't like Sol but you still love that RTSD hype? This is your man.

[rinri]

Originally posted by ＭＥＭＥ先生:

Purely my personal opinion as someone who plays both games, but I started on GG first, and then branched into BB.

BB is more combo heavy and okizeme / meaty is pretty hard to do since tech roll is a thing in BB. Neutrals are paced faster than BB, combo timing is stricter for some characters, all characters have their own "Drive" gimmick, which is nice.
OTGs are also a thing here, so expect long, execution heavy combos.
Character balancing is also pretty whack, counter picks and mastery of several characters are a must for hardcore players, at least in my local scene. SF players might feel overwhelmed at first due to the super fast pace of the game and lack of footsies and neutral game.
*inb4 Nu-13 and her fullscreen high-low mixup smh*.
Personal recommended chara:
> Azrael: some buttons and combos are links like SF. Damage is very high and health is pretty high. Crazy rushdown potential. Has a full invul DP.
> Ragna & Jin: your normal, everyday Shoto. With the difference that one can literally heal himself with every Drive attack and the other can freeze you, leading to a free combo extender.
> Mai: very easy executions, combos are very simple by BB's standard. Health is sub-par, but the damage output is very high. Has an unblockable move, can zone from long range or close-mid range rushdown.

GG is slower than BB in general, footsies, neutrals, and Dhalsim-esque zoning is present here (Axl Low).
You gain access to the Roman Cancel mechanic which lets you slow down time for a small period to either catch your breath, assess the situation at hand, or extend combos depending on what you use it for.
You cannot OTG after a combo ender here, any attempt to OTG will result in knocking your opponent back and lets them tech out instantly.
GG has more defensive options than BB (e.g, Blitz Shield).
Meaties and Projectile okizeme is the meta here, basically you get a hard knockdown, throw a meaty / oki, continue pressure and hit confirm accordingly.
Character balancing is great here, any character can beat each other no matter what the tier lists say, personal skill is the key to winning, this is due to the many defensive option that GG offers. So even a short ranged chara can win against zoners.
SF players might want to play this first because the actions are not as fast as BB, and neutral game is actually a thing here.
Personal recommended chara:
> Kum Haehyun: literally (not)Gouken. His buttons are links like SF. Has controllable fireballs, non-invul DP, Tatsu, etc. SF players might feel at home with this character, but he is not so beginner friendly. Has a pretty high defense.
> Sol Badguy: your Ken of the game. Literal shoto, but with a short range projectile. You want rushdown? This is your man.
> Ky Kiske: this one's the Ryu. Have all the answers for almost literally every possible situation. Got zoned? Fight with your own projectiles. Got RTSD'ed? DP that ho. Zoning? Great meaty and oki? Mixups? Long ranged buttons? He got those.
> Leo Whitefang: probably one of the easiest character, execution-wise. Gameplan literally consists of stringing buttons into a rekka, knockdown, meaty, rinse and repeat. Known as the "noob killer". Buttons are pretty long ranged, making him a beast in footsies.
This is the Guile of this game, he's got 2 different sonic booms and 2 different flash kicks. But he's not a zoner, he's best used as a rushdown character and is very nasty on super-close range. Don't like Sol but you still love that RTSD hype? This is your man.

I should probably ask, but how's the netplay in both games? This is a deal breaker. Also what about singleplayer content?

[ttv/AmaterrasVT]

Originally posted by Rinri:

I should probably ask, but how's the netplay in both games? This is a deal breaker. Also what about singleplayer content?

Netplay is better in BB imo, it loads and connects faster than GG in my personal experience, and I can play BB against all my friends even though my ISP blocked some required ports to play online. Which leads to me being unable to play GG for quite some time. Sometimes I do get slowdowns and stutters, so it's not the smoothest experience.
GG on the other hand, is very smooth and stable, but it loads pretty slow. And inb4, I can't connect with some other players due to port forwarding problems, etc. Once I got a match, it's all smooth sailing though.

For singleplayer content, I can't take sides here. Both are equally good. Both has great story modes, with the difference that GG' s story mode is literally you watching a CGI anime movie for like 3-4 hours straight, and BB is an 8-hour long visual novel with playable combat in the middle of it.
Both has an arcade mode which tells each character's story before the events of the main story. Both has a survival mode (Abyss in BB, M.O.M in GG) in which you level up your characters as you progress and an additional game mechanic. Both are pretty much the same here. So whichever you pick, you'll get more or less the same type of single-player content.

[Penguinator]

Originally posted by ＭＥＭＥ先生:

Originally posted by Rinri:

I should probably ask, but how's the netplay in both games? This is a deal breaker. Also what about singleplayer content?

Netplay is better in BB imo, it loads and connects faster than GG in my personal experience, and I can play BB against all my friends even though my ISP blocked some required ports to play online. Which leads to me being unable to play GG for quite some time. Sometimes I do get slowdowns and stutters, so it's not the smoothest experience.
GG on the other hand, is very smooth and stable, but it loads pretty slow. And inb4, I can't connect with some other players due to port forwarding problems, etc. Once I got a match, it's all smooth sailing though. .

I have a PC from 2010 and loading of training mode is so short you can actually skip to game while the pre-fight intro screen is still there (interrupting the music and animation). Xrd is fully 3D so it obviously takes longer to load than BBCF which is 2D sprite characters +3D background, and even then it's only long if you play against a person with really slow computer (or your own PC is the toaster). For me, initializing matches in BBCF player rooms was actually slower than in Xrd, not to mention the player rooms being way more confusing.
Also, I have not had any port or region problems ever since Xrd -Sign- release (eg. I could see Japanese and American lobbies since the beginning despite rumors of a "region lock" that actually was a connection filter setting doing its work), which means quality of connection depends completely on geographical distance and your and your opponent's ISPs working well with each other.

[Bootleg Megaboss]

Guilty Gear all the way. Blazblue is too anime for me and I don't like most of the characters.

[K-drive.]

Just a side note, GGAC+R is faster than BB, but Xrd is slower than BB.