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| 4 | %% Character-specific tropes go in the Character sheet. |
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| 6 | %% YMMV and Trivia tropes go in the YMMV and Trivia tab respectively. |
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| 9 | %% Image restored per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=17022692040.42390100 |
| 10 | %% Please don't change or remove without starting a new thread. |
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| 12 | |
| 13 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gg_logo.png]] |
| 14 | [[caption-width-right:350:''Heaven or Hell?''[[note]]''Let's Rock!''[[/note]] ]] |
| 15 | |
| 16 | ->''Who dares to enter the mayhem?'' |
| 17 | -->-- '''Character select callout''' |
| 18 | |
| 19 | ''Guilty Gear'' is a [[ThePowerOfRock power of rock]] FightingGame series created by Creator/ArcSystemWorks and Creator/DaisukeIshiwatari. The franchise started out as a cult classic, but [[VindicatedByHistory got noticeably better attention]] when its sequels were released. |
| 20 | |
| 21 | [[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture In the year 2010]], mankind discovered an incredible energy source that defied all known laws of physics. This unlimited power would be fittingly labelled as "magic" and go on to catalyse the growth of civilisation across the world. However, this miraculous discovery was not enough to quell the flames of war within the human soul, and soon the invention of {{Magitek}} [[MagicEnhancement was used to create]] powerful {{Living Weapon}}s known as "Gears." |
| 22 | |
| 23 | The Gears eventually TurnedAgainstTheirMasters in a century-long conflict known as The Crusades. Led by the righteous [[TheOrder Holy Order]], mankind eventually defeated the leader of the Gears and [[SealedEvilInACan sealed her away in a dimensional rift]], [[KeystoneArmy causing every other active Gear to fall dormant]]. |
| 24 | |
| 25 | As the first game opens, the year is 2180, and there are whispers that the Gears may be revived and resume their genocide of humanity. In the midst of the ensuing turmoil, two opposing rivals clash swords: Sol Badguy, an [[AntiHero amoral]] BountyHunter with a dark secret linking him to the Gears; and Ky Kiske, an [[ThePaladin idealistic young paladin]] of the Second Holy Order. |
| 26 | |
| 27 | Mechanically, ''Guilty Gear'' has a few unique concepts that set it apart from the competition: |
| 28 | |
| 29 | [[folder:Mechanics]] |
| 30 | * The first and most notable aspect of ''Guilty Gear'' is that AirDashing and [[DoubleJump air mobility]] are fundamental to the series. While ''Guilty Gear'' was not the first game to feature improved air mobility or dashing in the air, it's considered the first fighting game series [[TropeCodifier to get it]] ''[[TropeCodifier right]]'' [[TropeCodifier and to control well]], particularly starting with ''Guilty Gear X''. The series features a huge number of air control options, all of which are variously good for offense, defense, etc., and various characters have different air performance envelopes, as one of the purposes of the series is to better simulate the crazy shonen anime air battles seen in works like ''Manga/DragonBall''. Even more so than a game like, say, ''Franchise/StreetFighter'', air offense is a vital part of a match, to the point that ''Guilty Gear'' and other games with a similarly large number of air mobility options (''VideoGame/MeltyBlood'', ''Franchise/BlazBlue'', etc.) are said to have "air footsies."[[note]]"Footsies" being a term used in the MediaNotes/FightingGameCommunity to refer to the ground-based aspect of fighters, both players out of mid-range and trying to strategically control the flow of battle by committing to their longest-ranged, generally safest moves (known as pokes) and reacting accordingly.[[/note]] |
| 31 | * And on that note, the Dust attack. The "fifth" attack button is, when pressed in neutral, [[LauncherMove a universal sky-launching "uppercut" for all characters]]. Connect this and follow immediately with a jump, and you then get to do the really big air combos the series is so famous for (as "Dust combos," especially under the right conditions, can be significantly longer than standard combos). Non-neutral Dust attacks tend to vary a good deal more between characters, but neutral Dust tends to be pretty much the same mechanically, even if the animation is different. The button is called "Dust," by the way, because the animations usually kick up a lot of dust as a visual tell that this sort of launch was happening. |
| 32 | * For that matter, the button layout and the Gatling Combo system. ''Guilty Gear'' is a 5-button setup, as opposed to the 6-button layout of ''Street Fighter'' or the 4-button layout favored by so many Creator/{{SNK}} titles: the buttons are Punch, Kick, Slash, Heavy Slash, and Dust. The first thing to note is Slash and Heavy Slash -- while Punch and Kick tend to have fairly similar performance envelopes across characters, Slash attacks are where their unique mechanics often start to come into play alongside any special attacks. While it's called "Slash" because that's what series leads Sol and Ky do (slash with their swords), ''GG'' characters can use some ''weird'' weapons and Slashes tend to be wildly different from character to character. |
| 33 | ** The other facet of this system, though, is how the combos work: the attacks, particularly what would be the first four face buttons on a console controller, ascend in order of strength for a reason: they combo together in what's called the Gatling Combo system. Unlike many competing fighters, ''especially'' those present at the time of ''[=GG1=]'' and ''GGX''[='s=] releases, combos are actually easier to accomplish because the fundamentals work the same across most the cast -- neutral P will animation-cancel combo into K, K into S, and S into HS. Furthermore, you can often "jump" a single level and it will still be a combo -- P-S-HS, for example. While specific directional-input-plus-attack-type combos, as well as what specials can finish combos, vary for each character (and is where a lot of the depth comes in) the essential concept holds true for every single character in the game, meaning you'll at least have ''something'' to start from when playing a new character (or gives you at least some knowledge when facing characters you don't yet have good match-up knowledge against -- ultimately, they have to obey this same rule everyone else follows, and their combos will ''have'' to end on either HS or a special, and this is where you can go on the attack). There are a few exceptions to the rule, however. Slayer, introduced in ''GGXX'', has little in the way of gatlings compared to the rest of the cast, instead having to rely on links [[note]]performing a move with quick startup immediately after a move with quick recovery has connected, all while the opponent is still in hit stun, thus "linking" together the attacks into a single combo; in Slayer's case, a common link would be close standing S > far standing S > close standing S > far standing S, then followed by a standing kick (5K) and canceled into a special move (usually his [[DashAttack Mappa Hunch]])[[/note]] and frame traps [[note]]moves that appear unsafe at first glance but are actually advantageous on block, used to bait the opponent into retaliating only to be punished in return; the aforementioned c.S > f.S link is one such example[[/note]] to continue pressuring the opponent. ''Strive'' changed this up a bit, limiting gatlings a bit and no longer allowing them from P and K attacks. |
| 34 | * Finally, there's the idea of "Roman Cancels" -- pressing a certain button combination (or, on pretty much any modern console controller or fightstick, a single button) will allow your character to, in a single frame, [[LagCancel go back to a "neutral" state from deep within a combo]] at the cost of tension meter, signified by a red flash of energy briefly enveloping the user and, prior to [[VideoGame3DLeap the switch to 3D]], [[CallingYourAttacks the announcer calling out "Romantic!"]] In short, you could, for example, do P-K-S-HS, Roman Cancel, take a step forward to get back in range, and P-K-S-HS ''again'', and it would all count as one combo that the enemy can't just interrupt via guarding. Roman Cancels, along with Dust attacks, are what lead to the huge, stylish combos that ''Guilty Gear'' is so famous for -- you can do a ground combo, Roman Cancel into a Dust attack, perform your Dust combo, Roman Cancel ''again'' if you have meter, and do a second air combo. That's an extreme example, but does reflect what having the ability to hard cancel a combo into a new combo allows for. |
| 35 | ** The ''XX'' series would expand upon this system by adding in [=FRCs=] (Force/False Roman Cancels), Roman Cancels [[SomeDexterityRequired that could only be used during specific frames for specific moves that varied by character]] but only cost 25% of the tension meter as opposed to 50% and [[ColourCodedForYourConvenience were instead colored blue]]. ''Xrd'' would change how Roman Cancels work by [[http://www.dustloop.com/wiki/index.php?title=GGXRD/Movement#Roman_Cancel providing players more freedom in when they could use RCs]] as well as giving [=RCs=] the ability to [[BulletTime briefly slow down time]]. |
| 36 | [[/folder]] |
| 37 | |
| 38 | The series' release history is pretty long, as it's been around for a good two decades and counting: |
| 39 | |
| 40 | [[folder:Titles]] |
| 41 | !!!Main games [[note]]''The Midnight Carnival'' and ''Accent Core Plus R'' were ported to Platform/{{Steam}} much later in life and they were ''all'' found in arcades, aside from, curiously, the original ''Guilty Gear''.[[/note]] |
| 42 | [[index]] |
| 43 | * ''VideoGame/GuiltyGearTheMissingLink'' (1998, PSX) (2018, Nintendo Switch) |
| 44 | * ''[[VideoGame/GuiltyGearX Guilty Gear X: By Your Side]]'' (2000, Dreamcast[=/=][=PS2=]) |
| 45 | * ''[[VideoGame/GuiltyGearXX Guilty Gear XX: The Midnight Carnival]]'' (2002, [=PS2=]) |
| 46 | ** ''Guilty Gear XX #Reload'' (2003, [=PS2=]/[=Xbox=]) |
| 47 | ** ''Guilty Gear XX Slash'' (2005, [=PS2=]) |
| 48 | ** ''Guilty Gear XX Accent Core'' (2006, [=PS2=][=/=]Wii) |
| 49 | ** ''Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus'' (2009, [=PS2=]/Wii[=/=][=PSP=]) |
| 50 | ** ''Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R'' (2012, Xbox 360 XBLA[=/=][=PS3=] [=PSN=]) (2018, Nintendo Switch) |
| 51 | * ''[[VideoGame/GuiltyGear2Overture Guilty Gear 2: Overture]]'' (2007, Xbox 360/Steam) [[note]]Notably, despite the name, it is ''[[OddballInTheSeries not]]'' a traditional fighting game and is more like an odd FG-[[RealTimeStrategy RTS]] [[GenreBusting hybrid]], which resulted in it being ''intensely'' unpopular. Despite this, it is treated as the "true" sequel to ''[=GG1=]'' (''X'' and the ''XX'' installments, while canon, are officially {{Gaiden Game}}s), and quite a few plot elements from ''[=GG2=]'' were incorporated into its sequel(s), ''Guilty Gear Xrd''.[[/note]] |
| 52 | * ''[[VideoGame/GuiltyGearXrd Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-]]'' (2014, [=PS3=][=/=][=PS4=][=/=]Steam) |
| 53 | ** ''Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR-'' (2015, [=PS3=]/[=PS4=]/Steam) |
| 54 | ** ''Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2'' (2017, [=PS3=]/[=PS4=]/Steam) |
| 55 | * ''[[VideoGame/GuiltyGearStrive Guilty Gear -STRIVE-]]'' (2021, [=PS4=]/[=PS5=]/[=Steam=]) |
| 56 | !!!Spin-Offs |
| 57 | * ''Guilty Gear Petit'' (2001, [=WonderSwan=]) |
| 58 | ** ''Guilty Gear Petit 2'' (2002, [=WonderSwan=]) |
| 59 | * ''Guilty Gear Isuka'' (2004, Arcade/[=PS2=]/Xbox) |
| 60 | * ''Guilty Gear Dust Strikers'' (2006, Nintendo DS) |
| 61 | * ''Guity Gear Judgment'' (2006, [=PSP=]) |
| 62 | * ''Pro Jumper! Chimaki's Hot Spring Tour Guilty Gear Tangent!?'' (2010, [=DSiWare=]) |
| 63 | * ''Guilty Gear Vastedge XT'' (2013, pachinko machine) |
| 64 | [[/index]] |
| 65 | [[/folder]] |
| 66 | |
| 67 | After a very long hiatus[[note]]because Overture was such a different beast compared to the other games, the last major release was in 2006 with ''Accent Core'', and even that was still based heavily on ''XX'' and used lots of 2002 assets)[[/note]], the franchise returned with ''Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-''[[note]]pronounced "ig-zird"[[/note]], released in arcades (using Creator/{{Sega}}'s [=RingEdge=] 2 board) on February 20, 2014, with the home release on December 16th, 2014 in North America. The game takes place one year after the events of ''Guilty Gear 2: Overture'' (in the year 2187) and marks a return to the series' 2D-fighting roots. In addition to Xrd, Arc also unveiled ''[[http://d-light777.jp/machine/slot_guilty/index.html Guilty Gear Vastedge XT]]'' [[note]]''Vastedge'' [[SpellMyNameWithAnS was thought to be]] ''Vestige'' by some, [[http://p.twipple.jp/hPReG but Arc themselves later confirmed the correct spelling]][[/note]], a pachinko game also set after ''Overture'' that appears to [[{{Interquel}} tie into]] ''Xrd''. |
| 68 | |
| 69 | ASW has uploaded [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5pkaWp8Xso two]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5pkaWp8Xso trailers]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQ9Cd4MKqHs the arcade intro]] for ''Xrd'' to their official [=YouTube=] page, and previews for ''Vastedge'' can be found [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niWUZybHcXk here,]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGOfAKAjN_Y here,]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfQPXJX9em0 here.]] |
| 70 | |
| 71 | A new ''Guilty Gear'' game, entitled ''VideoGame/GuiltyGearStrive'', was announced with a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAJUvy4ibeA preview trailer]] at the 2019 Evo Championship Series and was released on [=PlayStation 4=], [=PlayStation 5=] and Steam on June 11, 2021. Notable changes include a new corner system where characters can "break through" the corner and smash their opponents into a stage transition, changing how corner mechanics work for the first time in the series. |
| 72 | |
| 73 | See also ''Franchise/BlazBlue'', a CreatorDrivenSuccessor created during ''Guilty Gear'''s hiatus, and ''VideoGame/DragonballFighterz'', ASW's most prominent licensed game using Guilty Gear's mechanics. |
| 74 | |
| 75 | ---- |
| 76 | !!Duel 1! Let's ROCK! |
| 77 | |
| 78 | |
| 79 | * AerithAndBob: The game's roster features characters named Johnny and May, along with Elphelt and Ramlethal. |
| 80 | * AfterTheEnd: Though some cities and countries flourish, the world remains devastated after the Crusades. America is in ruins and there's a ''hole in the ocean'' where Japan used to be. |
| 81 | * AggressivePlayIncentive: The game gives you a Negative Penalty, rapidly lowering your Tension Gauge and temporarily making it take longer to build back up, if you fail to take any offensive action for a long period of time. On the other hand, playing aggressively enough (such as performing a Wall Break in ''[[VideoGame/GuiltyGearStrive -STRIVE-]]'') gives you a Positive Bonus. |
| 82 | * AlienSpaceBats: The discovery of magic in 2010. It doesn't seem like humanity is heading down that path in our world... yet. |
| 83 | * AlliterativeTitle: '''G'''uilty '''G'''ear. |
| 84 | * AllThereInTheManual: Seeing as how this is a fighting game, a lot of info and lore (especially in the earliest titles) were only through text and explained in detail through manuals. |
| 85 | * AmbidextrousSprite: Characters like Sol and Ky can easily switch to the other hand, but those with [[FashionableAsymmetry asymmetrical costumes]] (Testament, Venom) or ''missing limbs'' (Baiken) are a bit harder to justify. ''Xrd'', a 3D game whose visual design is centered around replicating the feel of 2D, intentionally uses this trope, with a few exceptions such as Sol's and Ky's "Free" and "Hope" belts reading the same from both sides. |
| 86 | * AmericanKirbyIsHardcore: All of the games which got ported from Japan to America and Europe, most notably the ''[[http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps2/919961-guilty-gear-isuka/images Isuka]]'' installment. |
| 87 | %% (ZCE) * ApocalypseMaiden: The Valentines. Special mention goes to the original, who That Man calls "the illegitimate child of a merciless apocalypse." |
| 88 | * ArtEvolution: Sol's hair has gotten much, much spikier since the first game in the series. There's a few other changes as well, such as Axl becoming less muscular and Testament becoming (marginally) less feminine. |
| 89 | %% (WANE) ** Also, [[http://i.imgur.com/WVd8EkD.jpg here's a comparison between Ky's sprites.]] |
| 90 | * AudibleSharpness: Most of the characters with some sort of actual blades (Ky, Baiken, and Chipp) or have attacks with blade-like features (Millia) will make various ''shing''-type sounds, although it can be hard to hear over the music and sound effects. |
| 91 | * AutobotsRockOut: ''Guilty Gear'' and badass guitar riffs are almost synonymous. |
| 92 | * AwesomeButImpractical: Unless you're playing ''The Missing Link'' or using "Generations GG Mode" in ''Accent Core'', Instant Kills. Sure, they end the round automatically if they connect, but most are ''seriously'' difficult to hit with. If they know it's coming, it's damn near impossible, unless the opponent is stunned. In that case it's somewhat doable. |
| 93 | * BadassArmy: While we only see/hear of the efforts of the main players (i.e. Sol, Ky, Kliff, and Justice), both the Gears and the Holy Knights count, seeing as the Crusades lasted over a century and probably would have continued on longer had it not been for Justice's sealing (indeed, in the BadFuture, the Crusades continue on for at least another eight). |
| 94 | * BattleIntro: |
| 95 | ** As usual for fighting games, each character has pre-match intros, and several have special intros against each other, most notably Sol vs. Ky and Millia vs. Zato. |
| 96 | ** Also, several fights in the interactive Story Modes have intros that actually have an effect on the fight itself. |
| 97 | * BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame: Realizing that the solution to the Gear problem wasn't more Gears (a lesson likely learned when Testament went rogue thanks to Justice's powers), the Post-War Administration Bureau sought to create an anti-Gear weapon derived from Gear technology, resulting in [[TheSymbiote the parasitic/symbiotic Forbidden Beasts]]. Gears instinctively know that Forbidden Beasts are their enemies, explaining the nostalgia Testament and Dizzy feel around Eddie, and Eddie rationalizes during ''AC+'' that a Gear's body would be able to sustain him better than Zato's did due to the similarities in physiology. |
| 98 | %% Continue from here |
| 99 | * BigScrewedUpFamily: After finding out more about his wife's family in ''Xrd'', Ky Kiske is mortified to learn: |
| 100 | ** His wife [[spoiler:Dizzy, due to Gears having a wildly different life cycle than humans, is actually decades younger than him despite looking like they're the same age.]] |
| 101 | ** Their son [[spoiler:Sin is already a full-grown adult at ''age 3'', again because of Gears' life cycles being utterly different.]] |
| 102 | ** His father-in-law is actually [[spoiler:his [[TheRival rival]] Sol Badguy, who also turns out to be [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld over a century old]] ''and'' the UltimateBlacksmith who made his InfinityPlusOneSword Thunderseal. In Ky's defense, Sol is far from amused as well.]] |
| 103 | ** Further, the two girls who he basically adopted at the end of ''Revelator'', [[spoiler:Ramlethal and Elphelt, ''are clones of his mother-in-law''.]] |
| 104 | ** His mother-in-law? Oh yeah, it's [[spoiler:former series BigBad Justice, who killed his master while she was BrainwashedAndCrazy years ago, and is also over a century old.]] |
| 105 | ** His wife and adopted daughters even lampshade the whole situation by questioning what they should even call [[spoiler:Sol, with Dizzy deciding on "father" and the Valentines, being artificially grown gears, considering "big brother" given Sol's identity as the very first Gear.]] |
| 106 | * BloodIron: Testament's scythe has a blade made of hardened blood iron. |
| 107 | * BloodlessCarnage: ''Guilty Gear XX Accent Core'' has the blood removed for some reason. |
| 108 | * BookEnds: |
| 109 | ** The beginning and the end of ''Xrd'' story mode has [[spoiler:Elphelt nullifying Ramlethal's TakingYouWithMe attempt on Sol, and Ramlethal nullifying Elphelt's DyingAsYourself attempt, respectively.]] |
| 110 | ** Sol's story arc began with him discarding his identity as [[spoiler: Frederick Bulsara]] and assuming the moniker of Sol Badguy. At the end of ''-STRIVE-'', [[spoiler: he discards his persona of the hero Sol Badguy by faking his death and lives the rest of his life once again as Frederick Bulsara.]] |
| 111 | * BorderOccupyingDecorations: The series wasn't designed for a 16:9 aspect ratio until ''Xrd''. Thus, ports of older entries to widescreen systems, such as the Platform/PlayStationPortable, Platform/PlayStationVita, and HD systems added decorative sidebars to keep the fighting in a 4:3 aspect ratio. |
| 112 | * BulletTime: All Roman Cancels in ''Xrd'' (Red, Yellow, and Purple) briefly cause time to slow down for everything but the character who initiated the RC. |
| 113 | * ButterflyOfDeathAndRebirth: Anji's Shitsu is a butterfly which flies upward before descending on the opponent. It's one of the best moves for okizeme in the game. |
| 114 | * CallBack: EX Order-Sol in Slash up to AC Plus R is a call back to the first Guilty Gear's version of Sol. He has a full screen Gun Flame that can be performed with either S or HS, he has a running barge move he can do by hitting P while running (Much like how you could perform an automatic charge attack that launches the opponent just by running at them for a prolonged time,) his Tyrant Rave overdrive resembles GG 1 Sol's Overdrive (although EX OS's is simply the third part of Tyrant Rave Omega as opposed to GG 1 Sol's flame spiral Tyrant Rave) and he even gets a traditional functioning Instant Kill in the form of Sol's old GG 1 IK, All Guns Blazing. About the only thing he lacks is the original Dragon Install powerup. You can even complete the look by changing EX OS' Generations mode to "GG" for power charging and QTE Instant Kills. |
| 115 | * CapcomSequelStagnation: |
| 116 | ** ''Guilty Gear XX'' saw five updated releases between 2002 and 2012 - at first just because the assets were still good, but after ''Accent Core'' it was because the rights to the franchise got weird. Each update did add more to the game, though. |
| 117 | ** ''Xrd'' was more stable, only sitting at three revisions (''-SIGN-'', ''-REVELATOR-'' and ''[=Rev2=]''). |
| 118 | ** ''-STRIVE-'' managed to finally subvert this by getting no revisions at all - instead being divided into 'seasons', updates that added new DLC characters or even added brand new mechanics. |
| 119 | * CastingGag: |
| 120 | ** Creator/IemasaKayumi, Slayer's original voice actor, was the regular Japanese dub voice of Creator/ChristopherLee, whose most famous role was playing ''Literature/{{Dracula}}''. |
| 121 | ** After Creator/IemasaKayumi passed away, Slayer's role was recast to Creator/TakayaHashi, who is certainly no stranger to playing [[Manga/{{Naruto}} immortal characters]], or ones with [[Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar powerful fighting styles associated with the stars and the heavens]]. |
| 122 | ** Baiken's new voice actress, Creator/MayumiAsano, voiced [[Videogame/{{FZero}} a samurai's wife.]] |
| 123 | ** In ''Strive'', Creator/RobbieDaymond voices the psychotic antagonist Happy Chaos, who has TricksterGod elements to him. This is certainly not the first time he's played [[VideoGame/Persona5 such a character]]. |
| 124 | ** In ''Strive'', Jack-O' Valentine is voiced by Nicole Tompkins (Jill Valentine) from ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Remake''. |
| 125 | ** In ''Strive'', Asuka mentions wanting to start a radio show in order to help spread mutual understanding between everyone in the world. He's also voiced by Creator/TomokazuSugita in the Japanese version, who happens to have hosted several online radio shows including VideoGame/BlazBlue Radio. |
| 126 | ** In the English dub of ''Strive'''s story mode, POTUS Colin Vernon is voiced by [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Alabi Anthony Alabi]], former offensive tackle for the Miami Dolphins. Vernon, of course, is shown to have a fondness for the ol' pigskin. |
| 127 | ** Testament is an androgynous character who evokes nightmarish, occult imagery. In ''Strive'', they are voiced by Creator/YuuKobayashi, who is not only no stranger to playing both female and male roles, but is known for her ''very'' nightmarish artwork. A more straightforward example occurs in the English dub as their English VA, Creator/KayleighMcKee, is UsefulNotes/{{transgender}}. |
| 128 | * CelShading: ''Xrd'' and ''-STRIVE-'' use this to emulate the 2D look, further enhanced by the deliberately choppy animation. |
| 129 | * CentralTheme: The plot revolves on moral and religious concepts like innocence, guilt, justice, hope, atonement and life; not just on individual lives, but on a bigger, fictional picture. |
| 130 | * CharacterDevelopment: A great deal of it comes to fruition in ''Overture''. Sol goes from IneffectualLoner to GeniusBruiser and CynicalMentor. Ky starts off as a KnightTemplar and rival to Sol only to later become his ally. |
| 131 | * CharacterRosterGlobalWarming: |
| 132 | ** ''XX'' has around two dozen characters and exactly one big guy (Potemkin), later joined by a re-balanced Justice. |
| 133 | ** The ''Xrd'' series has a slightly higher character count with only three fighters past the "Slightly Heavy" weight class: The aforementioned Potemkin, joined by newcomers Bedman and Kum Haehyun. |
| 134 | ** ''STRIVE'' only had two large characters on launch (Potemkin and newcomer Nagoriyuki), but has a much smaller cast in comparison to the previous examples. The addition of large DLC characters Goldlewis Dickinson and [[HauntedTechnology Bedman?]] evened out the ratio slightly. |
| 135 | * ChargeInputSpecial: |
| 136 | ** May has charge inputs for many of her specials that utilize her [[AssistCharacter pet dolphins]]. "Mr. Dolphin" can travel both horizontally and vertically, giving May the ability to close in from multiple angles. Combined with a variety of projectiles and a powerful GrappleMove, May can exert a lot of pressure from all over the stage. |
| 137 | ** Axl Low's SignatureMove, "Rensen Geki", requires a back-forward motion to execute, resulting in a very long-ranged strike with his chain sickle. He can also follow up with additional commands like angling the chain upwards or performing a spinning attack. |
| 138 | ** Leo Whitefang is an odd case. "Gravierte Wurde" and "Eisensturm" function like a standard charge projectile and anti-air respectively. In contrast to the typically defensive archetype associated with charge inputs, Leo's defensive moves can seamlessly transition into a very aggressive rushdown style that makes him a beast at close quarters. |
| 139 | * CliffHanger: |
| 140 | ** In ''Xrd'', [[spoiler:at the end of Sol's Arcade story, the [[BigBad Big Bads]] start wiping out an entire city. Afterwards, Ramlethal grabs Sol with the intent of [[TakingYouWithMe destroying him along with herself]], thus setting the stage for the console version's Story Mode.]] |
| 141 | ** Then once more in ''Xrd'': [[spoiler:After defeating the revived Justice, she and Elphelt (who was saved from going OneWingedAngel) are pulled back into the Backyard. Sol vows to find a way to save her. Meanwhile, Faust interogates Chronus, the last surviving member of the Conclave, about what he knows about what's happening to the Japanese, only for both of them to realize there is someone else who has been pulling the Conclave's strings!]] |
| 142 | ** ''Xrd -REVELATOR-'' has one at the end of its story as well, despite it initially seeming to end on both a high note and a very definitive note. [[spoiler:So Jack-O' merges with Justice, Aria is reborn, the Universal Will is defeated, Elphelt is saved. But That Man - Asuka R. Kreutz, Sol's former friend - confronts Sol in TheStinger and admits that with Aria whole again, it is time they settle their own business at last. And also, Aria is whole again... except her Justice half didn't want to merge, because it was wracked with guilt over the atrocities it had committed. Just what mental state is Aria going to be in when she wakes up? And that is on of top of whatever I-No is planning to do.]] |
| 143 | ** Done one final time with the story added with ''[=Rev2=]''. Sol and Ky put their heads together theorizing how [[spoiler:Sol could possibly defeat Asuka, but before Ky can tell Sol what his single idea is the news drops that Asuka, as the world's single most wanted criminal, has willingly surrendered himself to the United States government, setting up the events of ''STRIVE'', the GrandFinale of the series.]] |
| 144 | ** ''STRIVE'' also has one in the finale, where [[spoiler:Happy Chaos is still at large after being separated from I-No]]. |
| 145 | * ComboBreaker: The Counter Burst. These, however, are unavailable when your character is staggered, being thrown (command grabs included), dizzied, or hit by an Overdrive (indicated by an X covering the gauge). The Burst Gauge slowly refills over the course of a battle as you deal and take damage, and a successful Blue Burst leaves you with 30% of the gauge intact. Their biggest drawbacks are that they're punishable on block and if you whiff/the Burst is blocked, your Burst Gauge drops to 0%. |
| 146 | * ComebackMechanic: One of the weakest ones in a modern fighting game, in ''Xrd'', Hell Fire gives your Overdrives a 20% damage boost at low health. Due to how combo scaling and Guts works, the effect is very hard to notice. |
| 147 | %%* {{Combos}} |
| 148 | * TheComputerIsACheatingBastard: The series contains your typical endgame [[SNKBoss bosses]] with abilities or juiced-up moves not available in their playable formats, sometimes with permanently-recharging Tension gages. The Gold and Shadow palette swaps available for CPU's in the ''XX'' series can also qualify for many of the same reasons. |
| 149 | ** Playing ''The Missing Link'' nowadays highlights that for as broken and abusable as the Instant Kills were in that game, the computer is especially [[IncrediblyLamePun guilty]] of deciding to just hit-confirm into an instant kill state and then finish the input to destroy you before you could ever reasonably react, whenever they damn well pleased with no way to see it coming or predict it. Good luck ever fighting the OptionalBoss without using save states. |
| 150 | %%* CrosshairAware |
| 151 | * CoolShip: While there are a few throughout the series, the best example by far is the Mayship, gradually-evolving flagship of the Jellyfish Pirates. It's a massive vessel vaguely shaped like a whale, fitting for the crew's nautical theme. It gets even cooler in ''STRIVE'' where it becomes even more whale-like, even moving its tail and fins as if it's swimming through the skies. It even gets a squadron of mechanical fish, dolphins, manta rays, and other sea creatures flying alongside it, making some parts of the stage evoke an underwater theme in spite of being in the sky. |
| 152 | * CuttingOffTheBranches: Justice's story mode in ''Accent Core Plus'' (a retelling of the first game) is something to behold.[[spoiler: Basically all arcades in the original game are turned non-canon, Justice kills Kliff, beats the crap out of everyone in the original cast with the exception of the characters that aren't in ''AC+'' (at least not how they were in the first game), fights Sol and dies after he gets a HeroicSecondWind.]] |
| 153 | * CycleOfHurting: All over the place, with Sol's Dust Loop and Zato/Eddie's 50/50 (corner) mix-ups being notoriously standout examples. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WIahWC9bTc Even the original game]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP79wXWV0cM could get]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5RG6kgZFRo#t=6m20s a little ridiculous]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5RG6kgZFRo#t=11m29s with this one]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5RG6kgZFRo#t=20m24s quite often.]] This is likely due to the game focusing on very heavy mobility with fast-pacing while also having no extra getup options, which makes okizeme (lit. wakeup offense) somewhat easy to maintain for those who apply proper aggression. |
| 154 | * DamageIncreasingDebuff: Negative Penalties, incurred for repeatedly retreating from the opponent and not attacking, make the character susceptible to taking more damage in addition to emptying their Tension Gauge and minimalizing any Tension gained for a time after. |
| 155 | * DamnYouMuscleMemory: |
| 156 | ** Besides the usual edition transition troubles, ''Xrd'' in particular gets this because of the major changes to the Roman Cancel system and being based on ''#Reload'', four editions before ''AC+R'' and the last one Creator/DaisukeIshiwatari had a direct role developing before switching his attention to ''Overture''. |
| 157 | ** Guilty Gear's fighting game installments as a whole are pretty notorious among would-be players for being difficult to learn because of this trope. To wit: |
| 158 | *** Characters have different falling rate, meaning some air combos don't work on everybody. |
| 159 | *** Guts system causes a character to take less damage as their hitpoints get lower, which means combo routes that would normally K.O. no longer works properly and forces the players to adjust their combo (for more damage or more hit counts) mid-match. |
| 160 | *** [[ComboBreaker Burst mechanic]] inflicts this trope on opponents who don't vary their combos to avoid getting pushed away. |
| 161 | *** Some characters have their hurtbox shrink while dashing, causing certain moves to whiff. |
| 162 | *** Changes can be so minute that the characters all have different post-knockdown wakeup timing and backdash invulnerability duration, which necessitate different punish method or timing entirely. |
| 163 | *** Unlike most other fighting games where characters usually have couple 'standardized' moves with clear purposes (long pokes, set-play etc.) Characters in ''GG'' often rely on unorthodox and difficult means to cover their weakness and get their game going. (Sol's reliance on hard reads, Baiken's guard-cancels, Slayer's Dandy Step for examples) This means more mental load for the players as they have to learn all 20+ ''wildly'' unique character match-ups and adjust their execution accordingly. |
| 164 | * DarkerAndEdgier: |
| 165 | ** The Korean OST for ''XX''. While it's not bad at all (in fact many of the entries are [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic every bit as awesome]] in their own way as the standard Japanese themes), it's less energetic and it often goes full blown post-apocalyptic heavy metal. Still, it's just the Korean version, and you get the option switch back to the Japanese soundtrack if you prefer. Just one example, compare and contrast Chipp Zanuff's familiar Japanese bop [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJcXNDk-5F8 "Suck a Sage"]] versus his Korean theme [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0gQigjRN_4 "Child of the Wind"]]... and Chipp's supposed to be the game's PluckyComicRelief! |
| 166 | ** ''-STRIVE-'' aesthetically is darker than any of the previous entries. While still beautifully animated, the colors are more muted and the silly over-the-top facial expressions are missing. This is especially noticeable with Faust, who is now more of a HumanoidAbomination instead of the jovial doctor from ''Guilty Gear X'' onward. [[spoiler:Ironically, it ends the story for many of the main characters [[SurprisinglyHappyEnding on a fairly happy note]]]]. |
| 167 | * DeathOfAChild: An apocalyptic blast ends in a freeze frame revealing that a newborn child was, in fact, caught in the very edge of the blast, though any actual damage is not shown. |
| 168 | * DeathOrGloryAttack: Instant Kills. |
| 169 | ** ''X'' onward, you either have one connect and win or miss/is blocked and you lose your Tension bar. Add to the fact that they can't combo and it's easy to see you don't see them used often in TournamentPlay. |
| 170 | ** They see a bit more use starting in ''Xrd -SIGN-''. When you are at match point (a victory will win the match), and the opponent's health s reduced to 20% and not in a combo, or 10% while still in one, they will enter hellfire, and your tension bar will turn gold. If you have enough meter at that point, you can then Roman Cancel, activate Instant Kill mode and trigger a superfreeze, and actually include the instant kill in a combo (normally it will whiff if the opponent is in hitstun). Since opponents at low health take reduced damage (some of them significantly less than others), this is sometimes the only combo that will actually finish off the opponent at that time without softening them up with another combo first. |
| 171 | * DemotedToExtra: |
| 172 | ** Arguably, Ky in ''Overture''. He spends a good deal of the story trapped, and even after he's freed, he only gets ONE mission. |
| 173 | ** For ''STRIVE'' in particular, despite May, Ramlethal and Faust being part of the base roster, they have no participation whatsoever in the original Story Mode while everyone else in the initial roster had some degree of screen time; they, alongside other characters outside the base roster, are only present in the epilogue. |
| 174 | * DependingOnTheArtist: Despite Ishiwatari doing all of the game's core character design, the portrait and arcade/story mode still art has varied a ''lot'' over the years depending on who works on the games, and the sprites often end up looking a bit different than the other art due to the style. ''Overture'' might be the most dramatic example, with the shift to awkward 3D and many of the characters suddenly looking like they stepped out of an Ayami Kojima ''{{Franchise/Castlevania}}'' game. As of ''[=Xrd=]'', [=ArcSys=] seems to be taking steps to keep the depictions somewhat more stylistically consistent across media. |
| 175 | * DepopulationBomb: The Cradle, [[spoiler:mainly because its method of movement involves transporting itself into [[EldritchLocation the Backyard]]]]. As the on-site investigation of Babylon concluded, only humans and animals disappeared while leaving the non-organic city intact. |
| 176 | * DespairEventHorizon: Not just one person experienced this, but the whole Holy Knights and also the world when [[spoiler:Ky Kiske died in the Battle of Rome]] in the alternate timeline. The event is referred as "the day where the hope of the world crumbled." |
| 177 | * DevelopersForesight: ''Accent Core'' onward introduces "GG Generations" mode which changes gameplay mechanics to more resemble the older games. "GG" mode changes the Instant Kills to function more like that game where they could be repeatedly used and automatically triggered if your opponent fails to press the onscreen button prompts in time. But what about Order-Sol? His Instant Kill is a long, complicated button combo and the IK part only triggers if you perform the combo successfully on an opponent with low health. So what happens if you put normal Order-Sol in "GG" mode? Performing an IK with him simply has him perform his EX form's "All Guns Blazing" Instant Kill. |
| 178 | * DifficultButAwesome: The Force Roman Cancel (FRC) in the ''XX'' series. Only applicable to specific moves, an FRC uses less Tension meter than a regular Roman Cancel and can also work even if the move doesn't connect (whereas regular [=RCs=] must actually make contact, meaning you can make non-safe attacks safe by expending 25% of your Tension gauge). However the frame window to perform these [[SomeDexterityRequired is very small]] and if you miss it, you'll just get a regular RC and burn more meter (or in the case of whiffed attacks, nothing at all, meaning your attack is now unsafe). The reward is that FRC moves often have excellent practical purposes or add an interesting layer to your moveset. For instance, Sol generally doesn't get great pressure after a knockdown thanks to the nature of his combos, but he can FRC his Gunflame move to send it out and run behind it. This lets him put out pressure from midscreen after a combo and dramatically improves the effectiveness of his pressure game. |
| 179 | * DreamMatchGame: ''Guilty Gear XX'' is the closest the franchise has gotten into indulging into this. The series is rather famous for removing characters from the roster if they are killed off or otherwise written out of the story. It's why Kliff and Justice were not included in the ''X'' roster. In ''XX'' the two were both brought back as secret characters, with later revisions adding them to the base roster with heavy rebalancing. A.B.A, a new character created for the spinoff ''Isuka'', was also added to the roster in one of the later revisions. |
| 180 | * DressedLikeADominatrix: I-No is a mysterious, cruel, and manipulative woman who's a playable boss in some of the games. She wears a skimpy red jacket and a red miniskirt, a choker, thigh-high boots, and a witch's hat. |
| 181 | * DudeLooksLikeALady: |
| 182 | ** Bridget was this up until she came out as transgender in ''-STRIVE-'', and was the former {{Trope Namer|s}} for UnsettlingGenderReveal. |
| 183 | ** Ky has been mistaken for a woman at times. Millia in ''Xrd'', for example, outright says "I thought you were a woman" to him. |
| 184 | %% * DungeonPunk: ''Guilty Gear'' is this trope. |
| 185 | * EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: ''Missing Link'' can feel like a radically different game compared to the rest of the series. No Roman Cancel, a radically unbalanced roster along with a rather different visual style compared to the higher-resolution games that would follow, Baiken being a secret OptionalBoss rather than a proper roster member, and various other quirks. Most infamously, Instant Kills didn't require any sort of meter nor had any consequences, were easy to confirm into and boiled down to finishing another input faster than your opponent could respond, and [[InstantWinCondition ended the match right then and there]] compared to later games. [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard The AI abused this with impunity]]. |
| 186 | * EasterEgg: |
| 187 | ** Certain characters (Sol/Order-Sol, May, Millia, Baiken) have more than one Taunt and/or Respect gesture. These aren't character-specific, though. |
| 188 | ** In ''AC'' (and its revisions), the elderly painter in the new London stage will occasionally paint a scene depicting an alien instead of an unfinished still of the stage itself. Seeing this in the 360 version of ''AC+'' or Vita version of ''AC+R'' nets you a trophy/achievement ([[Film/CloseEncountersOfTheThirdKind Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind]]). |
| 189 | ** Printed on the characters' clothing in ''Xrd'' are a variety of different phrases -- these are easier to notice in closeups and Digital Figure. |
| 190 | * EldritchLocation: The Backyard, a realm which contains an immense amount of information within, and the source of the series' magical energy. Those who enter the Backyard risk having their body, mind, and soul being destroyed by the sheer amount of data inside it. |
| 191 | * EndIsNighEnding: {{Inverted|Trope}} in ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear Xrd''[='=]s story mode: Ramlethal Valentine begins the story by triggering the events that should have triggered the end of the world, but she's stopped by her sister Elphelt. |
| 192 | * EXSpecialAttack: Force Breaks in ''Accent Core'', which cost 25% of a character's Tension and are performed by pressing Dust after the directional input instead of the usual attack button. Many of them are improved versions of special moves, but some are completely new attacks. |
| 193 | * ExpandedStatesOfAmerica: The United States in the 22nd century apparently covers all of North and South America, although its constituent nations have retained greater autonomy. |
| 194 | * FalseFlagOperation: In ''Overture'''s aftermath, a few days after Ky proclaims his intentions to seek co-existence with the Gears, Illyria suffered new raids from the Gears. Sol states that someone is manipulating the Gears to disrupt Ky's plans. |
| 195 | * FanDisservice: Under normal circumstances, Raven would ''not'' be considered an ugly man, but his frightening faces and bizarre psycho-sexual mannerisms combined with being a masochistic revenant with ''a spike driven through his head'' (that he deliberately put there) tends to give this impression. ''Xrd'' doesn't help either, as it can be seen that he ''nearly lacks a torso''. |
| 196 | * FantasticAesop: Don't tamper with genes and turn creatures into magical weapons of war... because they will wipe out the Japanese as the opening shot of a century-long war. |
| 197 | * FantasyKitchenSink: The ''Guilty Gear'' universe is pretty much the real world, except that [[AllMythsAreTrue every mythical or supernatural creature from all cultures is true]] and considered normal. Some stages have skeletons of giants, [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragons are being used as restaurants]], [[OurGnomesAreWeirder gnomes catch fish]], [[HumanoidAliens aliens peek from forests]], [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampires observe humans]], [[OurGhostsAreDifferent ghosts appear]] and [[OurWitchesAreDifferent witches fly]]. Not only that, magic coexists with ki or chakra, though they are entirely different from one another. |
| 198 | * FinalBoss: |
| 199 | ** An uncommon case among most fighters in that every final boss in the main installments (including ''X'' and ''XX'') [[AlwaysFemale has been a woman]]. In order, they are Justice, Dizzy, I-No, Valentine, [[spoiler:Ramlethal Valentine]] and [[spoiler:Jack-O' Valentine]].[[note]]As a note, it does need to be admitted that there are no "story mode" final bosses in the ''Xrd'' games because of the [[KineticNovel very different format]] of those story modes; however, not only does Sol, our main character himself, face Ramlethal and Jack-O' at the end of his arcade/episode mode (which serves as a prequel story to the main story mode), those two also face the greatest number of other characters at the end of ''their'' episode modes, and so are considered the nearest thing the games have to a "final boss".[[/note]] For bonus points, they all share an at least tangential connection with one or more of the other characters on that list [[spoiler:and at this point, I-no's the only one who shares no genetic relation with any of the others]]. Spin-offs ''Isuka'', ''Dust Strikers'', and ''Judgment'' break this convention with Leopaldon, Gig, and Judgment, though Gig plays around with it (he has a [[WasOnceAMan formerly human maiden]] sticking out from his lower body). [[BreakingOldTrends The trend is finally broken]] in ''STRIVE'', where [[spoiler:Nagoriyuki]] serves as the first male final boss in a main installment. |
| 200 | ** And for even ''greater'' bonus points, [[spoiler:Ariels the Universal Will would've been a boss character in previous games, and she's another woman. She appears more or less exclusively in the ''Xrd'' story modes, however.]] |
| 201 | * FinishingMove: Instant Kill attacks are specific to each character and end the round, regardless of how much health the opponent has. The first game's Instant Kills ended the entire '''MATCH''' on the spot if they went through. |
| 202 | * FixedFloorFighting: Stages in every game until ''-STRIVE-'' are restricted to a single area. The installment in question plays with this, as the Wall Break mechanic lets you break {{Invisible Wall}}s and move the fight to a different area in the same general location. |
| 203 | * ForceAndFinesse: Sol utilizes a rough, unpolished, "all guns blazing" style of combat and wields a blunt sword with no visible edge. Ky favors precision and, having been properly trained in the art of swordfighting, brandishes a longsword. |
| 204 | * ForcedPerspective: [[http://www.polycount.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2107579&postcount=241 Used heavily]] in ''Xrd'' to emulate the 2D visuals. |
| 205 | * ForWantOfANail: In one of the [[AudioAdaptation drama CDs]]. In the original timeline, [[spoiler:Ky dies]]. And his life is pivotal to the whole war. Needless to say, the war went on even after [[spoiler:Justice]] died because ''[[spoiler:Dizzy]]'' took up [[spoiler:Justice]]'s role in the rebellion. It was eventually ''[[spoiler:I-No]]'', who met [[spoiler:That Man]] and decided to [[spoiler:save Ky's life]], resulting in the current timeline. |
| 206 | * FreezeFrameBonus: |
| 207 | ** As of ''Xrd'', most of the characters have tiny inscriptions on parts of their outfits, such as "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine" written on the back of Faust's coat and "Settle With Elegance" engraved on Venom's glove. These can be seem more easily in ''-REVELATOR-''[='s=] Digital Figure mode. |
| 208 | ** This was also the case in ''Overture'', such as the "Nonsugar" engraving on Valentine's sleeves and the words "Proteus" and "Universe" adorning [[spoiler:That Man]]'s robes in a multitude of spots, as well as the phrase "[[RougeAnglesOfSatin Heven]] Made Men For Its Reason, Men Respect Men For Their Own Sake" scribbled on their back coattails. |
| 209 | * FunctionalMagic: ''Guilty Gear 2''[='s=] lore and plot explain the source of all magic: The Backyard is a dimension that contains the universe's laws of physics, where they can be temporarily tweaked and defied on Earth to suit the desires of humanity. |
| 210 | * GaidenGame: Canonically, the ''X'' and ''XX'' series are these. They're very much ''in''-canon, but are largely inconsequential to the events of ''Overture'' (unless your name happens to be Sol, Ky, or [[spoiler:Dizzy]]), which was touted as the real continuation of ''[=GG1=]'' and second "main" game in the series (with ''Xrd'' being the third, hence the name). |
| 211 | * GeneticEngineeringIsTheNewNuke: The ''Guilty Gear'' universe is an aftermath of the said scientific (magical) innovation. Gears are biological weapons that were powerful enough to stand against humans for a hundred years and had almost pushed humanity into extinction in the drama [=CDs=]. |
| 212 | * GenreBusting: ''Overture''. It combines Hack n Slash with RealTimeStrategy, and is inspired by ''[[VideoGame/DefenseOfTheAncients DotA]]'', albeit with much greater control over armies. The fighting game mechanics from previous entries remain intact on top of this, best seen when two Master Units (i.e. Sol, Valentine, Raven, etc.) face off against one another. |
| 213 | * GenreShift: The series underwent an experimental phase while in the midst of tweaking ''XX''. ''Isuka''[='s=] GG Boost Mode and the entirety of ''Judgment'' were {{Beat Em Up}}s, while ''Dust Strikers'' was a PlatformFighter in the vein of ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' The first true sequel, ''Overture'', was equal parts [[RealTimeStrategy RTS]] and [[HackAndSlash H&S]]. The next proper installment, ''Xrd'', returns to the series' roots as a 2D fighter. |
| 214 | * GiantMedicalSyringe: GaidenGame ''Guilty Gear Petit'' has a blonde nurse called Fanny, whose weapon is a huge syringe she can use both as an attack and [[StanceSystem as a standing post]]. |
| 215 | * GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: Leopaldon in ''Isuka''. |
| 216 | * GlobalCurrency: World dollars. |
| 217 | * GodIsEvil: The Universal Will, which fried all human electronics in 1999, and summons Valentines to destroy humanity. [[spoiler: Subverted in that it isn't actually God per se, but rather a rogue magical A.I.]] |
| 218 | * GoingCosmic: Averted. [[CentralTheme As noted above]], various religious themes like [[HumansAreFlawed sin]] and [[TheAtoner redemption]] have seen heavy use as underliers for the main conflicts of the series since Day 1, and one of the most prominent heroes, Ky Kiske, is a devout Christian whose idealism, personal integrity, and views on justice are repeatedly questioned by his ordeals. Even when the story is at its most grounded do deeply spiritual and existential matters crop up frequently. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rM3DW3w0RFc The promotional trailer]] for ''Guilty Gear X'' is but one example. |
| 219 | -->"Why do you fight?" |
| 220 | * GovernmentConspiracy: Towards Gears and the Japanese in general. Ky also gets involved, though he is a victim. |
| 221 | * GrandFinale: ''STRIVE'' is this for several prominent characters, particularly Sol, Jack-O', I-No, Axl and That Man. [[spoiler:Sol fakes his death after being freed from his out-of-control gear powers by Asuka to live a peaceful life with Jack-O', who has embraced her feelings and identity as Aria rather than trying to become a SacrificialLamb for some idealized perfect version of herself. I-No is erased from existence after her HeelFaceTurn, and in a final moment of DeathEqualsRedemption gives Axl's lover and as it turns out her earlier AlternateSelf Megumi her current powers, allowing the two to finally be reunited in the current version of history. And Asuka, finally having cleaned up most of the threats to the world caused by the Universal Will, goes into retirement, starting a radio program to pass his time.]] |
| 222 | * GratuitousEnglish: PLENTY. |
| 223 | ** The "SLASH!" that punctuates a KO may qualify, given that it doesn't matter what kind of attack lands the finishing blow. |
| 224 | ** The most interesting example is perhaps the intro trailer for ''Guilty Gear X''. Now, the English might sound like a terrible dub job from that period... and that's because it is, as it was ''commissioned by a nascent [=ArcSys=] themselves for the Japanese version''. The English voiceover was used even in the JP versions of the game; the initial narration was sometimes dubbed over in Japanese (on top of the still-audible English), but everything else was in English flat out (except May's orders in her scene, which are in Japanese in all versions). This is why the translation, especially of the narration, is a bit shonky and the acting isn't great - because it's what [=ArcSys=] wrote, sent over and commissioned. Needless to say, renditions of the game in vocal English have improved since then. |
| 225 | * GreatOffscreenWar: The Crusades. There has yet to be a game that covers the apocalyptic, over a century-long event in full, though a part of the anime intro to ''X'' and certain characters' stories in ''XX'' and ''AC+'' offer a glimpse of the war's final years, and the ''XX'' drama CD shows what would happen if [[spoiler:Ky were to die during the Battle of Rome in 2173]]. |
| 226 | * TheGreatSerpent: In ''Xrd'', Answer, a ninja-secretary, summons a massive red snake for his instant kill that smacks around his opponent before it devours them whole. It then disperses into a trail of leaves. |
| 227 | * HeavyMithril: The series as a whole is set in a magical fantasy world in which characters are named after ''thousands, possibly millions'' of HardRock and HeavyMetal bands destroy each other with attacks named after various songs in stages and places ''also'' named after various songs. |
| 228 | * TheHedonist: One of Xrd's underlying themes is that humans are hedonistic. |
| 229 | * HitStop: {{Trope Namer|s}}. In this case it's used for gameplay purposes: when a character gets hit, the short pause in animation allows the player to react to it and confirm into a combo. Scoring a Counter Hit increases the pause even more. |
| 230 | ** ''Xrd'' has a feature known as Danger Time, triggered randomly by a clash of two opposing attacks, where a successful hit off of canceling the clashed attack will cause a Mortal Counter, a special type of Counter Hit with even longer hit stun that can also be canceled into any other type of attack. |
| 231 | * HotterAndSexier: Not that the series was a stranger to fanservice, but ''Xrd'' takes things up a notch thanks to the 3D models. Ky can let his hair down, Millia now wears tight leggings, Zato-1 wears ''very'' tight spandex, Jam wears a different pair of underwear ''every day of the week''... you get the picture. |
| 232 | * HumansAreFlawed: A major theme of the setting and evident in some backstories. In ''Xrd'', the primary reasoning for human suffering that is discussed is the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedonic_treadmill Hedonic Treadmill]], that human beings go from cherishing gifts and privileges, to expecting them and craving more. [[spoiler: Sol, Slayer, Raven, and The Universal Will each complain about it. The Universal Will seeks to replace humanity with something she can "program" to always be happy.]] |
| 233 | * HumansAreTheRealMonsters: Gears were originally intended to be the next step in human evolution, hence the name "Gear". However, after officials saw the technology's power, it was decided to weaponize it instead. [[spoiler:Similarly, the first two "successful" gears, Sol/Frederick and Justice/Aria, were gearized without their consent, with each suffering PowerIncontinence and BrainwashedAndCrazy respectively as a consequence of That Man's EvilutionaryBiologist attempt to "help" them.]] |
| 234 | ** It's even alluded to in ''VideoGame/GuiltyGearStrive'' with this line serving as a match intro: "Mankind knew that they [[InherentInTheSystem cannot change society]]. So instead of reflecting on themselves, they blamed the [[OurMonstersAreDifferent Beasts]]." |
| 235 | * IdleAnimation: Several, from Sol cracking his neck to Slayer tugging at the collar of his shirt to Venom chalking up his cue. ''Xrd'' adds more, like Ky waving around his blade in a circular motion for a bit (presumably to keep his sword arm loose and limber) and May stretching a few times before striking a cute pose. |
| 236 | * ImmortalityBeginsAtTwenty: Seems to be the case for the Gears (the humanoid ones, at least), who already exhibit vastly accelerated aging processes and [[TheAgeless are functionally ageless]]. Once they hit physical and mental maturity [[spoiler:or were already in their prime when converted]], they stop aging and remain in their current state indefinitely. For example, Testament appears to be in their twenties despite being at least three times that old and [[spoiler:the 170+ Sol looks no older than when he worked on the Gear Project back in the early 21st century]]. |
| 237 | * ImpossiblyCoolClothes: Damn near ''everybody!'' |
| 238 | * ImprobableWeaponUser: So many. Alongside swords, scythes and arm blades there are giant scalpels, guitars, pool cues, PrehensileHair, yo-yos, giant keys and anchors. |
| 239 | * InconsistentDub: Official translations of the characters' special technique can vary wildly, be it [[SpellMyNameWithAnS slight changes in spelling]] to complete reworkings of the wording/phrasing. [[http://gear-project.tumblr.com/post/78572093952/ending-all-debate-at-least-for-now The games have flip-flopped a lot on which move is named what, and some of the (newly) "official" names may end sounding less natural than previous translations.]] Part of this has been caused by the series having ''four different English publishers'' over its lifetime (Atlus, American Sammy, Majesco, and then Aksys), with a bevy of translation teams. It's been more consistent since Aksys became the franchise's more or less permanent publisher, though, though occasionally there's still a slip-up. |
| 240 | * InternalHomage: The promotional artwork/cover art for ''Xrd'' (the page image above) [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ggxax4.jpg is meant to call that of]] ''Guilty Gear X'' to mind: the bottom character is holding chains, the top one is brandishing their sword. The main difference is that Sol and Ky's positions have been swapped. |
| 241 | * InvulnerableAttack: Gold Bursts, while best known for their ability to instantly max out your Tension gauge if they successfully connect (and if they don't, you're given 30% of your gauge back as reimbursement), are also invincible against all other attacks (including another Burst). Used wisely, they make for a good offensive and defensive tool. Several Overdrives additionally feature start-up invincibility. |
| 242 | * IWantMyJetpack: The series has a backstory starting in 2010... |
| 243 | * JapaneseSpirit: A key factor behind the power and value of the Japanese people. Three guesses why the Gears marked them for extinction first. [[spoiler:Subverted, when it turns out it's because their nation was turning into a giant Backyard portal that would destroy the world, so That Man decided to ShootTheDog and use an override on Justice to annihilate it. They actually ''aren't'' particularly special as far as the overall plot is concerned.]] |
| 244 | * JumpPhysics: Everyone can double jump, save Chipp, who can triple jump. In addition, there are midair dashes. |
| 245 | ** Justice can both triple jump ''and'' triple air dash. You can only imagine what that kind of mobility, combined with superior offense, defense, and attack priority compared to virtually every other character in the game, [[SNKBoss spells out for her as a character]]. |
| 246 | *** Sadly, Justice's rebalancing in ''Plus R'' left her without her triple jump and any air dashes unless she performs a specific full-Tension Overdrive (Omega Shift), and even then it's temporary. |
| 247 | ** Kliff stands out in that his jumps are extremely floaty, much like those of [[Franchise/StreetFighter Dhalsim]] or [[VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}} Anakaris]]. In ''AC+R'', however, this was severely toned-down as part of his rebalancing. |
| 248 | * JustThinkOfThePotential: The Gear Project started out with the goal to get rid of [[{{Panacea}} illness and disease]], but That Man foresaw that someone will eventually repurpose it for military applications, and had measures taken to prevent that, or in worse case destroy the research. [[ForegoneConclusion Obviously, they didn't work]]. |
| 249 | * {{Kaiju}}: Megadeth-class Gears are [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever utterly titanic creatures]] that wouldn't look out of place tussling with Franchise/{{Godzilla}}. Like with any other Gear, they range from "(vaguely) humanoid" to [[AnimalisticAbomination "hideous monstrosity."]] One of them, Hydra, was responsible for nearly destroying London; it was stopped by the efforts of Kliff, who halted the beast's advance for an entire week, and even then was he unable to completely finish it off before the Sacred Order rolled out Last Resort--[[KillSat a magic-based satellite laser with a several kilometer-wide blast radius]]--and sealed Hydra away. (He did manage to sever [[MultipleHeadCase three of its five heads]] and [[MultiArmedAndDangerous four limbs]], though.) |
| 250 | * KiManipulation: Ki is the least understood of all the types of magic in this setting. It is explicitly tied to Asian spirituality and capable of opposing and amplifying other magics. It is speculated that this is the reason why Japan was obliterated by Justice, and why the Post-War Administration Bureau is so concerned with the survivors. Chipp Zanuff, Kliff Undersn, Jam Kuradoberi and Kum Haehyun are the only confirmed for certain Ki users, but given that they are Japanese it is almost a given that May, Baiken and Anji Mito also use it for their fighting. |
| 251 | * KineticNovel: As opposed to story modes from ''VideoGame/{{Blazblue}}'' and ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'', which featured battles the player had to fight through (and multiple choices in the former's case), ''Xrd'' and ''-STRIVE-'''s Story Mode is completely non-interactive, essentially making it a movie. |
| 252 | * LagCancel: The Roman Cancel technique, which allows you to cancel the animation of nearly every move of the game provided that it connects with your opponent on hit or block and you have at least half meter. |
| 253 | ** A variation is introduced in ''XX'' called the Force/False Roman Cancel (FRC) which happens if you cancel at a [[SomeDexterityRequired very specific time period during certain moves]]. [[DifficultButAwesome Doing so will use up only one quarter of your meter and allow you to perform it without connecting with the opponent at all.]] |
| 254 | ** Exclusive to Order-Sol is his ability to cancel his ground normals with his Charge animation and then cancel that into another normal and so on and so forth. To succeed, [[SomeDexterityRequired fast, brief inputs are necessary]]. |
| 255 | * LastLousyPoint: Digital Figure Mode in ''Xrd'' has a ''lot'' of unlockable character poses, expressions, and palette swaps for each character, which can only be unlocked randomly via fishing and are mixed in with other unlocks such as palette swaps for use in regular matches, name plates, avatar parts, and guild icons for online profile customization. ''-REV 2-'' expanded the selection with even more poses and expressions for the playable cast along with an assortment of extra characters. Needless to say unless you spend hours grinding for W$ in Episode or online matches once you run out of chances for quick and easy money from Tutorial, Story, Combo, and Mission, you'll be fishing ''a lot'' just to unlock everything. The daily chests added to a later update in ''-REV 2-'' help getting unlocks slightly easier, as it gives one free random drop of items per day. |
| 256 | * LauncherMove: Dust attacks. They also happen to function as overheads and put the opponent into a helpless state for a short period of time. In ''Xrd'', characters can also chase horizontally after their opponent, who will instead go flying sideways and careen into a wall. |
| 257 | * {{Leitmotif}}: With the exception of ''Guilty Gear Isuka'' (unless you count "Holy Orders?" for Robo-Ky) and rivalry-specific themes, each character has their own distinct tune when fought. Most have been consistent since ''GGX'' [[note]]of the original cast, 7 of the game's 13 fighters (Sol, Ky, Millia, Chipp, Baiken, Kliff, and Justice) retained their original themes in later titles[[/note]] and ''XX'' even brought back "No Mercy" (Sol vs. Ky) and "Still in the Dark" (Millia vs. Zato-1/Eddie) from the previous game for when the EX versions of the characters face off. |
| 258 | ** Surprisingly, ''Xrd'' does away with ''all'' of the previous character themes (even longstanding ones like "Keep Yourself Alive") for a new batch of individual tunes, aside of Ky (see BackgroundMusicOverride) and [[spoiler:Ramlethal Valentine]] (who gets a remix of [[spoiler:"Diva" from ''Overture'', the previous Valentine's theme]]). |
| 259 | ** ''STRIVE'' once again did away with themes established in the previous installments in lieu of new ones, although they contain call-backs to previous tracks. |
| 260 | * LightningCanDoAnything: [[spoiler:St. Elmo's Fire, the lightning so big that they had to build a castle-sized lightning rod to tame it, kickstarts Justice's body's control of Gears in ''Xrd''.]] |
| 261 | * LightningFireJuxtaposition: Further accenting their [[ElementalRivalry rivalry]], Sol Badguy uses the Fuuenken (aka Fireseal) while Ky Kiske wields the Fuuraiken (aka Thunderseal). |
| 262 | * LimitedAnimation: Subverted in ''Xrd''. The entire game is rendered in cel-shaded 3D, but the characters are not animated as smoothly, thus invoking the look and feel of the previous 2D games in the series. |
| 263 | * LivingWeapon: The Gears were engineered to serve as such[[spoiler:, thus making the formerly human ones more along the lines of {{Human Weapon}}s]], though several of them, like Dizzy, [[IAmNotAGun don't want to be bioweapons]]. |
| 264 | * MacGuffin: The Cradle in ''Xrd''. It is unknown what exactly it is, but it is treated as a DoomsdayDevice. It is revealed in ''Xrd'''s story mode that the Cradle is a heavily shielded mobile base used by the Conclave that also [[spoiler: houses the body of Gear Commander Justice, whom they are planning to revive with the upcoming St. Elmo's Fire]]. |
| 265 | * MagiBabble: Comprises roughly 90% of ''Guilty Gear 2'''s dialogue. ''Xrd'' And ''Revelator'' have a fair heaping of it as well. |
| 266 | * MagicAIsMagicA: Buried in MagiBabble is many rules and guidelines of how magic was discovered and how it's used in the ''Guilty Gear'' universe, such as the Twelve Steps and the Backyard from which the world's "source code" can be played with to create magic. |
| 267 | * MagicFromTechnology: Magic in the ''GG'' verse is a perpetual energy source discovered through the fruits of science. Curiously, {{Ki|Manipulation}} is grouped in here as well, labelled as the fifth and least-known of the five elemental categories of Magic. The Post-War Administration Bureau theorizes that its prevalence in Eastern cultures may be due to their genetic makeup and deeply spiritual nature. In practice, though, the Magic in the series is actually more akin to {{magitek}}, as the energy source in question actually originates from the [[EldritchLocation Backyard]]. |
| 268 | * MagicGenetics: Human magic users mostly sidestep this as they were the ones who discovered magic in the first place and have to follow complex rules in order to use it. The Gears and Backyard residents, on the other hand, seem to exist specifically to disregard the scientific laws of nature, [[RuleOfCool and stylishly at that]]. |
| 269 | * {{Magic Knight}}s: The members of Sacred Order, Sol and Ky included. |
| 270 | * MarkOfTheSupernatural: Red Eyes are a sign of being a Gear. |
| 271 | * MasterOfTheLevitatingBlades: Played With. Ramlethal from Xrd fights with two large blades controlled by two familiars floating at her side. She still in control of them while attacking separately herself. |
| 272 | * MechanicallyUnusualFighter: |
| 273 | ** Robo-Ky has to manage two different meters. One is a thermostat, which builds up as he fights and can only be vented via a certain command or [[{{Overheating}} risk a damaging explosion]]. He also has a power gauge which, unlike everyone else, cannot be charged conventionally and can only be charged via a laid-out power mat or his command grab. His special and [[LimitBreak Overdrive]] attacks drain from this power gauge. |
| 274 | ** Order-Sol is a downplayed example (and borderline subversion), possessing a ChargeMeter that [[EvolvingAttack improves his specials and Overdrives as he gains levels]]. Using his specials will drain a fair amount of meter (though the drain rate was decreased in ''AC+R''), which will then need to be recharged. While it is certainly possible to use O.Sol to deadly effect without charging up, players who can properly manage his level of charge--which includes using Action Charge [[note]]pressing D after any special aside of Charge and Charge Burst to restore a portion of his meter[[/note]] and his ability to "Charge Keep" [[note]]using the Level 1 versions of specials instead of the Level 2 or Level 3 ones by inputting D along with the specific command; Gun Blaze is the sole exception, as the directional input overlaps with Charge's[[/note]]--will literally get the most [[HavingABlast bang]] for their buck. |
| 275 | *** Sin in ''Xrd'' has a similar mechanic, but his second meter is filled by using a special where he just eats a bite of mutton in the middle of the fight. |
| 276 | ** All of the Valentines in ''Xrd'' have some kind of unique mechanic based on another genre of gaming. Ramlethal has canned combos similar to other fighting games like ''Franchise/MortalKombat'', Elphelt primarily [[ThirdPersonShooter uses guns]], and Jack-O' takes advantage of her [[MultiplayerOnlineBattleArena Servants]]. |
| 277 | *** ''Xrd'' newcomer Elphelt is an oddity among the entire cast in that she relies heavily on guns to keep opponents at bay, [[StanceSystem wielding a shotgun and a sniper rifle]]. Players have to enter a specific command to have Elphelt line up her shots and then have to manually aim before firing. Unless a reload command is input, Elphelt will immediately stow away her weapon until its next use. She also has a move where she pulls the pin on a grenade with a three second timer. Actually ''throwing'' the grenade is a separate command, so it can explode in her pocket if the player forgets to throw it. |
| 278 | ** Johnny has to manage a truly limited resource, his coins. If a coin toss hits, it will power up the next use of his signature Mist Finer, giving the move incredible range and power. But with only five coins per round (unless he successfully uses the Treasure Hunt super and restocks his stash), he has to toss them carefully. |
| 279 | ** Some characters in ''-STRIVE-'' have unique mechanics: |
| 280 | *** Ramlethal can propel her swords forward, which reduces the power and range of her attacks until they return. |
| 281 | *** Nagoriyuki is a vampire and must manage Blood Gauge, gaining charge with most attacks and reducing it with a command grab. When it maxes out, he gains a massive boost to damage but constantly loses HP until he exits the bloodlust state, either over time or by using a bloodlust-exclusive Overdrive. |
| 282 | *** Goldlewis, the first DLC character for ''-STRIVE-'', has several variations of his Behemoth Typhoon special, depending on what direction the player makes a half-circle in when performing it. |
| 283 | *** Happy Chaos, the third ''-STRIVE-'' DLC character and slightly insane godlike being, is impressively complicated compared to the iteration's generally streamlined design. He doesn't have a traditional Heavy Slash attack, instead pulling out a gun in exchange for no longer being able to block. The use of which is limited by two separate meters - ammo and concentration, the latter representing the scatterbrained omniscient's ability to remember how to shoot. If that's not enough, the gun does aim automatically, but this is represented by a crosshair overlaid on the screen, which tracks at a rate influenced by the opponent's movement, Chaos' attacks, and even a debuff he can inflict. The gun can be fired at any time, including during attacks, without interrupting the character's other actions. |
| 284 | *** Then Asuka R#, the ninth ''-STRIVE-'' DLC character, was added to the game with even more unusual mechanics: combining a mana gauge with a "hand" of 4 Specials to spend that mana on with his Chant Special, as well as a Special where he can swap decks, or "Test Cases" as they're called in-game, for an entirely different set of Specials. He has so many "Spells" to cast that they have their own menu if he's in a match! In a way, playing as Asuka is almost like playing ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' or ''Franchise/YuGiOh'' instead of Guilty Gear. |
| 285 | * MedievalStasis: Following the Dawn of Revival, humanity began regressing technologically until the Apostles introduced Magic. By the time of the events in the series, with the exception of Zepp, the world resembles that of the Industrial Revolution era at its most technologically advanced. Additionally, the UN classifies non-Magic-based technology as Black Tech and bans them as they are harmful to the environment. |
| 286 | * MergingTheBranches: The events of more than one ending from the first game are canon to later installments, such as Gabriel’s overthrowing of Zepp’s dictatorial government with Potemkin’s help, as well as Dr. Baldhead’s HeelFaceTurn. |
| 287 | * MetaphoricalMarriage: Ky and Dizzy refer to themselves as a married couple, but were never able to officially tie the knot because Dizzy lacks any legal identity [[spoiler: as a Gear and had to fake her death.]] |
| 288 | * MillenniumBug: The world of ''Guilty Gear'' effectively came into being in 1999, when an unknown lifeform ([[spoiler:the Universal Will]]), manifested itself through electronic circuitry and caused a series of disasters for humanity, prompting the world to ban all technology and adopt magic to prevent complete societal collapse. |
| 289 | * MirrorMatch: Even has three theme tunes for this: "Fatal Duel", "Nothing Out of the Ordinary" and "Ditto!" |
| 290 | * MonsterLord: The Command class of Gears. So far, all known members of this category [[MonogenderMonsters are female]], paralleling queen ants/queen bees, with Justice in particular embodying several HiveQueen traits. |
| 291 | * MonumentalDamage: Among the rest of the SceneryGorn present, the [[http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111104153803/guilty-gear/images/d/d5/Back_gg_sol.gif A Country stage]] in ''[=GG1=]'' features the detached head and upper to rso of the Statue of Liberty, indicating that Sol's stage is set in the dilapidated ruins of New York City. By the time of ''Xrd'', however, [[http://www.siliconera.com/2013/08/12/taking-venom-and-ky-for-a-spin-in-guilty-gear-xrd-sign/ the Statue seems to be getting rebuilt.]] |
| 292 | * {{Mordor}}: The Backyard, and Japan after it got vaporized by Justice. |
| 293 | * MouthFlaps: Sort of. |
| 294 | * MusicalThemeNaming: And how! Nearly every character, many attacks, and even certain game mechanics are named after famous bands or musicians. |
| 295 | * NaturalSpotlight: The Grove in ''Midnight Carnival''. |
| 296 | * NaturalWeapon: The more animalistic Gears have access to these, usually in the form of claws and tails. If evolved enough, they can spice up their already destructive attacks with magic. |
| 297 | * NewEden: The secret Ganymedian archipelago home to the Gears that were freed from Justice's control and didn't enter a dormant state after her fall could be considered a localized version given [[FantasticRacism humanity's thoughts on the Gear populace]]. The writers says that if the United Nations were to ever learn of its existence, Ganymede would be bombed mercilessly. |
| 298 | * NewNeoCity: Neo New York in ''Xrd'', though it looks like Texas. |
| 299 | * NinjaPirateZombieRobot: Plus assassins, ghosts, knights, immortals, bounty hunters, a vampire and Gears. |
| 300 | * NintendoHard: Some of the missions in the series can be incredibly frustrating due to overwhelming odds stacked against the player, e.g. Mission 50 in ''Guilty Gear X2''/Mission 100 in ''Reload'', Normal Ky at 50% Health and poisoned vs Gold EX Sol with regeneration. |
| 301 | ** Note that Gold Sol already has regeneration and boosted speed and attack. His attack and speed is boosted even ''further'' because he's in permanent Dragon Install. |
| 302 | * NonLethalKO: With the exception of Kliff and Justice in the original ''Guilty Gear'', after each battle every single character seems perfectly all right and usually capable of speech, even if the battle ended with an Instant Kill, which appears to end in death. (This includes Faust's in ''GGXX'', which looks like he set off a nuclear bomb, Bridget's, which launches the opponent into the moon, and Slayer's, which launches the enemy ''out of the galaxy.'') |
| 303 | * NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: Despite plenty of nationalities being represented in the games, such as Britain, Ireland, France, Germany, Switzerland and more, characters rarely have their country's respective accent, even in the English dub, instead going with American accents. [[AvertedTrope Averted]] with Axl, whose voice actors give him an English accent. |
| 304 | * OddlyNamedSequel2ElectricBoogaloo: Feel free to peruse the above list of titles again if you're doubtful. |
| 305 | * OohMeAccentsSlipping: In ''Guilty Gear Xrd''. Creator/LiamOBrien has many talents but a convincing (and consistent) English accent is not one of them. In his defence, [[DidNotDoTheBloodyResearch the dialogue he has to say]] may be a factor. |
| 306 | * OneHitKill: The Instant Kill moves, by design. Whoever hits their opponent with them wins the fight, even on Duel 1. |
| 307 | * OpenSecret: The creators provide many examples of this. From the way the series progressed, secrets are revealed and by the rational mind of the audience, some things are just too obvious even if they aren't officially declared yet. An example is Faust being a reformed Dr. Baldhead. It's never been explicitly stated, but come on, how many nine-foot-tall doctors wielding giant scalpels can there be? |
| 308 | * OptionalBoss: Baiken's appearance in [=GG1=] skirts between this and TrueFinalBoss. Beating the game's "Normal Mode" without using a continue at any point as either Sol or Ky will enable a match with her after the credits are done rolling. Defeating her will unlock her for regular play and display an [[AWinnerIsYou "Thanks for playing!" image]], though the latter is absent in the North American release for whatever reason and instead leaves the player on a black screen. |
| 309 | * OrganicTechnology: The Gears themselves, being created from a combination of magic, complex A.I. programming, and [[MixAndMatchCritters a hodge podge of DNA taken straight from the kingdom Animalia]]. |
| 310 | * OurMonstersAreDifferent: Gears in general, magically enhanced creatures that range from {{Eldritch Abomination}}s to {{Humanoid Abomination}}s when they are in AFormYouAreComfortableWith. |
| 311 | * PhlebotinumOverload: [[spoiler:Dr. Paradigm's plan to stop the Conclave's plan to reactivate Justice. Since they could not prevent the charging-by-lightning plan without destroying most of Illyria, he decided to let the Conclave's plan proceed, and have Dizzy to add her Gamma Ray to the process and overload Justice.]] |
| 312 | * PlayEveryDay: In ''-REV 2-'', the first time you visit a multiplayer lobby in a single day, a chest is located somewhere which automatically unlocks a random assortment of items in the same fashion of fishing when opened. |
| 313 | * PlayerMooks: The various Servants in ''Overture'' avert this, each character's Tribe having several individualized and role-specific units designated as either Minions, Standard Servants, or Elite Servants, with the twist that they're physical manifestations of their Master Units' souls. |
| 314 | * PossessingADeadBody: Zato-One has a LivingShadow named Eddie, who is its own entity. When Zato died, Eddie reanimates his corpse; his name in the selection screen becomes "Eddie" in some games rather than "Zato-One". |
| 315 | * PowerAtAPrice: The Forbidden Beasts are named so for a reason. In order for a human to properly fuse with them, the host must first offer up something in return. Zato sacrificed his eyesight for Eddie, but what Millia unwillingly gave up to obtain Angra when taken in by the Assassin's Guild remains unknown. That's not all, unfortunately; as time goes on, [[PowerDegeneration the Forbidden Beast will slowly eat away at its host's mind and eventually kill them]], as seen with Zato's eroding sanity and eventual death (although Eddie claims to Millia it was not his intention). This problem is the cornerstone of Millia's ''Accent Core Plus'' story, as she grapples with Angra's murderous thoughts and fears that she'll share Zato's fate once the magic in her hair fully awakens. |
| 316 | * PowerTrio: Has some of these, though characters are more complex than their representations: |
| 317 | ** Main Characters |
| 318 | *** Sol Badguy: Lazy, unpredictable, seeks revenge and atonement by wanting to kill all Gears and That Man (Id) |
| 319 | *** Ky Kiske: Law abiding, loyal to the authorities, workaholic, religious (Superego) |
| 320 | *** Dizzy: Pacifist, gentle, innocent, loyal to her friends (Ego) |
| 321 | ** Dizzy herself |
| 322 | *** Necro: Violent, hates humans, takes over his master (Id) |
| 323 | *** Undine: Protective, peaceful if Dizzy isn't threatened (Superego) |
| 324 | *** Dizzy: Pleads the two to stop fighting (Ego) |
| 325 | ** Assassins |
| 326 | *** Zato: Desires power, revenge, lusts for Millia (Id) |
| 327 | *** Venom: Loyal to the Assassin's Guild, loyal to Zato, seeks Millia not just for revenge (Superego) |
| 328 | *** Millia: Quits the Guild because of her conscience, seeks peace by destroying it and killing Zato (Ego) |
| 329 | ** Villains |
| 330 | *** I-No: Violent, lustful, sociopathic, unpredictable (Id) |
| 331 | *** Raven: Extremely loyal to That Man, has no other alliances, methodical (Superego) |
| 332 | *** That Man: Seeks atonement for what he has done, has mysterious plans to save the world but regrets his actions (Ego) |
| 333 | ** "Japanese" Characters |
| 334 | *** Baiken: Seeks revenge, bloodthirsty, short tempered (Id) |
| 335 | *** Chipp: Determined to become president, follows a ninja's honor (Superego) |
| 336 | *** Anji: Laid back and relaxed, friendly and optimistic, desire eternal youth (Ego) |
| 337 | * PressXToNotDie: How to avoid getting [=IKed=] in ''[=GG1=]'' or ''GGAC'' if Generations GG mode is active. |
| 338 | * ProtagonistTitle: The "Guilty Gear" of the title actually refers to one of the playable characters [[spoiler:namely Sol]]. Later games also extend this a quite a few other characters, including [[spoiler:Dizzy, Sin, some of the Valentines, ''Ky'' of all people, and eventually even the first game's BigBad, Justice / Aria.]] |
| 339 | * PunchKickLayout: ''Guilty Gear'''s control layout includes a punch and a kick button, followed then by buttons for a character's "slash" and "heavy slash" which uses their weapon. The punch button has a forward input that gives most fighters an AntiAir, making their upper body completely invincible for the duration. Kicks meanwhile become a quick and close-ranged low attack when crouching. From the first game all the way to ''VideoGame/GuiltyGearXrd'', punches can be followed by kicks due to how the game's combo routing works, allowing for any attack to be followed by one of stronger value (hence kicks are "stronger" than punches); ''VideoGame/GuiltyGearStrive'' changes it so punches and kicks can only be stringed into themselves, not each other. |
| 340 | * PuppetFighter: Zato-1 can summon Eddie, who moves at the same time as him, can't jump, and disappears if either of them take any damage. Eddie attacks when ''releasing'' a button, so using him might take some practice. At the end of X, [[spoiler: Zato-1 dies and Eddie takes over his body.]] |
| 341 | ** Bridget can place a yoyo in midair with a normal. She can command it to return to her, attack on it's own, form a shield, or latch on to the opponent. She can also go to the yoyo, giving her different movement options. |
| 342 | ** Zappa is a mix of this and StanceSystem. When he summons a puppet, he'll get one of three and need to adjust his playstyle accordingly: |
| 343 | *** If he gets a sword, he can use it for constant pokes, but it replaces his H moves. |
| 344 | *** If he gets a dog, he can command it at any time and use it to cut off the opponents' options. |
| 345 | *** If he gets three ghosts, his range increases and he can attach status effects on the opponent. |
| 346 | *** Like Eddie, the puppet Zappa has disappears instantly if either of them get hit once. If Zappa lands eight specials in a single round, the next summon will be [[ShockAndAwe Roah, which makes him extremely overpowered for fifteen seconds.]] |
| 347 | * PuzzleBoss: |
| 348 | ** Many of the missions in ''XX''. One particularly notable example: you have to defend against an invincible, high-level A.I. I-No for 40 seconds, when your character is incredibly weak (Bridget), has half health, and is also poisoned. |
| 349 | ** [[spoiler:That Man]] in ''Overture'' infamously combines this with ShieldedCoreBoss and BulletHell. Much rage will be had. |
| 350 | * QuestForAWish: The first game involves a tournament where the prize is anything the victor desires. Testament, the tournament's true organizer, has no intention of actually granting any wishes, instead planning on using the victor (and the other participants) as sacrifices to revive Justice. |
| 351 | * RaisedByRival: Ky Kiske had a son with a Gear named Dizzy, Sol's own daughter of sorts. Since he was ruling a kingdom at the time the child was conceived, and Gears were still seen as threats by the world, Ky leaves his son to his longtime rival [[spoiler:and the boy's grandfather]] Sol Badguy's care. |
| 352 | * RandomNumberGod: The Fishing mode in ''Xrd -REVELATOR-''. Spend World Dollars earned in-game to unlock items for cheaper than if they were bought in the in-game store[[note]]W$200 per item instead of W$1,000-W$10,000, W$200,000 in the case of unlocking Raven[[/note]]. The outcome of what you earn is randomized, and items that exist in more plentiful numbers (primarily Guild Icons, which are purely cosmetic, and Sprays in the Digital Figure mode, which grant access to PaletteSwap[=s=]) are more commonly won, and the contents of Digital Figure mode are exclusively won from fishing. |
| 353 | * RandomPowerRanking: Not actually the character's power, but how much of a threat they pose to the Post-War Administration Bureau. For example, Millia is quite low-ranking and Axl is massively high-ranking; Millia is a dangerous assassin but "killing people" is all she can really do even if she is really good at it, and her quest for revenge makes her easy to manipulate and straightforward to predict, whereas Axl is a sweethearted goofball but his involuntary time travel makes him near-impossible to predict, and he's one of the few people in the world who knows what the past world was like (for the Bureau a leak of this knowledge would be political dynamite). |
| 354 | * RapidHairGrowth: |
| 355 | ** This is the case of [[MagicHair Millia Rage's hair]], being alive and [[PrehensileHair prehensile as well]]. Some of her attacks make her hair grow by necessity. |
| 356 | ** By the time of ''Xrd'', Ky is experiencing this as well, requiring to cut his hair frequently. [[spoiler:This is a sign of his part-Gear nature.]] |
| 357 | * RepeatCut: A victory in ''Xrd'' will usually treat you to a [[RuleOfThree three-time]] replay of the finishing move you landed. If not, you'll instead get a sweeping, dynamic camera angle of the stage and fighters. |
| 358 | * ReplacementGoldfish: [[spoiler:Bedman uses this trope as way of proving to Ramlethal that she is more than a tool. He kills Sin's magehound she bonded with during her arrest and conjures an identical one. Ramlethal tries to pet the new one, but stops and begins to cry, saying it is not the same.]] |
| 359 | * TheReveal: The "Guilty Gear" gets name-dropped often in ''The Missing Link'' but we only find out what it is at the end. [[spoiler:Or rather, who. It's Sol Badguy, our hero. Sol was once a brilliant scientist named Frederick working on a project to perfect the next stage of human evolution, the Gears, but his creations turned out to be monstrous, human-hating {{Jerk|ass}}s and began rampaging across the world killing people. What's worse, Freddy was [[AndThenJohnWasAZombie betrayed and turned into a Gear]] by his VisionaryVillain friend, Asuka. Filled with regret and desire for revenge against the man who wronged him, Frederick adopted the Sol Badguy persona and became a HunterOfHisOwnKind for the next 170 years. Except that's just how Sol sees it; the truth is ''much'' more complicated...]] |
| 360 | * RomanticismVersusEnlightenment: Enlightenment ideas and technological science are basically deemed illegal and labelled "Black Technology", since it harms the environment, by the United Nations, which is ripe with religious fundamentalism, fascism and xenophobia. This comes across as extremely ironic as magic and the Gear Project were designed for human evolution, only for them to backfire horribly when they began to be used for human greed, resulting in the Crusades, which in turn resulted in humanity regressing into a Dark Ages-like society. The only "enlightened" might be Zepp, who were originally a TotalitarianUtilitarian government before being overthrown and taken over by Gabriel and subsequently reformed into a more democratic nation. |
| 361 | * RubberBandHistory: A future where [[spoiler:Ky is ''dead'']]. |
| 362 | * RuinsOfTheModernAge: In some stages. |
| 363 | * RuleOfCool: When your playable cast includes a blind assassin who kills people with the monster living in his shadow, a girl who shoots laser-spitting piranha fish out of her wings, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking a ninja]], and this ''barely scratches the surface'', you can only be dealing with this trope. |
| 364 | ** To put it another way, one of the playable fighters is a kusarigama-wielding fire user from England who involuntarily slips back and forth through time. He is quite possibly ''the most normal member of the cast.'' |
| 365 | * RuleOfSymbolism: |
| 366 | ** Some stages reflect the CentralTheme of the series: Nirvana, Babylon, Heaven, and Hell. |
| 367 | ** One can also reminded about a certain messiah when Dizzy's identity is examined. She is called the "hope of the world beyond my expectations" by That Man, celebrates her birthday on December 25th, has 12 female friends in the Jellyfish and has a dual nature by being [[HalfHumanHybrid both human and Gear...]] |
| 368 | * SceneryGorn: The ''GGX'' trailer, parts of the manga and the AD 2173 stage. |
| 369 | ** Other qualifiers include the Graveyard (the stage Kliff is associated with), Hell (particularly in ''AC''), Babylon (I-No's non-boss stage in ''XX'', which still manages to qualify as regular ol' SceneryPorn) and the Ruins of a Castle stage from GG Boost Mode in ''Isuka''. |
| 370 | ** The backdrop of the final battle in ''Xrd'' is none other than the ruins of Japan. All prior story material tells you that Justice annihilated it, and make no mistake, the claim is no exaggeration ''at all''. |
| 371 | * SceneryPorn: Although the world suffered heavily as a result of the Gear attacks, the various locales you see in-game do a good job of [[TheWorldIsJustAwesome showcasing its remaining beauty]], both natural and man-made. |
| 372 | ** Stages in ''X'', ''XX''/''AC'', and ''Isuka'' like Russia, China, London, and the Japanese Colony are breathtaking, and even more otherworldly places like the Grove, the Phantom City, and Kingdom Cemetery have their own charm. |
| 373 | ** To say nothing of the backdrops in ''Overture''. The Gear utopia (and island paradise) Ganymede comes leaping to mind. |
| 374 | ** ''Xrd'' looks set to continue the trend with equally colorful and vibrant destinations, both returning and new. |
| 375 | * SchizoTech: Despite the series taking place in the late 22nd century, most real life countries and cities (London, Paris, Russia, China, etc.) appear not too far off from their present-day counterparts, and Illyria (a conglomeration of various European states) and Ganymede (an archipelago settlement founded by the refugee Gears) are no different presentation-wise (though the latter has a slight {{Atlant|is}}ean vibe to it). Humanity being pushed to the brink of total annihilation may be the cause of the [[RetroUniverse relative stagnation]], but it could simply be a matter of architecture and urban structure deliberately going unchanged as civilization progresses. Zepp, being the only nation to preserve Black Tech as opposed to outlawing it, is decidedly more futuristic than most spots seen, though its heavy urbanization and focus on machinery makes it the [[FloatingContinent Floating Country]] equivalent of a CityPlanet; some stages, like the ones in ''X''/''XX'', have certain parts of Zepp's several islands looking no better than dumps and deserted construction sites. What's left of New York City in A Country, on the other hand, looks to have regressed to an [[TheWildWest Old West feel]] after extensive rebuilding by the time ''Xrd'' rolls around. |
| 376 | * ScienceIsBad: Japan is wiped off the face of the Earth by the command-type Gear Justice, leaving behind a large hole in the ocean ringed by waters constantly pouring down. |
| 377 | ** Technology is branded as "Black Tech" and is banned for destroying nature everywhere except in Zepp. People used magic instead but eventually, also abused it. |
| 378 | ** The existence of [[{{Panacea}} Vitae]] in the ''Lightning the Argent'' novel (if you factor out [[spoiler:the potential for BodyHorror if a Commander Gear stirs up the dormant Gear cells used]]) shows that all of the research put into the creation of Gears wasn't inherently bad. Trying to weaponize them, on the other hand? [[ApocalypseHow Not such a good idea.]] |
| 379 | %%* SeaSinkhole: |
| 380 | * SensibleHeroesSkimpyVillains: |
| 381 | ** Subverted in two ways; first, "good" characters like Sol, Baiken, Millia, and [[StupidSexyFlanders Anji]] and villainous characters like [[FormFittingWardrobe Zato-1]] and [[LadyInRed I-No]]. Second, characters like [[DudeLooksLikeALady Testament]] converted from evil to good. |
| 382 | ** Also, [[InnocentFanserviceGirl Dizzy is the kindest, most innocent character]] in the series but she wears the skimpiest outfit. |
| 383 | ** As of ''AC+'', [[spoiler:Anji may have become a villain. Though that ends up subverted that after one direct look at Baiken, and [[HeelFaceTurn he called it quits]] and rejoins Baiken.]] |
| 384 | * SequelHook: |
| 385 | ** Several in ''Xrd'', to the point that its Story Mode ends with a "To Be Continued." Sol, likely along with Sin and [[spoiler: an emotionally-developed Ramlethal]] have to save [[spoiler: Elphelt]] from her captors. Ky has been revealed to be [[spoiler: part-Gear]], and [[spoiler: Dizzy]] has been revived. May's illness has yet to be fully resolved, and Faust's research of her reveals something nasty is going to go down in Japan. Zato-1 has been revived, implying more possibilities for the Assassin's Guild. The fate of That Man after the battle hasn't been revealed yet. Bedman's plan isn't finished, and he is TheDragon to [[spoiler: Ariels, ruler of the Sanctus Populi]]. |
| 386 | ** ''Xrd REV 2'''s After Story drops some major hints about a future installment. [[spoiler:Raven]] is looking to challenge [[spoiler:Sol]], who is also being challenged by [[spoiler:That Man]]. [[spoiler:That Man]] turns ''himself'' over to the authorities, in an obvious bid to [[spoiler:arrange a fight with Sol]]. Finally, [[spoiler:another worldwide event known as G4]] will be taking place. And of course, [[spoiler:the reconstituted Aria pointedly does ''not'' appear on camera at any point during the After Stories]]. |
| 387 | * SequelNumberSnarl: ''[=GG2=]: Overture'' avoided this by merit of relegating the ''X'' series to the status of sidestories to the original game without diminishing their impact on canon. ''Xrd'', which could essentially be considered a sequel to both ''XX'' and ''Overture'', oddly picks up the slack, however, as it more or less continues on from the titling conventions of ''X'' and ''XX'' (''Guilty Gear X3'' would've been an acceptable choice, but ASW certainly couldn't call the game "Guilty Gear [[ExplicitContent XXX]]" now, could they?). |
| 388 | * TheSevenMysteries: |
| 389 | ** Of the 8 Jinki from the Outrage set, only 4 of them are shown: Sol's Fireseal/Fuenken, Ky's Thunderseal/Furaiken, Anji's Zessen, and Slayer, who has a dagger which can cut through Forbidden Beasts. While we never see it properly on its own, the Flashing Fang/Senga is later acquired by Sol at some point after ''Guilty Gear XX'' and combined with the Fireseal to make the Junkyard Dog [=MkIII=] where it takes the form of a bladed shell around the Fireseal that can split down the middle to reveal the sword underneath. |
| 390 | ** Likewise, this is suggested of the aforementioned Forbidden Beasts, also known as the "Six Forbidden Magics." Only two, Eddie and Angra (the fifth and sixth organisms according to supplemental materials, respectively tethered to Zato and Millia), have been seen so far, with Venom being a third test subject for the bonding process who was rejected when his body was deemed unsuitable as host material. |
| 391 | * ShapeshiftingExcludesClothing: The Gears who exhibit shapeshifting powers generally avert it. Some, like Justice and Testament, [[ShapeshifterWeapon simply morph their limbs accordingly]] (and Justice's armor may in fact be [[ManInTheMachine an armored shell for her true appearance]]), but Dizzy--[[InstantCostumeChange who can change costumes in a flash]]--keeps her clothes intact when switching out of her (silhouetted) true form and the most that happens to [[spoiler:Sol Badguy]] when their Gear form is finally shown in full during ''Overture'' is [[ClothingDamage the loss of their jacket]]. |
| 392 | ** Hilariously enough, when going into his gear form during Dragon Install in ''Xrd'', he ''gains'' the jacket that he wears in story mode but looses the rest of his clothing. |
| 393 | * ShipSinking: |
| 394 | ** Hoo boy, did ''Overture'' ever trip over this land mine. [[spoiler:Dizzy]] had a very wide number of people she was close to in the series, but it was ultimately decided in ''Overture'' that she'd be paired up with [[spoiler:Ky Kiske]] while the rest ''don't appear at all''. |
| 395 | ** More like a Ship Hull Breach, but in ''STRIVE'', let's just say Ramlethal/Sin shippers were not happy that Ram is suddenly interested and "admires" ''Leo''. |
| 396 | * ShoutOut: With its [[ShoutOut/GuiltyGear own page]]. |
| 397 | * SituationalDamageAttack: |
| 398 | ** Robo-Ky has an "{{overheat|ing}}" system which is indicated by a gauge; every attack will fill the gauge. He also has a normal move [[WeaponizedExhaust where he vents out all the heat]] and depletes the gauge; the closer to full the gauge is, the more damage the venting out deals. |
| 399 | ** The Japan-only ''XX Slash'' gives Sol the "Clean Hit" system that's been elaborated more in the ''Accent Core'' titles, where some of Sol's non-projectile specials can deal more damage, have more pronounced bounce effects where applicable, and have increased untechable time if he can score a hit with a specific part of his hitbox for each move. Additionally, his Sidewinder (if a Clean Hit) and Tyrant Rave (the follow-up to his Fafnir [[EXSpecialAttack Force Break]]) have their power dependent on the number of Clean Hits included in a single combo. Advanced Sol play in these games primarily revolves around his Clean Hit Sidewinder loops, which are character-specific and harder to execute compared to the infamous Dust Loop. |
| 400 | * SnapBack: Many characters' movelists in ''Xrd'' omit the newer moves from ''Accent Core'' and its revisions, returning them to their ''#Reload'' state. In turn, some of the tactics that had been patched out, such as Sol's dreaded Dust Loop, are back in full force. |
| 401 | * SoundtrackDissonance: Faust's Instant Kill in ''Xrd'' starts with the usual Instant Kill theme, then cuts away to [[Music/LudwigVanBeethoven Beethoven's]] "Ode to Joy" as he operates on his hapless victim. |
| 402 | * SpeedStripes: During super jumps and various special moves. |
| 403 | * SphereOfDestruction: When the Cradle appears in ''Xrd'', it creates an orange sphere that kills everyone caught in it. [[spoiler:This is later revealed in Story mode to be the Cradle's means of transportation, moving back and forth between the real world and the Backyard, with the sphere itself being Backyard space made manifest in the real world.]] |
| 404 | * SpotlightStealingSquad: Barring [[SeriesMascot Sol and Ky]], some characters are a little bit ''too'' prominent to the central plot, especially Dizzy. This is followed by I-No, who gets some moments with the aforementioned character as well. |
| 405 | ** This is justified to a degree: Dizzy is [[spoiler:Justice]]'s daughter, has the ability to resuscitate dormant Gears (which makes her a target of the GovernmentConspiracy), and is called [[TheMessiah "the hope of the world"]] by That Man (who always seems to know what lies ahead), while I-No is one of That Man's servants and was the only one playable until Raven [[AscendedExtra was given his turn]] in ''[=GG2=]'' (thus usually providing the most direct link to her enigmatic master). The two, while not quite DemotedToExtra, also lose some of their direct presence in later games: Dizzy [[spoiler:is put into stasis due to a timeseal Ky caused to prevent her sublimation and [[LivingMacGuffin serves as more of a plot device]] [[LivingMacGuffin than an actual character]] in ''Overture'']], and I-No is overshadowed by other plot-centric villains and characters (Crow in ''AC+'', [[spoiler:Ramlethal Valentine]] in ''Xrd Sign'' and [[spoiler:Jack-O' and Ariels]] in ''Xrd Revelator'') after ''XX''. |
| 406 | * StanceSystem: A.B.A has her normal mode and Moroha mode, which is activated by landing a command grab. Moroha mode gives her increased speed and much better attacks, but if her time limit runs out, she becomes vulnerable for a whole second. In Normal mode, she's easily the worst character in the game. |
| 407 | * StoryToGameplayRatio: Surprisingly, the ''Xrd'' Story Mode is more or less a visual novel-like movie with no playable fights at all, while ''STRIVE'''s Story Mode is a more dynamic variation with an action movie feel. |
| 408 | * SuperDeformed: ''Petit'' and ''Petit 2'' for the Platform/WonderSwan Color. As is par the course for SD fighters, the games' tone is far lighter and sillier than normal, right down to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_4IRoWrKdc amping up the comedic factor of some of the Instant Kills.]] |
| 409 | * SuperMovePortraitAttack: In ''Xrd'' all characters have one Overdrive, like Sol's Tyrant Rave and Ky's Ride the Lightning, that has a special animation of the character preparing to dish out the pain. All other Overdrives behave normally. |
| 410 | * SuperpowerRussianRoulette: [[spoiler: The process of Gear conversion and manufacturing has this going for it. The ones who are capable of higher cognitive functions and may even resemble ordinary humans [[BlessedWithSuck aren't that much better off]] than the more monstrous or feral Gears.]] |
| 411 | * SurprisinglyGentleSong: |
| 412 | ** ''Xrd''[='s=] arcade staff roll theme, "Lily", is a soft melodic love song amidst a soundtrack of heavy metal thrashing. |
| 413 | ** Same goes for "Missing" and "Walk in the Dusk", two of the six staff roll themes in ''XX''. They are compositions relying almost entirely on the [[LonelyPianoPiece piano]] and [[PlayingTheHeartStrings strings]], only serving to make those {{Bittersweet|Ending}} and {{Downer Ending}}s in Story Mode all the more poignant. |
| 414 | ** "Calm Passion", another one of the staff roll themes, is a half-example, beginning with twenty full seconds of piano playing, frequently employing the keyboard and organs alongside a relatively soft guitar melody, and busting out the strings section for a lengthy break in the action halfway through. |
| 415 | ** A few other tracks include "Icarus" and "Birthday Train". |
| 416 | * TacticalSuperweaponUnit: ''Guilty Gear 2: Overture'' (the OddballInTheSeries with heavy RealTimeStrategy elements) has Elite Servants. They're usually stronger than a character's normal Servants, but are much more expensive to summon, and only one of each type can be active at any given time. |
| 417 | * TamerAndChaster: ''STRIVE'' follows this direction with the entire cast wearing much more urban inspired fashion, which consequently has everyone looking more covered than they have ever been. And the game itself also follows a more restrained style compared to the more bombastic one of the series past. |
| 418 | * TangledFamilyTree: for someone who thought he was a loner for life by ''STRIVE'' Sol has gotten himself a full family, with a few bizarre levels of association, where some members were outright trying to kill him once, and he has tried to kill them before too, before everyone setting down as a happy family, take a look at this madness: |
| 419 | ** Daughter: [[spoiler:Dizzy, his biological daughter with Aria whom she managed to nurture even after losing her humanity, Sol has tried to hunt Dizzy once and had a hard time treating her as a his daughter once the truth was revealed]]. |
| 420 | ** Son-In-Law: [[spoiler:Ky Kiske, his long time rival and once outright nemesis, Sol was floored when he realized Ky is now family by virtue of marrying his daughter]]. |
| 421 | ** Grandson: [[spoiler:Sin Kiske, Ky and Dizzy's son Sol took out in long travels around the world to teach him about the world outside the castle and once to protect him, despite Sol's firm hand he doesn't have issues with the boy]]. |
| 422 | ** Daughter: [[spoiler:Elphelt Valentine starts considering herself Sol's daughter once she is saved and welcomed into Ky's castle by virtue of she being a Valentine unit, born out of Justice's mold]]. |
| 423 | ** Daughter: [[spoiler:Ramlethal Valentine starts considering herself Sol's daughter once she is saved and welcomed into Ky's castle by virtue of she being a Valentine unit, born out of Justice's mold]]. |
| 424 | ** Lover: [[spoiler:Jack-O' Valentine was born with the purpose of becoming a vessel for Aria reborn, that succeeded to an extent by the end of ''REVELATOR'', in ''STRIVE'' she feels incomplete and lost for Aria to truly come back is not possible but Sol accepts Jack-O' for who she is, and so Jack-O' erases her self-doubts at the end]]. |
| 425 | * ThatCameOutWrong: Dizzy [[InnocentInnuendo didn't really know]] what she just said to Ky at the end of his first story path in ''Accent Core Plus'' ([[ChivalrousPervert Johnny]] was the one who told her to say it, for the record). Being a gentleman, he politely pointed out that it wasn't appropriate. |
| 426 | -->'''Dizzy:''' "Then, um...please be gentle...this is my first time..."\ |
| 427 | '''Ky Kiske:''' "U-Um...That's...uh...that's not really appropriate for this situation." |
| 428 | * ThemeNaming: Some of the characters (and a lot of the attacks) are named after popular metal bands and songs. Additionally, most of the Jellyfish Pirates are named after months of the year. |
| 429 | * ThirdIs3D: Well, ''Xrd'' (with three Xs) [[TwoAndAHalfD uses 3D models as opposed to 2D sprites from the previous games]], though technically it's the fourth main fighting game entry in the series (possibly even the fifth if you consider the changes between vanilla ''XX'' and ''Accent Core Plus'', both in gameplay and the story department, to be enough for ''AC+'' to stand on its own). In an odd twist, the model animation has no tweening and different shading every frame, making them look much like hand-drawn sprites. |
| 430 | * TimeSkip: ''X'' and ''XX'' take place not very long after ''1'', going no further than 2181. ''2'' jumps all the way to 2185, and ''Xrd'' jumps further forward to late 2187. ''-REVELATOR-'' ends right as November 2187 does. |
| 431 | * TitleDrop: The end of the first game reveals the eponymous "Guilty Gear" is none other than [[spoiler:Sol Badguy]], a gear who sided with mankind against the other Gears. Later games have similar allusions or mentions to the title, with [[spoiler:Sol]] telling Dizzy her crying makes him feel "guilty" in ''X'', and Slayer and That Man in ''XX'' discussing [[spoiler:Sol's]] identity as the Guilty Gear, [[spoiler:being the first Gear and also a former human, making him capable of choice and sin in a way many of the other Gears were not.]] |
| 432 | * TheTokyoFireball: Actually extends past Tokyo: the entire nation of Japan was destroyed prior to the games, and there are no signs that it will be rebuilt (what with it largely being ''a hole in the ocean'' now). What few survivors remain live under international surveillance inside of colonies. |
| 433 | * TokyoIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse: The survivors of Japan's destruction are now sequestered in a colony as "international treasures." It is implied the government is actually studying them for their affinity for "Ki" magic, the rarest and least understood of the five different magic elements. [[spoiler:The actual reason for keeping them in a reservation is to prevent them from being turned into living bombs by the Universal Will.]] |
| 434 | * TournamentArc: While the first game took place during a tournament (which, as usual, was NotJustATournament), the later games buck the trend and opt for a more complicated story instead. |
| 435 | * {{Transhuman}}: [[spoiler:Gears were intended to be the next step in human evolution (hence "the missing link" that is the first game's subtitle). As the Gear conversion process [[BioAugmentation applies a patchwork of]] [[MixAndMatchCritters various animal genes to the base organism]], only a handful of Gears [[WasOnceAMan who were originally human]] [[PowerUpgradingDeformation retain any semblance of their humanity in a physiological and anatomical sense]]. Additionally, only a few of them are lucky to retain their cognizance, though Gears do have the potential to evolve (back) to human levels of sentience.]] |
| 436 | * TropeCodifier: Of the Air-dasher subgenre of the Fighting Games. |
| 437 | * TrueCompanions: The Jellyfish Pirates. |
| 438 | * TurnOfTheMillennium: In 1999, a year that would be later known as the "Dawn of Revival", ''something'' tried to enter reality through electric circuitry, while affecting everyone in a way that might be described as being touched by God. Anything electronic was banned, and despite the negative drastic changes it would bring, nobody complained because everyone was that scared of that ''something'' actually succeeding coming through. As global society was about to collapse, a group of mages calling themselves the Apostles revealed themselves and began teaching the willing of the ways of magic. By 2010, the usage of magic was standardized, with the Apostles themselves becoming a foundation of a new religion. |
| 439 | * {{Understatement}}: After Sin and Elphelt bond in a [[TheDitz Ditzy]] way: |
| 440 | -->'''Sol Badguy:''' "...I'm sorry, Ky. There's a small chance I may have failed as a mentor and guardian."\ |
| 441 | '''Ky Kiske:''' "(thinking) "Small"?..." |
| 442 | * UnusualHalo: Jack-O' Valentine has a glowing circular halo with four pointy triangles. |
| 443 | * UpdatedRerelease: The series is particularly notorious for this, almost rivaling the ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' series for how many revisions one of its games has had though some other games have had one or two. |
| 444 | ** There's been ''Guilty Gear X Plus'', which was Japan-only and featured, amongst other things, the Shadow and Gold versions of everyone, Kliff and Justice as playable characters, a Mission Mode and Story Mode, further fleshing out ''GGX''[='s=] rather complex story. |
| 445 | ** ''Guilty Gear XX'' is particularly infamous for this, having 6 available versions. |
| 446 | *** The first was ''#Reload'', which doubled the amount of Missions from 50 to 100, as well as featuring a new, improved and rebalanced version of Robo-Ky with a completely different moveset, as well as some balance tweaks. |
| 447 | *** The next was ''Slash'', which was Japan-only. This version altered several characters' movesets, several of the stages were largely altered (compare the ''XX'' original version of Sol/Ky's stage to the ''Slash'' version, where the back wall and door of the stage are now largely wrecked) and most notably, added two new characters: A.B.A from ''Isuka'' (which did make it out of Japan) and a new version of Sol called "Order-Sol" (representing during his days as a Holy Knight prior to the first game), both as a playable character ''and'' a [[OptionalBoss secret challenger]] following [[FinalBoss I-No]]. |
| 448 | *** The fourth version was ''Accent Core'', which managed an overseas release and also featured Order-Sol and A.B.A, marking the overseas debut of the former. This version changed the interface on a larger scale (with a new version of the "Destroyed" pop-up when an Instant Kill was connected), featured a new, less popular announcer and new gameplay options such as [[EXSpecialAttack Force Breaks]], slightly more powerful attacks characters could perform at the cost of some Tension meter, and Slashback, a form of parrying. Several new stages were also introduced and the ones existing already for A.B.A and Order-Sol were altered as well, not to mention the further balancing. The "Generations" modes were also introduced, allowing players to play characters with styles and gameplay similar to ''[=GG1=]'' or ''GGX'', though at the cost of other features. However, Kliff and Justice were removed from the roster, and there were no Story or Mission Modes to play through. Furthermore, some [[GameBreakingBug Game-Breaking Bugs]] necessitated the release of... |
| 449 | *** ''Accent Core Plus'', a console-only version which re-added Story Mode (now set after ''GGXX''[='s=] original Story Mode), Mission Mode, Kliff and Justice, as well as fixing some bugs, adding extra Force Breaks, changing some moves and other such things. |
| 450 | *** Now, there's ''Accent Core Plus '''R''''', which rebalances the characters yet again, including adding Kliff and Justice to the default roster (they had to be unlocked in ''Accent Core Plus'') and making them viable for use in tournaments. This version also saw an arcade release. |
| 451 | ** ''Xrd'', meanwhile, began with ''-SIGN-'', which was the base version of the new engine; this was followed by ''-REVELATOR-'', which was halfway between an update and a full sequel, with a whole new story mode, a vastly improved tutorial mode (to the point of making it industry-leading) and a number of additional characters, especially counting the later DLC. The final version was ''REV 2'', which was a more modest update that just made the DLC characters part of the standard package, addressed some balance concerns, and added a bit of additional side story to the story mode and arcade modes to foreshadow the coming of ''STRIVE''. |
| 452 | * UpgradeVsPrototypeFight: An integral part of TheReveal in ''The Missing Link''. [[spoiler:It never dawned on Justice, Type-01 and the first "complete" Gear, that the reason Sol was completely immune to her powers as the Commander Gear was because he was the Prototype Gear. [[GracefulLoser Justice gets a good laugh out of it at her own expense for not connecting the dots sooner.]]]] |
| 453 | * TheUnintelligible: "Kill DOG As A Sacrifice To DOG", Leopaldon's theme in ''Isuka'', includes someone screaming muffled, unintelligible gibberish in the background. |
| 454 | * VillainOverride: [[spoiler:In one of the flashbacks in ''Xrd'''s Story Mode, the man who would become "That Man" assumed direct control of Aria, now the Gear Justice, to vaporize Japan before creatures from the Backyard could invade the Earth through it.]] |
| 455 | * WeaponsGradeVocabulary: |
| 456 | ** Kliff Undersn's taunt creates physical letters, which bounce across the screen and inflict some damage. Knockouts with this in tournament play have become a particularly humiliating form of CherryTapping. |
| 457 | ** Baiken uses something similar but more potent as her Force Break. |
| 458 | * WeaponOfXSlaying: Outrage, a superweapon that Sol built to destroy Gears. It works by amplifying the user's magical potential so they can level ''mountains'' in a single shot. However Sol soon realised that Outrage was so obscenely powerful that nobody could wield it, not even [[PersonOfMassDestruction him]]. So Sol split it into eight pieces and kept the piece that boosts [[PlayingWithFire fire magic]], turning it into Fireseal. Later he acquired the Flashing Fang from the U.N and incorporated it into a more powerful sword. Ky Kiske has the Thunderseal (thunder magic booster), and Anji Mito has the Zessen (wind magic booster). Two other pieces (Dominator and Baikal) are held by the Conclave, and the last two are unnamed and unaccounted for. |
| 459 | * WhamEpisode: |
| 460 | ** ''Guilty Gear 2: Overture''. It's set after a 5-year TimeSkip (with some rather big developments happening during that missing chunk of time), all characters gone except for Sol and Ky (who are redesigned), and all the other settings are gone. The characters part is lessened after Xrd comes in, confirming that characters from the Assassins' Guild (Millia, Zato/Eddie, Venom, Slayer), Jellyfish Pirates (Johnny, May), Potemkin, Chipp, Axl and I-No are still around. ''REVELATOR'' and ''Rev 2'' eventually confirmed the whereabouts of everyone except for Testament, Bridget and A.B.A. |
| 461 | ** Late in ''Xrd'''s Story mode, it is revealed that [[spoiler:as part of their effort to conquer the world, the Conclave plan to resurrect Justice, the Gear that nearly destroyed the human race during the Crusades. It also heavily establishes that That Man was GoodAllAlong to try to stop this plan, and overall his motivations are much more sympathetic than they originally were thought to be]]. |
| 462 | ** ''Xrd REVELATOR'' manages to trump them all [[spoiler: by revealing that Sanctus Maximus Populi Ariels is actually the Universal Will, the being that not only created the Valentines but is also the same being who first brought magic into the world, essentially creating the whole setting of the series. And not only that, but she was also an A.I. created by The Original visitor to the Backyard in an effort to guide humanity. Unfortunately she concluded that humanity's inherent destructiveness made them hopeless and the best thing to do was to exterminate them all, making her the definitive BigBad of the series]]. |
| 463 | * WhereItAllBegan: The main setting of ''STRIVE'' is the United States of America, the homeland of Sol, That Man, and Aria, back when they were University colleagues. |
| 464 | * WillfullyWeak: A number of characters are powerful enough to literally [[PersonOfMassDestruction level cities in seconds]], but would rather not resort to displaying their full powers. |
| 465 | ** [[SpiritedCompetitor Slayer]] for instance does it to [[LetsFightLikeGentlemen give his opponent a sporting chance]]. |
| 466 | ** Dizzy is a TechnicalPacifist who won't use her full powers for fear of killing innocent bystanders or [[AllLovingHero even her opponent]]. |
| 467 | ** Sol is both [[BrilliantButLazy a lazy prick]] and fears suffering PowerIncontinence and burning down everything for miles if he resorts to using his full abilities. |
| 468 | * WordSaladTitle: While the series title "''Guilty Gear''" actually refers to concepts in the story itself, when combined with subtitles and whatnot, the game names begin to edge into nonsense word combination territory, with titles like "''Guilty Gear XX: The Midnight Carnival'', ''Accent Core Plus R''" or "''Guilty Gear Xrd -Revelator-, Rev 2''". |
| 469 | * WorldOfBadass: What else can you call a game with an all-American dragon warrior with the power of a nuclear arsenal, a MagicKnight, a plucky pirate girl who fights with an anchor twice her size, a Russian blonde assassin who kills people with her hair, a man who controls a shadow monster and fights while being blind, a giant GeniusBruiser cyborg slave, a drug dealer turned {{Ninja}} turned presidential candidate, a psychotic doctor serial killer who can bend the very laws of physics with his knowledge of anatomy, a time-travelling BritishRockstar, a beautiful HandicappedBadass samurai warrior woman, another assassin who literally kills his opponents by playing pool, a handsome Texan cowboy pirate king who woes the ladies everywhere he goes, a posh vampire dandy with a voice like Sean Connery, and a sexy witch with a guitar? |
| 470 | * XMakesAnythingCool: ''Guilty Gear X'', ''Guilty Gear XX'' (or ''X2'' if you prefer), ''Guilty Gear Xrd''... |
| 471 | * XtremeKoolLetterz: The manga that follows the exploits of two characters named Tyr and Mizuha during the year between ''[=GG1=]'' and ''GGX'' is titled ''Guilty Gear Xtra''. |
| 472 | ---- |
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