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[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/BlazBlueCP_1870.jpg]]

-> ''Be ready to rebel against the causality...''

'''''VideoGame/BlazBlue: Chronophantasma''''' is the third installment of the series by Creator/ArcSystemWorks, fresh off from [[VideoGame/Persona4Arena their fighting game collaboration with Atlus.]]

Ragna The Bloodedge approaches the city of Ikaruga, once the focal point of a civil war that cemented the NOL's tyrannical rule over the world. Accompanied by vigilante catgirl Taokaka, he hopes to find the answers to the dark conspiracy revealed at the end of ''VideoGame/BlazBlueContinuumShift'', connected to the actions of his arch-nemesis Terumi and his missing sister Saya. Meanwhile, Noel Vermillion and Makoto Nanaya seek to rescue their friend Tsubaki Yayoi, who has [[MoreThanMindControl fallen under the control]] of Terumi and become a KnightTemplar.

This new sequel does away with many of the old systems and adds in new mechanics. The Guard Primer system, originally modified from the Guard Libra system, is nowhere to be found, replaced by a new attack for each character known as a Crush Trigger, which allows the character to instantly break the opponent's non-Barrier Guard at the cost of 25% heat, making them equivalent to the Force Breaks (or EX Attacks) of ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear''.

The most drastic change, however, is the Burst system. Defensive Bursts remain, but Gold Bursts have been removed and replaced with a brand-new technique for each character: Overdrive, a SuperMode that increases a character's power and enhances their Drive, its effectiveness increasing the lower their health is. The effects of each Overdrive are different for each character, and can sometimes give them new moves as well.

Each character also has new moves and balance changes, and their sprites have been totally redrawn from the ground up. Some characters also wear new outfits, such as Noel, who has discarded her military gear completely, and Tsubaki, [[PaintItBlack who now wears her previously story-exclusive black uniform]].

In addition, the roster introduces three brand-new characters:

* '''[[DudeLooksLikeALady Amane Nishiki]]''', a CampGay travelling performer who fights with a scarf that can change into various forms, like a drill for piercing attacks or a prehensile arm for distance throws.
* '''[[ActionGirl Bullet]]''', a member of a mercenary corps that was slaughtered by Sector Seven, leaving her with a serious grudge. She uses GoodOldFisticuffs, with a combat style focused on grapples and throws.
* '''[[BloodKnight Azrael]]''', a mysterious BloodKnight of Sector Seven. He was sealed away by Sector Seven due to his uncontrollable power and violent rampages, but has recently been released from confinement. He uses a beatdown style that adds "weak points" to enemies for extra damage.
* [[spoiler:'''[[SuperPrototype Izayoi]]''', the form that Tsubaki Yayoi takes after awakening the true power of her weapon, which was originally a prototype for the Murukumo Units. It is referred to as "Tsubaki's true form" and is very much to Tsubaki what Mu-12 is to Noel. She uses a StanceSystem, building up her "Zero Weave" gauge in her long-range stance to power up her moves in her short-range stance.]]

Two more console-exclusive characters have also been confirmed:
* '''Kagura Mutsuki''': Head of the most powerful Duodecim family of NOL, the Mutsuki clan. Known as the "BlackKnight" and has outer contacts with other people outside NOL like Bullet. [[TheStarscream He is planning a coup of the NOL]], but the nature of this coup remains unknown. Despite [[GenderBlenderName his name]], he is a man. Reportedly, he is [[StanceSystem a stance-based character]] whose Drive allows him to use different attacks.
* '''Yuuki Terumi''': The true form of Hazama, our resident {{Troll}}, taking his form during the Dark War as seen in flashbacks and the ''Phase Shift 1'' novel. Confirmed to possess a different Drive than Hazama, and reportedly is heavily meter-reliant like Akuma in ''Franchise/StreetFighter''. He is [[DownloadableContent a pre-order DLC bonus]].

While the Murakumo units were believed to be excluded due to their fates in the previous game and their exclusion in the debut trailer, this was changed with the next announcement stating that both Nu-13 and Mu-12 are confirmed to be in the game, leaving Lambda-11 as the only cut character.

According to creator Mori Tochimichi in [[http://www.famitsu.com/news/201208/13019595.html an interview with Famitsu]] ([[http://www.dustloop.com/forums/showthread.php?14664-BlazBlue-Chrono-Phantasma-General-Discussion-Hype-Thread/page210 translated here]]), the story this time will be split between three different (albeit interconnected) scenarios, each with their own set of playable characters and bosses. ''Chronophantasma''[='s=] plot will focus heavily on Sector Seven and matters of the past, particularly the Six Heroes, whose subplot will be concluded in this game.

The game arrived in JP arcades November 21st, 2012. The game's Japanese console release is stated to be October 24, 2013.

!!Rebel 3, ACTION!
* BreakMeter: Averted. This is one of the only modern fighters without some form of "guard break" meter. Instead, the new Crush Trigger attack uses 25% of the character's meter in order to shatter the opponent's standard defenses.
* ComebackMechanic: In the manner of [[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3 X-Factor]], Overdrive lasts longer the less health the player using it has. Combined with the fact that the enemy cannot Burst to throw someone out of an Overdrive combo and we get some serious OneHitKill nonsense with certain characters, who can flatline average health enemies with a single Level 3 Overdrive combo.
* TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything: The giant screens inside the Colosseum stage alternate between showing the fight (read: exactly what you're watching on the actual screen) and a cut-in of both competitors. If players who use a [=NESiCA=] card are fighting against each other, the screens even display their account name and various other infos, just like you'd expect from a place where bets are made on the best fighters. This may possibly translate to PSN and XBL information in the console versions.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: Three characters have two different playable (and storyline-wise more powerful) forms. Aside from Noel and Mu-12 returning from ''Continuum Shift'', albeit the latter no longer brainwashed and a regular transformation for the former, we have Tsubaki and [[spoiler: Izayoi, the true form of her Ars Magus]], as well as Hazama and Terumi, albeit it's more of Hazama revealing his true identity as the latter and unleashing his true power.
* GrayingMorality: With the ObviouslyEvil Azrael being their top enforcer, Bullet's claim that they massacred her friends and family, and Kokonoe's "nuke claim", things are ''not'' getting better for Sector Seven's image. On the other hand, things are only getting slightly better (as in, not getting even worse) for the NOL, with the presence of [[TokenGoodTeammate Litchi]], who retains her morals rather than being {{Brainwashed}} or becoming obsessed and still has her own agenda rather than being a slave to the NOL. The inclusion of Kagura Mutsuki only furthers this; his first story picture has him nonchalantly chatting with Noel and Makoto inside an NOL building-- despite him being a member of the most powerful family of the Duodecim, and Noel and Makoto being enemies of the state.
* LazyArtist: Thankfully averted. The sprites have all been redrawn to fit new character designs (Noel's for example) and gameplay changes.
** And now the entire soundtrack, which is already [[AwesomeMusic/BlazBlue awesome]], is being completely remixed by Creator/DaisukeIshiwatari himself. And guess who's joining Daisuke in rearranging his tunes? Yuhki of Music/{{Galneryus}} fame.
* MythologyGag: ''[=BlazBlue=]'' characters now receive a palette swap of the ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'' characters that also had a palette swap of theirs (with the exception of Carl). Ragna gets Yu, Jin gets Yosuke, Hazama gets Naoto, etc (see the ''Persona'' page for details on who gets who, it goes vice versa). For the characters that didn't receive colors in the aforementioned game:
** Noel Vermillion: [[VideoGame/{{Persona 2}} Maya Amano]]
** Valkenhayn R. Hellsing: [[VideoGame/{{Persona 3}} Shuji Ikutsuki/Koromaru]] (human/wolf)
** Platinum the Trinity: [[VideoGame/{{Persona 4}} Nanako Dojima]]
** Amane Nishiki: ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'' Protagonist/Makoto Yuki/Minato Arisato. [[Creator/AkiraIshida Also counts as an]] ActorAllusion.
** Carl Clover: [[VideoGame/{{Persona 3}} Ken Amada]]
** Tsubaki Yayoi: [[VideoGame/{{Persona 4}} Yukiko Amagi]]
** Rachel Alucard: [[VideoGame/{{Persona 3}} Chidori Yoshino]]
** Bullet: [[VideoGame/{{Persona 2}} Yukino Mayuzumi]]
** Azrael: [[VideoGame/{{Persona 3}} Takaya Sakaki]]
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: ''Chrono Phantasma'' or ''Chronophantasma''?
** As of the release of the opening video, ASW has confirmed that it is the latter.
* SuperMode: The new "Overdrive" that replaces the Gold Burst system seems to take this effect. Rather than serving as an out-of-combat burst attack, it now serves to set the player into an Install-like mode that enhances their unique attacks. Some moves, like, Ragna's previous Distortion Drive, Blood Kain, and Bang's Fu-Rin-Ka-Zan, now fall into this mode.
* TimeCrash: [[spoiler:Several temporal disturbances occur throughout the many Arcade modes, resetting and overwriting various timelines, due to an all-out war between Takamagahara (controlled by the Imperator) and the Master Unit.]]
* UnexpectedCharacter: ''Continuum Shift''[='s=] new player characters were both [=NPCs=] in ''Calamity Trigger''. ''Continuum Shift II'' and ''Extend'' continued the tradition by making 4 more [=NPCs=] playable. Bullet, Azrael and Amane hadn't appeared in any previous ''[=BlazBlue=]'' games.
** [[spoiler:Tsubaki's weapon, Izayoi, suddenly taking form of a FanservicePack Tsubaki and becomes a character? Well, that was out of nowhere...]] To put this into perspective, the ''only'' foreshadowing present [[ChekhovsGun was a seemingly one-off line from Tager's story in the previous game]].
** Terumi becoming a separate character from Hazama came completely out of left field, especially after [[spoiler:it was thought that Izayoi would be the last "alternate form of an existing character" archetype.]]
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'''ASTRAL FINISH!'''