$9.99BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger Fists, fate and a very good soundtrack
Duel a friend on the couch or chase branching endings in a story mode with real weight.
Is BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger worth it?
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger is worth it if…
- you want a fighter with a real, branching story and characters worth caring about
- you like couch rivalries more than online ladders
- you enjoy fighters where every character plays by different rules
- you want a great soundtrack included, 42 tracks of it
- you are new to fighting games and want combos that are easy to start chaining
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One couch, two controllers, no mercy
Fighting games were built for the living room, and this one keeps the tradition: Versus mode puts two players head to head, and local co-op means the whole thing stays social. Matches are quick, a round is called a "rebel", and a single match can run one to five of them, so a grudge match takes minutes, not an evening.
You pick from 12 fighters, and the choice matters more than in most games: the lightning-fast Taokaka and the wickedly powerful Tager do not play anything alike. Lose a round, swap characters, run it back. The soundtrack of 42 included tracks keeps the tension up while someone demands a rematch.
The Drive button makes every fighter their own game
Every character shares the same basics: weak, medium and strong attacks. What separates them is the Drive, a unique technique built into each fighter's kit, and it changes how you think about the whole match.
Depending on who you pick, a Drive can control wind or ice, absorb your opponent's life force, summon swords, or yank someone across the screen. That means learning a new fighter is not just learning new combos, it is learning a new set of rules. It is the reason the roster stays interesting long after you have memorized the buttons, and why picking your main feels like picking a playstyle first.
A story mode that plays like a novel
Most fighting games give you a cutscene and call it a plot. This one gives each of the 12 characters their own tale, told with a mountain of dialogue, choices that send you down different routes, and multiple endings depending on what you pick and how you win.
The setting earns it: a powerful council known unofficially as "the Library" controls a force that once saved humanity and now rules it a little too tightly, and a bounty hunter with a legendary grimoire has just wrecked a few of their facilities. Even if the fighting is not your strength, the story mode alone carries the game. Fair warning: some routes want specific finishes, so a guide helps if you chase every ending.
Can you play it with a friend?
Is it good for someone new to fighting games?
It is friendlier than most. The combos are fairly easy to pull off, the controls are responsive, and it runs well on a keyboard, so you can start mashing and learn the Drive system as you go. Arcade and Training modes give you room to practice before you face a human.
What is there to do besides fighting?
Quite a lot. Story mode runs long with branching routes and endings for every character, Arcade and Score Attack give you solo runs, and a Gallery holds plenty of artwork to unlock. The soundtrack, 42 tracks, comes with the game, and it is good enough to listen to on its own.
How does it look?
It was the first high-resolution 2D fighter from Arc System Works, and it shows: hand-drawn character sprites with smooth animation, set against detailed 3D backgrounds. The stages are colorful and lively, and the camera gets some dramatic angles before a round starts.
