Guilty Gear Strive Opening Movie Will Rock You

Arc System Works Has Outdone Itself With This One

Guilty Gear Strive has been hit with another delay and a second closed beta is now standing between us and the release date. But don’t get too upset–Arc System Works has finally released the opening movie for the game and it is awesome. Not only are the animation and character models incredibly detailed, fluid, and expressive, but the editing and overall style are nostalgic in all the best ways. The aesthetic of the Guilty Gear franchise has always been anchored in two things: 90s anime and rock and rock music. While the games’ visual style has changed over the years, especially after the XX timeline was dropped in favor of the new Overture/Xrd/Strive timeline, the music is still as hard-hitting and rebellious as ever. Perfect for a post-apocalyptic fantasy series about challenging out-of-control bioweapons, vampire samurai, and the personification of fate itself to battle. Check it out here.

The beginning of this opening movie appears to suggest that series protagonist Sol Badguy will once again be in conflict with his personal nemesis That Man and the amoral time-traveling guitar witch I-No, who promotional materials imply is here to cause problems for everyone. Sol and Jack-O’–or should we call her Aria now?–are shown speeding down a desolate road together, talking happily, which is always nice to see. Chipp Zanuff and returning character Anji Mito are also shown together, though Baiken appears to be conspicuously absent. A significant chunk of the trailer is dedicated to showing off the new character Nagoriyuki, who looks absolutely stunning with his glowing eyes and kimono-leather jacket hybrid, though his proximity to I-No’s new ally Happy Chaos may indicate trouble in his future. Finally, I-No and fellow, significantly more heroic time-traveler Axl Low are shown sitting across from each other, presumably arguing over their respective time travel philosophies.

A series of absolutely fantastic fights also feature in this video. Sol and Giovanna vs Nagoriyuki, Nagoriyuki and Ky vs I-No, Sol vs That Man… we’re just hoping that some of these clashes feature in story mode. If they look this breathtaking in the trailer, imagine what it’ll be like to play through them yourself.