• ID = PS0349
• STYLE = 2D Fighting
• DEV. = Arc System Works Co., Ltd.
• PUB. = Sammy Entertainment, Inc.
• R-DATE = Oct-02-2001
• ESRB = T / For Teen
• PLAYERS = 1-2 players
• LIST PRICE = $19.99
  

In the year 2180, Justice-the most powerful and diabolical Gear ever to have been encountered by humans-was defeated in the international fighting tournament. The remaining Gears, now leaderless, were hunted down and eliminated. Humankind was finally free from the catastrophic menace brought on by the Gears.

However... less than a year after the incident, information about the discovery of a particular Gear rose to the public's attention. The report stated,"This Gear is functioning properly, even though its activities should be inhibited by its lack of leadership. There are no signs of abnormalities or physical damage. It is also noted that no civilians have been harmed, either intentionally or accidentally. We have made several attempts to eliminate the Gear, but due to its tremendous combat capabilities, we have been unsuccessful. The number of casualties has yet to be confirmed. We are currently keeping the Gear under surveillance."

Gears are biological weapons that are programmed to blindly obey the orders given to them by their commander. In the absence of orders, they become passive and behave peacefully. However, all existing Gears have had their memories erased by Justice, and without orders, they are incapable of doing anything. Not only do they lack the instinct to protect themselves, they cannot even perform the essential activities they need to keep themselves alive. As long as a Gear is functioning properly, it should be following commands given by Justice.

Understandably, the news of this Gear that seemed to have a will of its own stunned everyone. Humans became terrified by the possible emergence of a second self-reliant Gear like Justice. To make matters worse, rumors were flying that each nation was in possession of their own Gears for the purpose of military use, driving anti-Gear sentiment among humans to an all-time high. They would not give up their long-awaited peace so easily, and soon, an announcement was made:

~ Whosoever brings about the demise of this dreadful Gear shall be rewarded with the lofty sum of 500,000 World Dollars! ~

Features:

• Visually stunning 2D fighter
• Uncommonly speedy gameplay
• Revamped tension gauge
• Instant kill move
• Create your own combos

Amazon.co.uk
Proving that the best things in gaming life don't have to be in 3-D, Guilty Gear X for PlayStation2 provides high velocity 2-D fighting thrills guaranteed to give you "PlayStation thumb" in double-quick time. Hugely detailed manga -style fighters are presented for your battering pleasure in a game which boasts strong action levels and a story that's weaker than a kitten revolving around a fighting competition--no surprises there, then.

The basic premise takes a boatload of playable characters, including giant cyborgs and a rather interesting lady who uses her hair as a weapon, and pits them against one another. As you would expect from a beat-'em-up, there are literally dozens of different attacks to try out, together with some smart special moves which inflict huge damage on the opposition but require some serious practice to pull off.

The soundtrack is typically guitar-heavy Japanese rock and the only real letdown is in the speech department, with most of the major characters muttering almost incoherent threats to one another and an announcer who's so cheerful it will make you sick. Listening to his annoying drivel is, however, a small price to pay for the brash graphical style and intelligent gameplay of Guilty Gear X , which should keep ardent brawlers amused for hours--or at least until they break their controllers. --Chris Russell