The BlazBlue fighting game series once served as a core pillar of Arc System Works’ gaming catalog alongside the revered Guilty Gear franchise. In the years following the end of BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle’s support cycle, new BlazBlue content of any kind is really hard to come by outside of the occasional rhythm game. When 91Act’s BlazBlue Entropy Effect was first released in 2024, though, it became clear that there was still interest and life left in this franchise. Two years later, BlazBlue Entropy Effect comes to consoles and PC as BlazBlue Entropy Effect X, an enhanced and definitive version of the action roguelike game with a new BlazBlue storyline. Although this isn’t a fighting game, BlazBlue Entropy Effect X is respectful and pays homage to the beloved titles that came before it.
The story of BlazBlue Entropy Effect X is set in a futuristic dystopia where the world is on the brink of annihilation. The player character, often referred to as “Doctor A” or “Ace,” wakes up in a laboratory with no memories of their past, and they’re accompanied by other “Doctors” who are curious about who exactly you might be. Dr. Mercurius, a familiar cat-like person in charge of the laboratory, tasks the player with investigating Shards of Possibility, which might hold the memories that the protagonist is missing. To do so, Dr. Mercurius instructs the player to use an Avatar to facilitate “Dives” into the Sea of Possibility, a virtual space that contains a wealth of data, along with many threats. Dives are the runs you make through various levels, and the deeper you go, the more dangerous enemies will become. The tutorial gives you a rundown of the core gameplay mechanics while making the roguelike nature of this game abundantly clear.
BlazBlue Entropy Effect X Brings an Original Story with BlazBlue-Related Twists
Although BlazBlue Entropy Effect X is a spin-off, the game’s story is full of intrigue and moments that make it stand alongside its fighting game predecessors. The gameplay loop and story revolve around successful Dives into the Sea of Possibility, which is accessible from the large machine in the center of the laboratory. Before and after each Dive, the other Doctors—Ti, Cafe, Lime, and Fox—will share some insight into what they’re working on or experiencing, such as analyzing data from the Dives. You don’t have to reach the very depths of the Sea of Possibility during each run, but you’re tasked by Dr. Mercurius to make sufficient enough progress to find the necessary Shards and get one step closer to regaining the protagonist’s memories. The NPCs in the lab will also give you tasks as you progress, further aiding in the story’s progression as you learn about them and uncover memories.
Dialogue is rather straightforward in BlazBlue Entropy Effect X, with most of it taking place in the laboratory between Dives and the NPCs. All of the dialogue is fully voiced by a star-studded Japanese voice cast, so it’s all very engaging and befitting of a BlazBlue game. The Shards of Possibility offer comic book-like scenes that push the story along further as well. I won’t spoil any particular details about the story, but I will note that it does link with the BlazBlue storyline and characters that players have become familiar with all the way through BlazBlue Central Fiction. It’s also worth noting that after completing the BlazBlue-related storyline, the fully original Sky City storyline becomes unlocked, with previously unlocked upgrades carrying over.
Overall, the narrative of BlazBlue Entropy Effect X is really interesting and fits in as a worthy addition to the BlazBlue franchise. At first, I thought the hyper-futuristic setting wouldn’t fit in well with the rest of the series as I know and remember it, but it works well as a slightly distant but connected part of the universe. That being said, combat in BlazBlue Entropy Effect X is the main attraction, considering how important a gameplay loop for a roguelike game can be.
A Safe but Engaging Roguelike Formula
After completing the tutorial, you’ll take your first Dive by accessing the Dive Rig and selecting an Avatar, who takes the form of a member of the BlazBlue roster. Many of the returning favorites from BlazBlue Central Fiction are here, including Ragna, Hazama, Es, and Noel, just to name a few. Their move-sets are essentially 1:1 with their fighting game counterparts, except the moves themselves are remapped to different button inputs to better suit a fast-paced roguelike game. I found the combat to be quite enjoyable and easy to pick up and play, but there is some depth that fighting game players will enjoy, too. There are also collaboration characters that can be unlocked by completing special “Boundary” stages, such as ICEY and the Prisoner from Dead Cells.
Dives are divided into stages, with each having various rounds to progress through. These stages include standard combat sectors where you will be controlling your character from point A to point B, defeating enemies along the way. At the end of the round, you can select the conditions, or “Space Types,” for the next round from a random selection. For instance, you may complete a round and select to go to another combat-oriented round to earn a Potential—an upgraded move or ability with special effects. If you want to minimize the risk, you may head to an Event round to earn a bonus or use the Exchange Points you earned so far by selecting an Exchange round, if available. Your luck will vary wildly on each run due to the randomly generated nature of it.
Completing stages may give you Tactics, which are universal augments shared across all characters. They’re like special power-ups stacked onto normal actions, such as lightning strikes when you dash or evade. You’ll be presented with Tactic and Potential rounds often, so it’s up to you to build-craft your Avatar during that run and make it potent against the Elite bosses you’ll fight at the end of a stage. The Elite bosses include some that are original to BlazBlue Entropy Effect X and returning antagonists from the BlazBlue series, and each encounter will test your evading reflexes. If you nail evading early on, then you’ll often be able to take down enemies and bosses quicker, especially with a narrow window of invincibility.
At the end of each run, your Avatar is graded based on the Tactics, Potentials, and progress they’ve made. Although you don’t keep all of your abilities, you can carry over the strongest ones and save an Inherited Avatar, which can be equipped by an Avatar on your next runs. You’ll gain some of their abilities by doing so, which are activated with the trigger buttons. In addition, each run awards Dive Points that can be used to improve Mind Strength and Mind Crystals. Mind Strength determines the overall health you start out with for each run, along with the recovery amount for HP Mixtures or health potions. Leveling up Mind Strength unlocks slots for Mind Crystals, which are essentially perks that grant bonuses like increased damage and improved HP recovery.
All in Entropy
The Dive system itself is divided into three difficulties or “Zones.” At first, “Normal Mode” is available with four main stages to progress through, giving you a feel of what the game is all about. There are a limited number of modifiers, or Adaptive Adjustments, to choose from. You likely won’t be adjusting anything in Normal Mode, but after you’ve completed Normal Mode, you’ll unlock the Entropy Zone. Entropy Zone gives you a vast assortment of modifiers, including enemy attack speed and status effect conditions. You’ll unlock more modifiers by meeting certain conditions over time, such as defeating a certain boss at the end of a Dive, and progressing the story further. Despite Normal Mode being there, Entropy Zone is more like the standard or “Normal” difficulty of the game, as it gives you access to many of the game’s core gameplay systems and experiences.
New to BlazBlue Entropy Effect X is the Extreme Zone, which is unlocked after clearing the Entropy Zone and reaching certain progression milestones. Extreme Zone is quite tough and offers some of the most difficult bosses in the game. This is truly the endgame for BlazBlue fans, putting them face-to-face with some of the most formidable threats that the series has to offer. The true final boss of the game awaits in Extreme Zone, and although it’s difficult, BlazBlue Entropy Effect X is fair and allows you to have very powerful Avatar builds that make it possible to beat. There’s a steady sense of progression when it comes to deep runs, and you’re often rewarded for carefully examining your characters’ strengths and leaning into them.
You don’t need to go into Dives alone, however. After finishing the first Dive, local co-op and online co-op become available. Local co-op is the standard split-screen affair, while online co-op lets you matchmake with one other player or team up with a friend. There’s no cross-play from the looks of it, but players can take advantage of cross-platform saves via Export and Import functions. I couldn’t leverage this feature since I didn’t play BlazBlue Entropy Effect initially, but it should be noted that PC players won’t need this feature if they continue playing on PC, since BlazBlue Entropy Effect X is a free update on that platform.
Overall, the combat system of BlazBlue Entropy Effect X is satisfying and stylish, very similar to the main fighting game series. By that same token, the characters you gravitate toward in the fighting games may end up being the very same ones that you’ll main in BlazBlue Entropy Effect X. For example, you can expect Ragna to be just as hard-hitting and simplistic as he was in the fighting games, and that can be a good or bad thing depending on your playstyle. I played as Es a lot in Central Fiction and Cross Tag Battle, and I really enjoyed her this time around, too. This was especially true after I unlocked more Potentials and gained more moves.
BlazBlue Entropy Effect X is an Action-Packed Treat for Fans who Miss BlazBlue
As a BlazBlue fan, I came in with an open mind about BlazBlue Entropy Effect X, and I was thoroughly surprised by how great the combat system, story, and roguelite features were. Even after some frustrating losses, I came back for more and more runs, and hours flew by rather quickly. I enjoy the gameplay balance where it’s at right now with BlazBlue Entropy Effect X, as it feels fair to play while giving you challenges to overcome. If I had to point out some gripes, I’d say the lack of English voice acting and a few fan-favorite characters from past BlazBlue games were the only aspects of the game that let me down. Even so, this didn’t keep me from playing my favorite characters and progressing the game.
For $24.99, BlazBlue Entropy Effect X is a worthy addition to a BlazBlue fan’s library, and those who are into roguelite/roguelike games like Hades or Dead Cells can have some fun here, too. BlazBlue Entropy Effect X is a stylish, action-packed reminder that there’s nothing quite like BlazBlue, even if this isn’t the fighting game successor that faithfuls have been, and likely will be, waiting for. At the very least, BlazBlue Entropy Effect X celebrates the series by giving players the ability to build-craft and create a power fantasy with their favorite characters.
BlazBlue Entropy Effect X launches on February 12 worldwide for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Disclaimer: Astrolabe Games provided a PlayStation 5 copy of BlazBlue Entropy Effect X for review purposes.
