BlazBlue: Continuum Shift

BlazBlue: Continuum Shift​ (ブレイブルー コンティニュアム シフト Bureiburū: Kontinyuamu Shifuto?) is a fighting game developed by Arc System Works. The game is an official Sequel to BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger. As with the previous game, BlazBlue: Continuum Shift will first come to arcades before both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions as the game is currently released for the Taito Type X2 arcade system board, with a 16:9 ratio and 768p resolution. It was released in November 20, 2009 in Japan, though the United States version was released in only some arcades. A console version will be released in July 1, 2010 in Japan and July 27 in America. A European version has been confirmed by ZenUnited, however a release date has not been given.

Changes from the original version
The game has undergone some changes from its predecessor and features three new characters, Tsubaki Yayoi, Hazama, and μ-12 (a console exclusive character) as well as a replacement for ν-13- (Nu-Thirteen) named Λ-11- (Lambda-Eleven). The game will also include balancing of previous characters, as well as adding, or removing, moves while balancing the whole gameplay.

Gameplay
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift still retains it's traditional 2D fighter feel where two characters participate in a duel on a two dimensional plane. A round is called a "rebel" and one match can consist of one to five "rebels". To win a round, one player must either incapacitate the other by inflicting damage through various attacks to reduce health or by having more remaining health after the clock runs out if the rules of the match has one.

In addition to individual character tweaks, Continuum Shift also introduces a number of significant gameplay changes:


 * Barrier Burst has been renamed to Break Burst. Both players now start off with one Break Burst, and get one additional Burst when losing a round. Unused Bursts are carried over between rounds, and up to two maximum can be stored at any given time. Burst startup is now fully invulnerable instead of merely guardpoint, and no longer depletes the Barrier Gauge and does not put the player in Danger state (players will still enter Danger state if Barrier is depleted normally). On the other hand, however, Bursting removes half of the player's maximum guard primers (explained below). Additionally, "Gold Bursts", Bursts performed when the character is not being attacked, now launch the opponent high in the air and allow for a followup combo.


 * The Guard Libra system in Calamity Trigger has been replaced by a Guard Primer system. Players now have a certain number of Guard Primers (ranging from four to ten, depending on character), which are broken if certain moves are blocked. Loss of all Guard Primers results in a guard break. Primers regenerate over time, and players can prevent their last primer from being broken by Barrier Blocking the guard-crushing, which will cause half of the maximum barrier gauge to be lost instead. Bursting will cause half of the character's maximum primers to be lost immediately.


 * Continuum Shift introduces Fatal Counter properties to certain attacks, which will inflict Fatal Counter status instead of regular Counter status when achieving a counterhit. Unlike regular counterhit, hitstun for Fatal Counter combos is extended by 2 frames for every attack across the entire combo, allowing players to set up significantly more damaging combos off Fatal Counter attacks.


 * The combo mechanics in Continuum Shift have been reworked significantly, if subtly. Combo time is no longer a factor in determining untech time and pushback in combos, allowing for combos that would previously have been invalid in Calamity Trigger. To compensate, a "repeat proration" mechanic has been introduced, which introduces an additional damage penalty when certain moves are performed multiple times in one combo. Additionally, moves with "positive proration," which actually increase the damage dealt by successive hits in a combo, have had their positive proration effect limited to only once per combo.


 * The conditions for performing an Astral Heat have been changed. Astrals can now be performed by any player on his match point (and not merely the final round of the match), and now require one Burst stock, 100% Heat, and the opponent at less than 20% health to perform. When these conditions have been fulfilled, the character's portrait will begin to flash white, indicating that an Astral Heat is available.


 * A Beginner Mode is now selectable as a control scheme. The A, B, C and D buttons are replaced by a Weak Attack, Strong Attack, Special Attack, and Throw button. Beginner Mode automatically strings basic combos together for players.


 * If a player is kept in near-continuous blockstun for more than five seconds, he will be given a "guard bonus" and automatically Instant Block all following attacks until he escapes from the blockstring.

Plot
The game is set after the events of Blazblue: Calamity Trigger. A few days have passed since the reported raid by Ragna the Bloodedge, The 13th Hierarchical City "Kagutsuchi" forgets to celebrate New Years, as his alleged involvement in the "Mysterious Bombing" and "Huge Pentacle Sightings" becomes the talk of the town. With the Novus Orbis Librarium offering no official explanation, the citizens voice their own theories, exaggerating and spreading rumors like wildfire. The name "Ragna the Bloodedge" is engraved in the minds of the people. Completely indifferent to the state of the city, the silver-haired Grim Reaper grips his massive sword and quietly bides his time—waiting for the chance to achieve his true objective; and then, the enormous "power" that has ensnared the "Grim Reaper" begins to activate...

thumb|300px|right

Console port
On February 8, 2010, it was revealed through Famitsu that Continuum Shift will be getting a port to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. This port includes a brand-new, console-exclusive character: μ-12 (Mu-Twelve), the true form of Noel Vermillion, possibly as a new secret boss character similar to Unlimited Ragna in the first game. The port is arcade perfect and will also include new stages, the Legion Mode from the PSP version of Calamity Trigger, and revamped versions of the original stages. There is also a new Tutorial mode similar to Street Fighter IV that shows the players the basics of the game's system. Also, as with the previous game, Kotoko returns to provide the console version's theme song, 'Hekira no Sora e Izanaedo'. The song's chorus also plays when the player performs an Astral Heat. A final price has not been confirmed, but it has been confirmed through Dengeki that the release date in Japan will be July 1, 2010, and there will be a limited edition of the game as done previously with Calamity Trigger, which will include an art book and a Nendoroid figure of Noel. Aksys Games announced that the US version of the game will come on July 27, 2010.

New characters
The game introduces ten new characters in the game, 5 of which are playable, prior to the Console Version. The original characters from the previous game makes it's return to the sequel with the exception of ν -No. 13- (Nu), who is replaced by Λ -No. 11- (Lambda). Makoto Nanaya and Nu (v-13) are stated to appear as downloadable content in the console versions of Continuum Shift.

Playable Characters

 * Tsubaki Yayoi
 * Hazama
 * Lambda (Λ-11)
 * Mu (μ-12)
 * Makoto Nanaya (DLC)
 * Nu (v-13) (DLC)
 * Platinum (DLC)
 * Valkenhayn Hellsing (DLC)

Non-playable Characters

 * Torakaka
 * Relius Clover
 * Phantom