BlazBlue: Centralfiction

BlazBlue: Centralfiction (ブレイブルー セントラルフィクション), known outside Japan as BlazBlue: Central Fiction, is the fourth game in the BlazBlue series.

Act I: Phantom of Labyrinth
Ragna and the others were in the Union of Hierarchical Cities, called "Ikaruga". They were rebelling against the ruler, "Imperator", by their own reasons.

As an answer for the consequences, mankind all over the world were decomposed into "seithr", while the power inside Ragna was forcibly provoked to be out of control by the Imperator.

Thereafter, the Imperator has vanished somewhere, leaving the huge black sphere called the "Embryo". And Ragna was lost, after he transformed into his internal existence, the "Black Beast".

However… Ragna was still alive. When he gained consciousness at the 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi, the power of the Black Beast was sedated. Moreover, he was still himself, though, he lost all of his memory.

Act II: Nightmare Memory
And then, they arrived at the "reality" or otherwise called "another figment".

Same time, same place, but in the different causality chain.

It is the realm where their desires come true.

Or, it is the conclusion the way it should be.

The world expedient.

The figment.

Though that can be called the "reality", if they don't know what they are standing on.

Unfortunately ― or maybe not ― they finally found it.

"The Phantom", she used to be called "the Great Mage, Nine", finally appeared and stood in front of them, the person who touched the edge of truth.

The interplay of lights and sparkle.

But they never reached.

Nine said, with coldly tone:

"Before the Doomsday, the Imperator… No―

Izanami must be defeated. By your hands."

And then, the figment was ended with the beginning of another figment.

The truth is still far beyond.

Act III: The Replacement Blue
—The Phantom of labyrinth has ended its role.

Finally, the truth emerged from the depth of the nightmare.

"Imperator", the empress, also known as the "Hades" Izanami.

"He" had a fierce fighting with Izanami, who displays overwhelming power with a cruel smile on her face.

After the terrific battle, "he" eventually defeated her.

Her face was usual temper, with a cruel smile, even when she was stabbed by the sword.

She gave the words.

"I'll show you the true enemy you have to defeat."

—Master Unit "Amaterasu" materialized.

Izanami continued,

"If you wish to finish everything, you will have to ascertain the truth.

Then you will see, how merciless the power of God is.

And how powerless you are!"

"He", the Grim Reaper, the enemy of the world, "Ragna the Bloodedge"

In the end of the rebel, what will he think, and what will he do?

General changes

 * When Overdrive is active, its duration is shown under the Burst Gauge in the form of a countdown timer (which counts seconds and split-seconds).
 * When a character takes damage, their portrait near the health bar shakes.
 * When the first round begins, character's emblem appears at each character side when the phrase "The Wheel of Fate is Turning" shows.
 * Arcade Mode stories are now separated into 3 acts.
 * When a character is close to entering Active Flow, there is a purple pink circle that surrounds the Overdrive Gauge.
 * The Stylish mode was changed completely. Now it works like the Technical mode, but the player can use the Special button, "SP", to perform easy special attacks.
 * Two new game modes: the Speed Star Mode and the Alliance Mode.

New game mechanics

 * Exceed Accel: A special type of Distortion Drive, which is executed either by pressing A+B+C+D in Overdrive or holding A+B+C+D after Overdrive is activated. It begins with the character performing a specific attack in their moveset, and once it connects the rest of the background shatters away into the Overdrive background effect when the attack is performed. It dishes large damage, but immediately ends Overdrive.
 * Active Flow: A new mechanic, which acts as the opposite of Negative Penalty status. A character that fights aggressively goes into an Active Flow, which boosts damage and recovery of the Burst Gauge. Active Flow also increases damage of Exceed Accel (and may add extra effects and animations for certain characters). When a character enters Active Flow, their emblem on the health bar glows purple pink.

Returning playable cast

 * Ragna the Bloodedge
 * Jin Kisaragi
 * Noel Vermillion
 * Rachel Alucard
 * Taokaka
 * Carl Clover
 * Litchi Faye Ling
 * Arakune
 * Iron Tager
 * Bang Shishigami
 * Hakumen
 * Hazama
 * Tsubaki Yayoi
 * Makoto Nanaya


 * Valkenhayn R. Hellsing
 * Platinum the Trinity
 * Relius Clover
 * Amane Nishiki
 * Bullet
 * Azrael
 * Nu -No. 13-
 * Mu -No. 12-
 * Izayoi
 * Kagura Mutsuki
 * Yūki Terumi
 * Kokonoe
 * Lambda -No. 11-
 * Celica A. Mercury

New playable characters

 * Hibiki Kohaku
 * Naoto Kurogane
 * Nine the Phantom
 * Hades: Izanami
 * Susano'o (console-exclusive)
 * Es (console-exclusive, DLC)
 * Mai Natsume (console-exclusive, DLC)

Trivia

 * This is the first time where the Arcade Mode has three parts rather than one.
 * This is the first game that doesn't have an English dub at launch.
 * This is the first installment that releases a demo version of the game.
 * The Console-Exclusive characters (Es, Mai Natsume and Susano'o) were included in the Arcade version at December 8, 2016 via the Patch 1.30.
 * All characters color 13th is related to characters from another media (anime, cartoons, etc.) i.e.: Izanami as C.C from Code Geass, Kokonoe as Princess Bubblegum from Adventure Time, Es, Izayoi, Taokaka and Bullet as Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladona and Yang Xiao Long from RWBY, Susano'o as All Mighty from My Hero Academia, Nine as Kneesocks from Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, etc.
 * Continuing on from BlazBlue: Chronophantasma and its Extend, there are color options for the playable cast that reference other characters from BlazBlue as well as characters from two other Arc System Works games, though this time they are Guilty Gear and XBlaze. They are as follows: