OKay, I have seen only two BlazBlue threads here in the games board, so here's a third one that has more description.

BlazBlue is a 2.5D (being 2 Dimensional with 3 dimensional aspects and characteristics) side scrolling fighting game where two characters enter battle to fight. Pretty simple if I left it like that right? Wrong. The game series itself follows Ragna the Bloodedge (also know as Death, Grim Reaper, and Ragna Kisaragi), the main protagonist of the series. The game(s) themselves have up to 18 playable characters, some of which change depending on the BlazBlue game you have (like in one you can play as Nu-13, whereas in on you can play as Nu-13 after purchasing Lambda-11 Unlimited, or play as Tsubaki Yayoi who is hardly mentioned in the other games or as Mu-12 who is exclusive to BlazBlue Continuum Shift 2).

Now a bit of history.

The game takes place in the year 2200, about 100 years after the 100 year war. The 100 year war is a war that occured between humans and a being known as the Black Beast. The Black Beast was a monster that consumed souls and never tired, just ate and killed while exhausting a black gas known as seithr. Seithr is somewhat of a connection to the "Boundary" which is a place that could destroy you. This beast was impposible to kill, and it destroyed much of Earth while the gas is made covered the surface. Then, 6 hereos, known as well The Six Heros, appeared and tried to stop it.

These six were Trinity Glassfield, a mage in training (i think), Nine (a witch), Haku-men (a white armored samurai whose face is unknown), Jubei (a beastman who is more of a cat in appearance), Valkenhayn R. Hellsing (a wolf beastkin (science made being that has animal features or is able to turn into an animal)), and Terumi Yuuki (spoiler: he made the Black Beast from a Cauldron). These six couldn't defeat the Black Beast without the help of a man only called Bloodedge (who bears a striking resemblance to Ragna). A whole year was spent for Bloodedge to hold off the Black Beast, and that year helped create Arsmagus, Ars Armagus, and Nox Nyctores.

Arsmagus is basically magic and science, and is controlled through Grimoires (not all come in book form though).
Ars Armgus, or just Armagus, are weapons with Arsmagus properties.
And Nox Nyctores... are deadly weapons made from compacting the souls of humans into a weapon form, and have a detrimental effect on the wielder's mind.

There are Ten Nox Nyctores: The Gigant, a satellite that could obliterate an entire Hiearchial City, Musashi, weilded by Jubei that can cut anything that can't be cut, Ookami, a flat tipped long blade that could kill anything that can't be killed, Mochourin, a staff that has a heart at the top, Ouroborus, a pair of balisong, or butterfly knives, that can allow the weilder to summon snake shaped chains and affect ones mind directly, Bolverk, a set of long guns that can;t shoot bullets, but distort space and act a seal for emotions, Mucro Alegesco; Yukianesa, a katana with no crossguard made of permafrost that allows the weilder to use ice as a weapon and causes the weilder to go insane, Pheonix, which can crush other Nox Nyctores, Deus MAchina Nirvana, a giant doll that applifies the weilder, er, owner's need to kill, and finally Murakumo Kusanagi, the god slayer sword.

(sorry fot the long sentence)

Basically that year allowed the Black Beast to be defeated.

Now, about 90 years later, Ragna is looking for Terumi, also known as Hazama, so he can kill him and get revenge.

There are wonderful NPCs, funny gag reels, and the characters' personalities are really fleshed out with how they act. Some characters are easier to use than others (like Noel Vermillion or Jin Kisragi), while others (like Carl Clover) are more difficult.

Overall i give this game am 8 out of 10 tars because of the music, characters, backgrounds, and story. The story could use some work because it feels a little linear, but the choices you make at some points could lead you to gag reels, or lead to Help Me! Proffessor Kokonoe. Some parts of the story can only be found if you get defeated (that is if you're playing sotyr mode).

So,tell me what you think, I recomend it!

Also forgot to mention there are light novels of it called BlazBlue: Phase (numbers o through how ever many there are). Gives you a bit more background info.

I don't mean to burst your bubble, but I thought it was funny when you claimed it wasn't as simple as just a 2.5D fighting game, and then proceeded to describe a typical 2.5D fighting game.

I've played the game a couple times, though, at a friend's house. It's pretty fun, though obviously I'm not familiar with the plot, having only played multiplayer.

>>3 Yeah kind of a bit of a fail on my part. The story mode is a little iffy since its mostly talking then a fight, no real exploration (thank god), but the Arcade more is equally fun.

No offence, but 2.5D Fighters such as Street Fighters IV, sure they are overrated, but at least they are fun. There's also Tekken x Capcom, where most of the other gaming communities started forcing hatred on it despite it had so much good improvements. (Just because of the Gems system and the DLC doesn't make a game terrible, example? Mass Effect 2).

And Blazblue is a 2D fighting game last time I checked, from the fact that there isn't any 3D renderings anywhere in the characters.

Storymode is... I dunno, it just became some clusterfuck after Continuum shift 2, but I'll say this: The gameplay and style is pretty awesome. I definetly agree that Blazblue is the spiritual successor to Guilty Gear in the new era.

Oh yeah, you forgot to mention the timeline of the games:
Calamity Trigger
Continuum Shift
Continuum Shift Extend
Continuum Shift 2
Chrono Phantasma (New one, revamp of EVERYTHING)
I don't like how like how Noel is the only one who gets a costume change, but it's worth seeing Hazama stomp the crap out of people.

>>5 Well sorry for not really liking the others. And there are some 3D aspects, you just have to look REALLY closely. Like then environments.

And yes i forgot, but i am getting the rest when I can. Though I do agree, some characters need a costume change, at least MAkoto with a bit more clothing on.