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4 tips to help you get started in Guilty Gear -Strive-
If you’re wondering where to start with learning Guilty Gear -STRIVE-, don’t fret, the game isn't as hard as it looks. Here’s everything you need to know to get into GGST.
After 1 closed beta, 2 open multiplayer betas, and a range of feedback given to the developers - Guilty Gear -Strive- is finally out. Opinions shifted during every iteration of the beta and, coming off open beta 2, a lot of people were nervous. Characters and movement had some changes (air dash backward), and the online lobbies were NOT changed (to much dismay).
How has the live and commercial build of Guilty Gear -Strive- handled this? Well, with a few balance tweaks, after making it very clear the lobby system is here to stay (but adding quality of life changes like player rooms), the overall feedback has been very solid. Guilty Gear is one of the best-looking anime fighting game series out there and, coupled with the inclusion of ROLLBACK netcode, the title is an obvious pick-up for any fan of the genre.
Guilty Gear -Strive- truly embodies the saying "easy to pick up, hard to master". If you want to head into your first match online and just press buttons, there is no shame in that! If you are looking for a game that will force you to adapt at the highest level as well, Strive will also give you that. The shining star of the series is the Tension Gauge and all of its different applications (four different types of Roman Cancels?). It can be overwhelming to learn everything at once, so here is everything you need to know to get started with Guilty Gear -Strive-.
1. EXPRESS YOURSELF, GRAPPLERS!
Looking at tier lists this early into the game? Normally we would say it doesn’t matter but, if you have been following this game at all, you know Sol is a Bad Guy, Ramlethal just got her blades sharpened, and May is making the battlefield Marine land (Totsugeki!). Please don’t let this deter you from picking the character you feel is right.
2. OFFENSE IS THE GAME
But wait, isn't defense the best offense? In the Guilty Gear series offense is king just due to the fact the Tension Meter (more on that later) is built by you moving forward and attacking your opponent. Are you someone who likes to run away from your opponent when you have the lead? You will actually incur a NEGATIVE PENALTY if you fail to make an attack, or are actively retreating to the other side of the screen. Your Tension Meter will drop to 0 and before filling pretty slowly for the next 10 seconds. Arc System Works really wants to make sure you didn’t drop the retail price on a new game, only to not push buttons and just hold back.
The first thing to take note of is your buttons. There are P (punch), K (kick), S (slash), HS (heavy slash), and D (dust). You’ll often see these buttons paired with numbers (e.g. 236K). This is called “anime notation” and refers to directional inputs. It’s a little tough to wrap your head around if you’re completely new, but if you have a keyboard with a Numpad nearby, just look at that and envision the numbers in different directions for an analog stick. You’ll get it eventually.
There are some universal mechanics here such as 6P (Forward Punch)) being an anti-air since it has upper body invulnerability, Dust being an overhead on the ground that launches if held, 2D being a sweep, and 6D/4D being grab/throw. The game also has proximity normals - normals that come out differently based on how close you are to your opponent.
With the addition of RC (Roman Cancels), Guilty Gear offense can be a bit suffocating. Roman cancels generally allow you to cancel your moves for about 50% of your tension meter to create a mix-up opportunity (or just to keep yourself safe!). There are different types of RC, which we will cover in the tension meter section down below. But with the offense being this suffocating, how about we figure out defense first?
3. DEFENSE WINS GAMES
Learning offense in Guilty Gear -Strive-, and possibly any fighting game ever, is always the fun part. But what makes you level up and really show your superiority over your opponent? DEFENSE! Being able to punish moves is a key factor in fighting games as a whole, but there are a couple of things that need to be covered with Guilty Gear specifically. The "way" you block allows you to control the pushback off some normals. Take a look:
- Normal block - Allows for normal pushback. Your best button might whiff from this far, however, since you’ll probably get pushed out of jab range. This is good just for overall defense.
- JUST block - A just block is the same as a normal block but performed in a 2 frame window as the opponent hits you. This allows for virtually no pushback at all. Naturally, it's a bit harder to do this (and, sometimes, might even be accomplished through pure luck) but it allows you to optimally punish some moves that push you too far back, under normal circumstances.
- Faultless Defense - Performed by holding back and 2 buttons. Indicated by a green shield, this is a superior form of block. FD uses your tension meter as long as it is held out, so you can't use it forever. This is best to be used against moves that are plus or spaced well to allow your opponent a follow-up. FD also stops you from incurring chip damage This is huge in ‘last-hit’ situations where your opponent wants to chip you out for the round. You can’t take the meter with you into the next round, so spend that cash!
Included with these options are your BURST and Gold Burst. Burst is your go-to ‘get off me’ move. The Burst meter is seen under your health bar and can be performed by pressing Dust and another button. The difference between Burst and Gold burst is just where it is pressed, with Gold being done in a neutral interaction. Hitting Gold burst gives you full tension automatically. It takes a while to rebuild the bar and doing it raw leaves you as a sitting duck ready to get cooked, so choose where you press it wisely!
Another form of defense? believe it or not, attacking! With the inclusion of 6P and its upper body invul, interrupting many neutral winning moves is great to check your opponent! 6P is solid for interrupting pressure that may not be real or just resetting the pressure from an opponent using IAD (Instant Air Dash).
Dodging moves altogether with backdash is also a great option, as long as you aren't running away and receiving that Negative Penalty. Backdashes have some invincibility, but you’ll want to look up information on your specific character’s backdash traits before you start spamming this and wondering why you keep getting sent to the rematch screen.
4. THE TENSION METER REFLECTS YOU!
You're probably thinking by now - what is the Tension Meter and why do I keep hearing about it? It seems pretty important for offense and defense, but what else can it be used for? Tension is a core mechanic of the Guilty Gear series, made specifically to reward players that play a bit more aggressively. You obtain Tension by attacking, walking forward, breaking the wall, and generally just inconveniencing your opponent.
Playing a little too much keep away will net you a negative penalty, potentially costing you all your meter. Tension is mainly used to perform supers, roman cancel to mix-up your offense (both at the cost of 50% of your tension meter), and enhance guarding via faultless defense. Management of these resources dictates your options in many scenarios. There are 6 main ways RC is used:
- Blue RC - Done in a neutral state and slows the enemy down in the range. The main use of this RC \linking attacks/normals that normally wouldn't combo, or giving yourself more time to react to a neutral situation. Enemies will also be left in their current state a bit longer, so opponents who are stuck doing DP's can be thrown (you can throw opponents out of DP without BRC, but some of us aren’t that nice, okay?).
- Purple RC - Done during recovery frames, PRC allows you to extend pressure or cancel unsafe moves. It will also slow down the enemy if they are in range.
- Red RC - Done while landing a move, slows the enemy, and pops them up on hit. Allows for either extended pressure on block or an easy confirm for a full combo on hit!
- Yellow RC - This is the defensive YRC, so you can only do it when blocking. It’s really strong when it hits, but really bad when blocked. Doing YRC against an airborne opponent will reset them to neutral, and doing it on the ground leaves you very plus. YRC is unsafe though so, if baited with a jab, you could potentially eat a really damaging combo.
- Drift RC - Done by dashing before you RC. This slows the enemy down and allows for easier follow-ups or mix-ups after a Red, Purple, or Blue RC.
- RC Cancel - You can cancel any RC midway which allows for an increase in your potential options. If you cancel out of a Drift RC, your character carries the same momentum. Good for "Fast RC" Mix-ups.
After a Wall Break (a mechanic built to elevate wall pressure in Strive), you’ll get a positive meter bonus. So, if you get a wall splat and have 100 meters, you might as well cash out with a super! You’ll get that meter right back after the break anyways, don’t be stingy. Meter management and how you use it is what sets you apart as an individual player. The freedom it allows in your pressure and situational awareness is what makes GG so fun. It's only a matter of time before we see your clips on Twitter.
5. FINAL THOUGHTS
It's very easy to see why GGST has successfully burst (no pun intended) onto the scene. The game looks great, has an amazing cast that feels quite different from one another, and an amazing netcode that allows people, who could never play together before, a chance to settle their Twitter beef with no excuses.
It feels very easy to pick up and press buttons but, once you start understanding the mechanics and implications of situational awareness the game festers on, you can see matches play out on a grander scale. One thing is for sure, though - a lot of people are enjoying this game, and we hope you’ve found your reason to hop right in!
