Arc System Works has announced an open beta test for the upcoming Guilty Gear Strive. Rolling out from 19:00 PST on the 17th to 18:59 of the 21st of February, this test period will not require players to sign up via email as opposed to the last beta test that was held last April and will be open to everyone on PS4 and PS5.

Guilty Gear Strive Open Beta Test: What to Expect?

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With a ten-month gap between the upcoming open beta and the closed one held last April, it looks like Arc System works have taken player feedback into consideration.

The in-match HUD got reworked back into a more traditional form with static character portraits that don’t move along with the health bars as they take damage. The burst and tension gauges have also been made more readable and visible.

The last iteration of the former was a tiny meter below your character portrait and was incredibly hard to keep track of, especially in heated matches. It’s good to see they fixed this aspect. We’re also hoping for fixes to the game’s lobby system when the open beta rolls out.

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The importance of online play and good netcode became a major topic within the fighting game community at large, with last year’s global circumstances having everyone spending more time at home. Ardent fans have been requesting developers to implement rollback netcode into their existing and upcoming games for an overall smoother online experience.

Last year’s closed beta ran on delay-based netcode and led to a less-than-ideal environment for online play. Arc System works listened and will be implementing rollback netcode into Strive, and we're hoping it runs smoothly when we test it out next week.

Thirteen out of the initial 15-character roster will be playable in the open beta, so sorry, Anji fans, he won’t be out to play this time around yet. This also marks the first time newcomers Nagoriyuki and Giovanna will be available to be taken for a spin before the full game comes out in April. Not only that, but the versus, training, and tutorial modes will also be available for you to try.

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If you’re already hungry for new Strive content, new footage has surfaced from the developers featuring high-level play from Sol, Ky, Zato-1, Axl, and Nagoriyuki.

The first video, courtesy of Gamespot, features new moves for the returning cast members. Sol gets a devastating new super called Heavy Mob Cemetery, where he dashes at you, picks you up, and slams you into the ground with explosive force.

Ky Kiske gains the Dragon Install, a timed power-up state that has been traditionally associated with Sol. And finally, Axl Low returns with a time-stopping ability called One Vision, named after the iconic Queen track, continuing the series’ track record as a love letter to rock music. 

 

Final Words

We’re itching to jump right into the fray the closer we draw to Guilty Gear Strive’s release date.

Pre-orders on PS4 and PS5 get early access and will be able to download and play the beta a day earlier. Only time will tell whether Arc System Works’ efforts to rework the foundations of their flagship fighting game series are successful, and we can’t wait to rock out to it when it comes out on Playstation 4, Playstation 5, and PC via Steam on April 9, 2021.

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