BlazBlue Entropy Effect X Review – Fast, Frenetic and Fierce

BlazBlue Entropy Effect X Review

BlazBlue is known as one of the greatest fighting franchises in the genre. With its deep and complex approach to combat, the series quickly garnered a cult following. Entropy Effect X is a spin-off of the franchise, swapping its immersive fighting mechanics for an intense, side-scrolling roguelike adventure. But can the series’s signature approach to combat successfully transfer to this new format, or will it lose the depth synonymous with its legacy?

Releasing on PC in 2024 and mobile in 2025, BlazBlue Entropy Effect X is the complete version of its predecessor, encompassing all previously released DLC along with additional new content, aiming to deliver a compelling roguelike experience for its console launch.

A Confusing Tale

Set primarily in a laboratory, you support researchers working together to save the world from certain extinction. Your goal is to enter a realm between worlds to capture Shards of Possibility, which can help halt a cataclysmic event. As you delve deeper into this domain, memories begin to return, and you slowly learn how the fate of the world is tied to your own forgotten past. Similar to other entries in the franchise, the story is overly complex and delivered in frequent, dense bursts, resulting in a narrative that can be difficult to follow. While Entropy Effect is a standalone experience with a new tale to tell, it suffers from the same pitfalls as its lineage. Although the premise fits the roguelike loop, less exposition would make the story more accessible.

Diving into the world itself is where the game truly excels. Combat varies depending on the character you select, with each one offering unique abilities that change your approach to encounters. For example, Hakumen can adopt a block stance that allows him to retaliate with a vicious dashing strike when hit, while Ragna can sacrifice a portion of his health to perform a powerful attack, regaining HP based on the number of enemies struck. Every character feels distinct, encouraging experimentation with the game’s mechanics and systems, and making each run a thrill.

Enemies are well designed, signalling attacks so that you can counter accordingly. Some characters have a defensive maneuver that will counter these, but all can dash or jump out of the way. As the screen can fill with enemies, you will need to remain on your toes, fighting foes from all directions by using your arsenal of attacks and avoiding the onslaught of strikes.

The Choice is Yours

After clearing an area, you can choose from a variety of paths to take next. These range from increasing your HP/MP, improving your stats, or adding elemental abilities. Stacking elements is exhilarating, allowing you to create unique builds to help you eviscerate all on the battlefield. From fire-infused attacks to tentacles rising from the ground, each ability makes a huge difference, keeping returning runs unique. In addition to power-ups, you can visit challenge rooms, shops to spend the currency, and a roulette-style reward room, giving even more variety. These areas culminate in a set-piece boss fight that challenges you to use all of your skills to overcome. You do have a finite number of health items, so using these wisely is important to complete a run.

You can tweak the difficulty before starting a run, with higher challenge levels offering greater rewards. If you’re struggling, lowering the difficulty is an option, though it comes with fewer benefits. Following a run, you can speak to the researchers to upgrade your Mind Strength, which increases your HP, recovery and gives you the ability to equip more Mind Crystals. These are unique bonuses that you can upgrade and experiment with throughout. After each run, you can save your build and carry elements of it into future attempts. When starting a new run, abilities from two previous builds can be infused, giving you an early advantage. It’s a clever system that ensures every run feels purposeful.

Let’s Go Again!

Roguelikes are built around replay value; however, Entropy Effect goes above and beyond with how much there is to do. After you complete the Normal Mode, you unlock the Entropy Zone, which adds additional stages, bosses, difficulty options and challenges. Reaching level 50 opens the Extreme Zone, which adds more content and the game’s true final boss. Throw in having to unlock all 14 characters, a co-op mode and dedicated levels to the two crossover icons and this will keep you hooked for hours on end.

The franchise has a signature look, feel and sound, and amazingly, this captures that. It’s visually striking and each character moves and feels similar to their mainline series counterpart. The stylish design is also accompanied by a suitable soundtrack, which accompanies the action but never truly stands out. Although the fully animated sequences look great, they fail to immerse you in the narrative due to their needless complexity.

BlazBlue Entropy Effect X is an excellent roguelike adventure that faithfully translates the tactical, frenetic combat of the main series into an immersive side-scrolling experience. Each character feels distinct, with unique abilities that encourage experimentation with the game’s multi-layered systems, resulting in builds that differ from run to run. While the complex narrative doesn’t fully land and some systems aren’t clearly explained, the moment-to-moment action is superb and will quickly get its hooks in you.

***PS5 code provided by the publisher for review***