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BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle

Name: BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle
Item: BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle
Rating: 4
Author: Marc Saltzman

Game review by

Marc Saltzman, Common Sense Media

BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle Game Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 13+

(i)

Game franchises collide with deep play in fun anime brawler.

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A lot or a little?

The parents' guide to what's in this game.

Positive Messages

Straightforward fighting game with very little plot/story. Focus on combat for combat's sake outweighs any positives.

Positive Role Models & Representations

Several playable characters, each with their own skills, but little is known about them.

Ease of Play

Simple controls, easy to learn, but timing is important, as well as where to move on the screen and when to tag in other characters to continue the fight for your team. Responsive controls, great practice exercises, and beginner modes help newcomers learn the ropes.

Violence

Characters mostly punch, kick, and throw each other around in an attempt to drain opponents' health meter to zero -- but at times characters can use a weapon for a special attack, including pistols, giant swords, claws, or machine guns as hands. No blood or gore shown during fights.

Sex

Many female characters wear revealing clothing, such as short shorts or a short skirt. Lots of jiggly cleavage.

Language

"A--hole" and "s--t" used in dialogue.

Consumerism

The game is a collaboration between BlazBlue, Atlus' Persona, French Bread's Under Night In-Birth, and Rooster Teeth's popular RWBY web series.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle is a fighting game for the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. Gameplay focuses on punching and kicking opponents until their health meter is depleted. As characters land successful attacks or take a degree of damage, they'll fill a gauge that lets them use a special weapon for enhanced damage. These include a giant sword, claws, pistols, or machine-gun hands. Even with these over-the-top attacks, no blood or gore is shown in battle. Many female characters wear revealing clothes, such as short skirts or shirts that display lots of jiggly cleavage. There's also some swearing, with words like "s--t" and "a--hole" in dialogue. That said, the lack of blood and racy comments about female characters makes it more accessible for younger players than previous games in the series.

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What's it about?

BLAZBLUE: CROSS TAG BATTLE is a 2D fighting game that focuses on two-versus-two team battles. The game is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between BlazBlue, Atlus' Persona franchise, French Bread's Under Night In-Birth, and Rooster Teeth's popular RWBY web series. Players choose from a cast of more than 20 fighters -- including fan favorites Jin Kisaragi, Rachel Alucard, and Yosuke Hanamura -- and tag an ally to hop into the arena when they need to take a break. There are solo and multiplayer online options, with a variety of modes to choose from.

Is it any good?

This anime fighting game, which merges several franchises together, is surprisingly deep, and it will keep fighting fans busy for a very long time. BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle stands out from other fighting game franchises in many ways: It combines four franchises' worth of characters (each with a unique fighting style) and universes into one cohesive package. The game cleverly mixes in Persona's Investigation team and has them compete against RWBY's characters, who are then dropped into BlazBlue's familiar locations to chat with Under Night In-Birth personalities -- a mix that all works well. Complementing this smart collaboration is accessible gameplay that doesn't sacrifice depth. Mastering chain attacks, combo moves, and the tag-team element comes with time, making players enjoy this game with each hour of play.

If there's a downside to the game, it would be the cheesy dialogue and writing. Cross Tag Battle doesn't have much of a story, but what's included is pretty light and somewhat ridiculous. For a game that combines four separate franchises, you'd hope that there'd be a stronger plot that fully used each character in a clever, entertaining way. But most players won't be interested in the story; instead, it's be the action that will keep them coming back. Fortunately, Cross Tag Battle has great-looking graphics, upbeat music, and responsive controls. The game also offers many solo and multiplayer modes, with a surprising amount of content to unravel. Overall, fans of the BlazBlue series or the other Japanese franchises included in this game will love setting their favorite characters against each other in battle.

Talk to your kids about ...

Families can talk about sexually suggestive content in games like BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle. How does this game compare to others in the way it depicts male characters versus female characters? What do you think of those differences?
Is the impact of the violence in Blazblue: Cross Tag Battle limited by the lack of blood and gore shown during gameplay? How about the fact that the game focuses on nonstop combat?