Guilty Gear has found a prominent place in the hearts of 2-D fighting fans over the years and the release of its newest addition, Guilty Gear XX: Accent Core, should further solidify that love. Like previous games in the series, this 2-D piece of fighting bliss delivers a pounding with a bargain $29.99 price tag.

For those unfamiliar with Guilty Gear, it's a finely tuned 2-D fighting game with a selection of oddball characters, ranging from huge weapon-carrying behemoths to a rock-and-roll playing witch that does most of her damage with her axe. Accent Core continues to roll with what works, mostly from finely tuned animation that hasn't lost any of its magnificent beauty. The characters look highly detailed and well-drawn, right down to their victory poses. The backdrops shine as well, with hectic goings-on thrown in throughout each stage.

Although the game doesn't contain a Story Mode, you won't miss it. Accent Core is all about getting into a fight and smacking the crap out of somebody. Players can try their luck against the CPU, beat the odds in the mounting Survival mode, learn all the basics in Training, go right into Arcade and dominate a few friends in two-player action or snag a few prized items in M.O.M. (Medal of Millionaire) mode, where precious medals fly all over the place. All of these modes pretty much play the same, with each fighter bringing light, heavy and special attacks to their unique arsenal. Most noteworthy are the Force Break defensive moves and the Overdrive finishing attacks. As expected, they leave opponents lying in a heap.

Those looking for original Gear content will find that Accent Core comes up a bit short. It contains two additional characters, though they resemble other combatants. That leaves the game without any new core additions to mix things up, aside from slight changes with A.B.A. and Order Soi. No matter -- the cast continues to be off-the-wall and entertaining.

Moves come off very easily on the PS2 pad. Players can tweak the difficulty between ridiculously easy and incredibly hard, so fine-tune it to your liking and prepare to dish out a little "Heaven Or Hell". Other features include an unpredictably wild soundtrack (made up of rock tunes), first-rate sound effects and a bevy of unlockables, such as alternative color schemes and a fun Generations mode, pitting older characters in the series against new ones.

Guilty Gear XX Accent Core may not have changed the recipe, but the meal is just as appetizing and cheap. Bon appetit.

Our Final ScoreGood

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