BlazBlue might not be the most mainstream franchise out there, but if there’s anything about it that people are aware of, it’s the fact it’s a competitive fighting game. Very traditional, 2D, sprite-based, with ultra-edgy-as-all-hell anime characters. So, imagine my surprise when I found out there was a brand new BlazBlue spinoff, which transported the characters we know and, uh, love know, onto a roguelike action platformer. Which, at the same time, barely feels like it’s a BlazBlue game at all. BlazBlue Entropy Effect is a bizarre little thing, but what really matters is that it’s a good game, despite it feeling so out of place.

The reason why BlazBlue Entropy Effect feels like it had acquired the BlazBlue licensing at the last second of development is the fact that the game as a whole has nothing to do with the franchise. You control a robot, in some weird, post-apocalyptic setting without a human in sight, taking part in a series of virtual reality simulations as requested by a superior artificial intelligence. It just so happens that, whilst inside these simulations, you get to play as BlazBlue characters. Their relation to the plot is paper thin at best, but hey, they’re here, I guess…

In essence, pick a character, pass through a series of gauntlets set in dark-but-futuristic levels, killing a lot of enemies in your way. Even though BlazBlue Entropy Effect doesn’t emulate a fighting game control scheme per se, being quite easy in its controls, the combat is fast-paced, fluid, and pretty intuitive. You can perform air juggles, special attacks, dash attacks, ground pounds, you name it. Furthermore, you can acquire new abilities throughout a run, as well as improve or augment your existing skills with some additional passive buffs.

For instance, you can summon a spinning barrage of blades to accompany your one special attack (each character has access to one special move that consumes a bit of health, but it’s worth using in specific situations). You can also add a fire trail to your dash attack, turning what was once a simple defensive dash into an additional attack in your arsenal. Considering the fact that fire moves inflict burning damage, which lasts for a while, you can even play an entire run without unsheathing your sword, if you’re that much of a lunatic. The amount of possibilities at your disposal is easily Entropy Efect‘s highlight.

In fact, the gameplay alone makes Entropy Effect worth purchasing. The presentation isn’t bad at all, but it’s a bit repetitive. As previously mentioned, there’s little to no link between the game as a whole and the BlazBlue franchise, so everything feels a bit off, even if the graphics themselves are actually quite good. The overall disparity is also seen in the sound department, as the game itself is actually fully dubbed in English… except for the BlazBlue characters. Those retain their shouts and dialogue from their original game, therefore, it’s all in Japanese.

I can’t help but feel like the BlazBlue branding in Entropy Effect feels tacked on, almost like a last minute addition to ensure some extra sales, but as a game, it’s actually a pretty good roguelike. It looks good enough, and its combat and powerup systems are really solid. Even though I didn’t care at all about its plot, I got hooked on its gameplay loop. At the end of the day, that’s what really matters. It might be BlazBlue in name only, but this little roguelike is a welcome surprise regardless.

Graphics: 7.5 Environments are often dark and repetitive, but still slick and stylish. Character animations are crisp. Overall, it’s pretty good.	Gameplay: 9.0 Fast-paced platforming coupled with a simplified take on the BlazBlue combat system. It’s nowhere near as complex as a fighting game, but there’s still some experimentation to be done, especially when you factor in the many upgrades and moves you can acquire throughout a run.
Sound: 7.0 The English voice acting, which almost sounds like it was coined via AI, contrasts with the BlazBlue characters constantly shouting buzzwords in Japanese. Quite odd, to say the least.	Fun Factor: 7.5 It’s a really fun and stylish roguelike platformer, with an interesting gameplay loop. The BlazBlue branding feels tacked on, but hey, it does make it stand out, I guess.
Final Verdict: 8.0

BlazBlue Entropy Effect is available now on PC.

Reviewed on Intel i7-12700H, 16GB RAM, RTX 3060 6GB.

A copy of BlazBlue Entropy Effect was provided by the publisher.