BlazBlue Entropy Effect was an interesting game. Originally beginning as a completely original IP, the developers at 9Act shifted direction after securing a deal with Arc System Works. Rather than continuing with their independent project, the game was rebranded as a BlazBlue title and integrated the franchise's characters as playable avatars. While the main story focused on an original protagonist, they would take on the form of iconic characters while diving into the virtual world, slowly uncovering the underlying mystery along the way. Aside from the avatars players could control, it didn't initially feel like a true BlazBlue title, but that didn't stop it from being a fun experience.
With BlazBlue Entropy Effect X, however, things have changed.
Released as a free update for the PC version and as a standalone release for consoles, Entropy Effect X is an expansion of the original featuring a story with deeper ties to the BlazBlue universe. This new scenario was written by BlazBlue writers Mako Komao and Akihito Kumagawa, helping to solidify Entropy Effect as more than just a game that happened to receive the branding.
Although Entropy Effect X is still Entropy Effect at its core—meaning returning players will know exactly what to expect—this version does contain key differences. It introduces new areas, new bosses, an additional character, and the "Lab" storyline, which completely alters the original progression. Beyond these additions, the fundamental gameplay remains unchanged, which is honestly perfectly fine.
That being said, Entropy Effect X occupies a somewhat strange position, considering there are technically three versions of the game. While the PC version includes the X update, the new story must be unlocked; it isn't something one can jump into immediately. Meanwhile, console players have access to the full X experience from the start, leading to a slightly different initial perspective. For the sake of this review, we revisited the original PC release to test the new content before making the full jump to the PlayStation 5 version. As for the third version, well, unfortunately mobile players have not received the full X update. While the general gameplay remains the same, players of this version of the game should be aware that the new story is not included.
A Game for Everyone, Not just Fans:
Before diving into the game itself, it should be noted that BlazBlue Entropy Effect X is not a title intended solely for fans. In fact, because of its origins as an original IP, it was designed with newcomers in mind. While this new version has ties to the BlazBlue series, the characters themselves function primarily as playable avatars from a gameplay perspective. Much like picking a fighter for the first time in a traditional fighting game, these avatars are designed to be used without any prior knowledge of their backstories. By playing as them, players may naturally form an attachment and feel compelled to learn more, but there is no prerequisite knowledge required to enjoy the experience.
For those looking to understand the broader BlazBlue mythos, however, the most important thing to note is that the main series is a hybrid of a fighting game and a visual novel. The games are set in a world previously ravaged by a mysterious monster known as the Black Beast, which has deep connections to a realm called "The Boundary." This location connects all timelines and universes together and plays a major role in the overall plot.
While the primary BlazBlue timeline isn't even set within the "first loop" of events, players slowly uncover the truth by playing through each entry to determine what is truly going on. Beyond the games, the narrative spans multiple Phase Shift novels (which serve as direct prequels), two full visual novels, a novel series set in an alternate time to said visual novels, and several manga series. It is a complex, multi-layered story that has fueled fan discussion for over a decade. While Entropy Effect X is now a part of this overarching tapestry, it remains a standalone entry and serves as a perfect gateway into the greater BlazBlue universe.
The New Story:
BlazBlue Entropy Effect X’s story has been completely revised compared to the original Entropy Effect. The game begins with the unseen player character, Professor A, controlling an avatar of Hibiki before being pulled back into a mysterious lab. There, Professor A is greeted by a group of other professors and learns they have all been called together by a woman named Dr. Mercurius. Dr. Mercurius has formed this group to study what they call the "Sea of Possibility" so that they may prevent their own world from collapsing in the near future.
The entire situation is confusing for Professor A, but it only worsens when they realize they have no memories. Not only that, but they are also the only person in the room capable of "diving" into this Sea of Possibility, making them the key figure in the investigation. Setting this confusion aside, A dives back in at Dr. Mercurius' request and obtains the first "shard."
Upon returning to the lab, the shard embeds memories of Ragna into Professor A, which only leaves them further perplexed. As Dr. Mercurius explains that what Professor A has just seen are the memories of the avatars they are utilizing, the entire group begins to wonder about their true nature. Shortly after, the other professors start to realize their own memories have been impacted and that not a single one of them can recall the specific details of why they joined the research group. Additionally, the group agrees that calling each other by code letters will become confusing, so they take turns assigning nicknames. This is how Professor A is given the name Ace, but the question remains: who are they really? Or better yet, who is Dr. Mercurius?
From this point, Ace continues to dive into the Sea of Possibility while bringing back additional shards. Each shard contains a memory from a key point in the BlazBlue series, recreating iconic scenes that fans will find very familiar. With each return, however, more questions arise as the group continues to doubt not only the Sea of Possibility but also their own motives for joining the research in the first place.
The Gameplay:
BlazBlue Entropy Effect X’s gameplay is divided across multiple modes, but they all share the same roguelike core. You begin a run by selecting a difficulty level; from there, you can adjust settings to make the experience easier or harder before selecting your avatar. Most avatars are pulled directly from the BlazBlue series, with each one adapting its original fighting game moveset into a more streamlined set of actions.
While you can only pick one character per run, completing a playthrough allows you to "record" that character. This version can then be called in as a support to aid you in future attempts and pass along passive skills to start with. This system encourages players to give their best effort every time, as a powered-up avatar can often mean the difference between life and death—especially when upping the difficulty to hunt for better rewards.
While players initially only have access to "Normal Mode," higher challenge levels are quickly unlocked, and points can be spent to make things even harder. From giving enemies additional health to increasing their damage or even imposing time limits on each run, there are plenty of ways to alter the experience and push yourself. However, additional options are locked behind clearing runs under specific conditions, so players cannot simply crank everything to the maximum right from the start.
Combat
Once setup is complete and you dive into the action, the stages play out like a typical 2D side-scrolling action game. Every character shares basic actions like attacking, dodging, and jumping, but their MP-based special attacks are completely unique. These abilities are based on classic BlazBlue moves and utilize a cooldown system. Thankfully, they recharge quickly over time, so they don’t feel as restrictive as they might initially seem, though the wait is just enough to prevent spamming.
In terms of standard combat, the game features a simplified control scheme that removes the complex inputs of the main fighting series. However, depth remains; some attacks only activate under specific conditions—such as being airborne or following up a specific strike—ensuring each character retains a unique identity. While the basic controls are universal, the learning curve involved in swapping playstyles ensures that no two characters ever feel the same.
When it comes to the enemies, Entropy Effect features a nice variety of different types to take down, though you will encounter the same ones repeatedly as you revisit each area time and time again. While most can be defeated by simply bombarding them with a mixture of normal and special attacks, others require their shields to be broken first, or for other targets to be defeated before hand. There are also moments where a time limit is imposed, further increasing the tension of battle, and waves of enemies must be stopped before the countdown reaches zero. Despite the repetitive nature of these encounters, the gameplay never feels stale thanks to the diverse roster of characters and the depth of the Potential and Elemental systems.
Upgrades and Abilities
Once a room is cleared, players move on to special reward rooms. You are free to choose which reward type you would like to receive, with Potentials and Elements being the two most game-changing options. Potentials are skills that enhance a character's stats and abilities, often drastically altering their playstyle. They can teach new attacks or upgrade basic actions like jumping and dodging, which can make the difference between surviving a run or failing. Because each run yields different Potentials, every character build feels unique. These builds can even be saved and used as support in later runs.
Elements, on the other hand, are passive abilities dedicated to a specific elemental type that can be combined with your obtained Potentials. For example, one ability summons ice swords to assist in attacking, while further perks can add extra elemental effects or increase the number of swords that can appear at once. These abilities complement each other perfectly and should be a major factor when choosing your path through a stage.
In addition to gaining abilities, you will encounter special event rooms for extra perks, shops to spend currency earned from kills, and challenge rooms for high-tier rewards. Since there are only a limited number of rooms per stage, the game encourages strategic decision-making, and asks that you consider your overall character build. If you rush through by selecting only healing or event rooms, you may lack the strength to defeat the boss. Conversely, if you are low on health, skipping a healing room could end your run prematurely. Bosses are not pushovers, even with higher level characters, so one must always be prepared to face them.
Like any roguelike, success comes down to a combination of your own physically skill and the synergy of your chosen perks and abilities. Being a "master" of a specific build is usually better than being a jack-of-all-trades; focusing your core abilities into one area provides a major advantage. The game can be quite challenging until you grasp this, but it becomes much more manageable as you learn the core mechanics.
You Don't Have to go Alone
In addition to this, although Entropy Effect X can be played completely solo, the game also offers a full co-op mode. This mode can be played online or via local co-op, allowing you and a partner to take on the game's content together. Both players select their own rewards as they progress through each run, which enables the creation of different builds that complement one another.
While playing with a partner can make the game easier in some ways, you can also increase the difficulty for even better rewards. This trade-off works very well and keeps the experience balanced.
Training Modes
The Training Modes are a special gameplay alternative that becomes unlocked a handful of playthroughs in. These challenge missions each have a difficulty rating and use the recorded versions of your characters. For example, if players complete a run with Ragna and save him with a rating of 1,000, then that exact version of Ragna can be used to potentially clear a mission with a rating of 1,000 or below.
Of course, it is possible to complete harder challenges as well, but that depends entirely on the player's own skill level with that character. Unfortunately, there is a limit on how many times you can use these characters; therefore, that 1,000-rated Ragna cannot be used to clear everything. Once he is used, he is locked away, and players will need to complete additional runs or choose another saved character to move forward. These saved characters can also be used in the previously mentioned co-op mode, which functions in a similar fashion.
Additional Customization
After returning to the main hub, it is possible to customize your avatars to provide them with a boost. Points can be spent on increasing their maximum starting health and the amount of HP recovery items restore. You can also unlock and power up Mind Crystals, which add passive abilities to all of your characters. These range from increased stats to causing enemies to take more damage or even providing life-saving revive skills. The game allows players to save multiple loadouts of Mind Crystals so they can be easily swapped out based on what will be most helpful during your next playthrough.
Outside of this, avatar colors can be changed, and the online player avatar—which is a little robot—can also be swapped for different designs.
Crossover Characters:
Along with the standard game modes, BlazBlue Entropy Effect X also features a new mode called "The Boundary." BlazBlue fans will know the Boundary as a location that acts as the connecting point of all timelines and worlds; in this case, it is used for linking the main story to crossover content. This comes in the form of both the Dead Cells and ICEY crossover stages, which faithfully replicate their source games.
ICEY is a platforming title that emphasizes breaking the fourth wall as a narrator directs your actions. The main game gets quite intense as its true story unveils itself, but Entropy Effect X avoids spoiling the original title by placing ICEY in a new situation. Even so, the developers have decided to stay true to the original title and adapt the playstyle to fit. For example, ICEY doesn't recover MP over time like other characters and instead does so by dealing damage with her normal attacks. While not everyone will enjoy such a drastic change from the main game, fans of the series will certainly appreciate the callback.
Dead Cells, on the other hand, is a roguelike mixed with a Metroidvania, and that same gameplay style has carried into Entropy Effect X. There are multiple branching paths to explore, which means it requires more than one visit to complete. Despite being a roguelike, Dead Cells is unique compared to Entropy Effect X itself, and this crossover content does a great job of retaining its identity.
Both pieces of crossover content are included for free in Entropy Effect X, though they are paid DLC for other versions of the title. This is one of the multiple changes made for Entropy Effect X compared to the original release.
Console Versus PC and Mobile:
Although Entropy Effect X has been released as a free update for the original PC version, there are several differences between the various versions of the game.
The first major change in Entropy Effect X is the introduction of Naoto Kurogane. While he is a free character unlocked from the start in the console release, he is paid DLC for other versions. The same applies to many other characters in the title, who must be purchased to be used. On console, however, all characters are included in the base game, making it the more "complete" edition.
In addition to Naoto, new areas and bosses have been included in Entropy Effect X, and these have been added to the original title as well. This update is free across the board and is now simply part of the core experience. This is where the similarities end, however.
When playing on PC and mobile, the original Entropy Effect storyline remains front and center. This plot is unrelated to the BlazBlue series and features a hub where players control a small robot character to interact with NPCs and access facilities. This is a significantly different experience from what is seen in X, and unfortunately, it is the only story the mobile version contains. On PC, completing this story will unlock the new Entropy Effect X "Lab" plotline, bringing the PC release more in line with the console version.
As for Entropy Effect X itself, the game begins with the new Lab scenario and has adapted the original hub world and options to account for this change. Rather than exploring a physical hub, characters are selected and spoken to through a new menu-based system, and key functions from the original story's hub have been reassigned to these characters. It is a much faster system than physically walking to an NPC, though fans of the original style may be disappointed by the lack of a hub. While the original game's plot can be unlocked after completing Entropy Effect X, it takes considerable work to return to it. That said, the original story—mostly comprised of cryptic messages—may not be for everyone, though others will enjoy the mystery.
In short, while the console and original PC releases are technically the same game, the PC version requires characters to be purchased as DLC, whereas the console release is the complete package. Furthermore, the order in which the stories are unlocked is reversed: PC begins with the original story and unlocks the BlazBlue plot, while the console version does the opposite. It is a unique design choice that players should be aware of before choosing which version to play.
Should you play it?
BlazBlue Entropy Effect X is the definitive version of 2023’s addictive roguelike. While the previous release had few connections to the overall series, the expanded story by the original writers is a highly welcomed addition. Narrative aside, the solid gameplay is what will truly hook players and keep them coming back for more.
While the roguelike genre might not be for everyone, the unique characters and multiple difficulty options ensure that players of all skill levels can still enjoy the experience.
VERDICT: Recommended
Reviewed on PlayStation 5, Revisited on PC
PC Review Copy Was Provided
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