We're in a real renaissance for fighting games right now, with Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and Mortal Kombat 1 all absolutely thriving. The recent EVO finals were a thing to behold – but also a welcome reminder that the coolest fighting game out there is actually Guilty Gear Strive, and it's not even that close. The good news if you haven't dipped into the Arc System Works masterpiece, then, is that you can try the new Guilty Gear Strive mode for free right now, even if you don't own the game, and it's going cheap if you enjoy yourself.
fighting game by all mechanical metrics, its greatest trick is that everything is actually lovingly crafted 3D models, allowing it to spin the camera mid-fight to phenomenally satisfying effect. It helps that it's also sublime to play, with a range of approachable and intricate characters and lots of satisfying systems to master.
Its new mode, titled Team of Three, transforms it into a 3-on-3 format. Two teams of three players each go head-to-head, with a main character ed by two assist characters using a shared health bar. The s can leap in from the sidelines, Marvel vs Capcom style, to unleash a range of powerful skills. There are also character-specific 'break-in' moves.
If things are going badly, your team can tag to switch the active player with one from the bench. When a successful tag takes place, the outgoing and incoming character both get to fight together briefly, making it a powerful tool if you're having trouble. Each player may only fight as the main character once per round, however, so pick your moment wisely.
The Guilty Gear Strive Team of Three open beta runs Friday July 26 through Monday July 29, and all players on Steam can and participate in the beta even without owning the game. That makes this a great chance to check out Strive for yourself and see if it's to your liking, with all 28 characters including those from DLC available to try, and a big Steam sale discount means you can pick the game up cheaply if you like it.
Guilty Gear Strive is 50% off on Steam through Monday July 29, meaning you'll pay just $19.99 / £18.49 for your copy. Simply head to the store page to the beta or pick up a copy of the full game for yourself. The fourth season has just launched, including four new playable characters including Lucy from Cyberpunk 2077 anime Edgerunners.
If you can't get enough of the spirit of competition, take on all comers in the best anime games, if that's something you're into.
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