BlazBlue: Central Fiction

BlazBlue: Central Fiction, released in Japan as BlazBlue: Centralfiction is a 2-D fighting video game developed by Arc System Works. It is the fourth game in the BlazBlue series, and is set after the events of BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma. It is also the final game with Ragna as the main protagonist. The game was released for the arcades on November 19, 2015, with a location test having been done in mid-July of that year. . A console version was released in Japan on October 6, 2016, in North America on November 1, 2016, and Europe on November 4th, 2016 for the PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation 4, both physically and digitally. It also introduced the playable appearances of Hibiki Kohaku, Naoto Kurogane, Nine the Phantom, Saya/Hades Izanami, Es, Mai Natsume, Susano'o, and Jubei. It serves as the conclusion of the Azure Saga that began in Calamity Trigger. The arcade mode stories are separated into three acts.

Aksys Games has confirmed a limited edition for North American markets which includes a soundtrack disc, a nendoroid figure and a hardcover art book. Aksys has also confirmed that Central Fiction will not be receiving an English dub, making it the first BlazBlue title that was not dubbed at launch. In wake of the news that Central Fiction would not be dubbed, fans created a Change.org petition requesting an English dub via DLC.

Es was confirmed to be a free DLC character for the first two weeks after launch day.

A Steam port was released on April 26, 2017.

Characters

 * Further information: List of BlazBlue characters § Playable in BlazBlue: Central Fiction

All 28 fighters from BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend return in Central Fiction. This brings the total roster to 36 playable fighters. Characters introduced in Central Fiction include:
 * Hibiki Kohaku: Kagura's assistant. He is a member of a clan of assassins and was raised to serve Kagura. Originally seen as a loyal servant, he is actually a disturbed person whose desire is to kill Kagura and become a truly emotionless killer.
 * Naoto Kurogane: The main protagonist of Bloodedge Experience. He appears in Central Fiction due to Raquel sending him into the current timeline of BlazBlue where he died apparently to save their world.
 * Nine the Phantom: One of the Six Heroes and the boss of "Act I: Phantom of Labyrinth".
 * Hades Izanami: One of the main villains of the series. She is the one who commands Terumi and Relius, used Saya as a vessel who is also a living doll forged by Relius and is the manifestation of the girl inside Amaterasu's "Drive".
 * Introduced in console release
 * Es: One of the main characters of the XBlaze spinoff series.
 * Mai Natsume: The main protagonist of the Remix Heart and its sequel Variable Heart manga.
 * Susano'o: Yuki Terumi after becoming one with the Susano'o unit and his original form. He is a secret character unlocked by completing the story.
 * Jubei: One of the Six Heroes, he is the father of Kokonoe, and the husband of Nine. He was the mentor of Ragna and Jin and is a cat beastkin. He was released on August 31st for North America and Japan, and September 4th for EU.

Gameplay
Following the gameplay from BlazBlue Chrono Phantasma Extend, there are additional changes and new mechanics. The Overdrive activation's duration is now shown under the Burst Gauge in the form of a countdown timer (which counts seconds and split-seconds); The character portrait near the health bar shakes when taking damage; and each character's emblem appears on their side when the phrase "The Wheel of Fate is Turning" shows at the start of the first Rebel. The new gameplay mechanics are: Exceed Accel, a special type of Distortion Drive, which is executed a same input as Overdrive activation by holding it during Overdrive activation, or pressing it, begins with the character performing a specific attack in their move-set, and once it connects the rest of the background shatters away into the Overdrive background effect when the attack is performed. It dishes large damage, but immediately ends Overdrive; and Active Flow, which acts as the opposite of Negative Penalty status. A character that fights offensively goes into an Active Flow, which boosts damage and recovery of the Burst Gauge. Active Flow also increases the damage of Exceed Accel (for some it may add extra effects and animations). When a character enters Active Flow, his/her emblem on the health bar becomes purple pink. The purple pink color itself is also shown surrounding the Overdrive Gauge, when a character is close to entering Active Flow.

Reception
Aggregate reviewer Metacritic gave BlazBlue: Central Fiction an 84 out of 100 citing generally positive reviews from websites. Famitsu gave BlazBlue: Central Fiction a 34/40 for both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 versions. Chris Carter of Destructoid gave the title an 8.5/10 while complimenting the impressive amount of effort with few problems for a niche game. Filippo Facchetti of Eurogamer gave Central Fiction a 9/10 recommending players who love fighting games and/or anime to buy the title.