After its successful release on the PS3 last year, BlazBlue returned in all its anime glory with the 'Extend' edition. But has the all action fighter finally run out of steam, or is this PS4 debut another Phantastic addition to this generation's growing repertoire of fighting games?

Like I say, the PS4 isn't exactly short of fighting games now. Injustice: Gods Among Us set the bar high, pitting DC heroes and villains against one another before sport-based titles UFC and WWE entered the fray. The proverbial bar was raised even higher when Dragon Ball Xenoverse wowed anime fans and Mortal Kombat X  proved excessive gore cannot cover up an extremely well-built fighter. With all of the above titles and Street Fighter V touted for a 2016 release, was a rehash of BlazBlue really going to be necessary?

Rhetorical questions aside, BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend is actually a very competent fighter in its own right. Attacks are split between light, medium and heavy, as well as modifying power ups and dash-type moves. The ability to customise your own buttons means you can simply align the controls with your other favourite fighter; for me, copying the button layout of a Marvel vs Capcom title paid perfect homage to the game the somewhat lewd graphics and over-the-top action of BlazBlue reminded me of.  New players can easily pull of multiple combos simply by 'button bashing', although purists will argue this ruins the game. As with any fighter though, the more you practice, the more you're rewarded.

The modes are split into offline (training and practice modes, versus, arcade, story and more) as well as online (simply ranked or player matches, the latter recommended if you don't have a wealth of experience in the BlazBlue universe). The whole game has a unique feel to it, with characters introducing the training portions of the offline mode and predetermined cutscenes preceding bouts. If you've played the previous edition of Chrono Phantasma but didn't get around to purchasing the DLCs, this mode has you covered, featuring two new characters and a whole host of new story content. Of the two new characters, "No. 11" is certainly one to watch if you want to spring a surprise on a local player. I mean, she's an android with about 8 extra sword arms. So yeah, there's that. Zooming across the screen as she robotically whispers 'exterminate' almost makes you feel like you're controlling a Dalek on oestrogen.

The gameplay itself combines everything you'd expect from a fighter. You're able to juggle the enemy into oblivion, pulling off crazy combos and, by pressing R3, go into some kind of hyper mode and really turn up the heat on the opposition. The game is at its finest when you're combining dashes with multiple hits, making your way across the screen in lightning quick time. It’s also worth pointing out that choosing the ‘stylish’ option instead of ‘technical’ when selecting a character allows combos to be pulled off far easier and ‘distortion’ moves to crop up seemingly by chance. While it may be all smoke and mirrors, it lets you play like a pro, which is a good feeling. It’s certainly an option for those new to the series.

Graphically, the game is not exactly fighting fit. While the anime style does not exactly promise the strongest graphics in the current market, it would've been nice to see the cell shading enhanced a little on a system as powerful as the PS4. Nevertheless, it's not a deal breaker; if you're visiting this game for state of the art graphics, you're gonna have a bad time. It pays homage to the series roots, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but in an age of 1080p fighting games it'd be nice to see some minor graphical improvements.

While this 'Extend' edition may not pull up any trees, it is nevertheless a solid entry into the PS4 fighting ranks. Fans of the series will no doubt enjoy the strong returning cast presented in story mode and the excellent fighting mechanics designed by the PQube studio. It's certainly worth a look at if you're into your fighting titles.