GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE- sees the second character on its current fighter pass arrive in the form of Robo-Ky (Takeshi Kusao, Guilty Gear Strive: Dual Rulers). Unlike other DLC offerings, Robo-Ky feels like a character targeted at a certain kind of player. One who is as interested in fun, goofy visuals as they are in climbing their way up the ranked ladder.
Two barriers in this robot’s kit will leave many players wondering if he’s worth the effort to master. The first is his electric charge gauge. Certain moves in his kit charge the gauge, while others expend it. In some cases, moves simply become more powerful if the gauge is at a prerequisite level, while others act differently depending on his electric charge.
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The duration of Robo-Ky’s super moves is determined by how much electrical charge he has when activated.
The best example of this is the character’s ranged attack. When fired with full electrical charge, the shot will not only cross the entire screen but also home in on the target. Fired with only two charges, the shot simply flies forward across the screen. Firing with only one charge causes the projectile to crash quickly after exiting the barrel. And each shot consumes a point of the gauge, so after using it, you must recharge. This makes it inferior in range duels to most other similar attacks.
The other space where Robo-Ky’s electrical charges are most critical comes with his two super moves. Both see their durations set by how much charge he has when they are activated, making them difficult to unleash at full potential without hamstringing Robo-Ky’s kit the rest of the time. And given that one of his super’s causes the character to damage himself at the end of its duration, it emphasizes the need to get your money’s worth out of it.
The second challenge for the character comes with the narrow application of many of his attacks. Despite being great in certain situations, much of Robo-Ky’s move set will fall short of reaching enemies unless they are in just the right spot, further increasing the demand for a player to know precisely where and when to use certain moves.
Many of Robo-Ky’s attacks have narrow applications.
An excellent example of this is his down+B (on an XBOX controller). When initiated, the move fires a rocket upwards at a steep vertical trajectory to a surprising altitude. This makes the move strong against airborne enemies, but the steep incline it travels along gives it little horizontal range, making it subpar in any situation where an enemy is practically right above you.
Now, do I think all these wrinkles and hyper-specific elements to his kit make him unplayable? No. From the earliest moments of playing him, I would occasionally manage to string moves together, getting a glimpse of the character’s potential. Just getting there may feel like more work than many players, especially ones who already have a main picked they have been honing their skills with for years, will want to invest.
There are, however, two kinds of players I can see loving Robo-Ky. The first is those who are simply seeking fun. The mechanical Ky is a weird entry in an already weird game, whose visual design and voice lines lend themselves to loads of chuckles. If you seek some extra fun, even if it comes at the cost of some wins, this robotic facsimile of one of the franchise’s mainstays will be right up your alley.
Robo-Ky is an interesting addition to the GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE- roster.
The other player who may want to invest in Robo-Ky is the “ragebaiter.” Given the combination of goofy aesthetic, narrow move effectiveness of some of his kit, and the added work of managing the electrical gauge, many players will write the character off as bad or unplayable. Which means getting caught off guard by someone who’s actually mastered his mechanical madness is likely to send them. If you are someone who likes knowing you have wounded an opponent’s pride along with their ranked rating, he may be your new best friend.
Robo-Ky is an interesting addition to the GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE- roster. While his gimmicks are likely to make him too much of a hassle for many players to invest in, for the right kind of fighter, he could be a new challenge that will be well worth the effort.
GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE- is available now on PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
