Anyone with even a passing appreciation for 2d fighting games will probably find a lot to like here.
To start off this review, I will make it clear that this game has a lot in common with Guilty Gear. If you liked the Guilty Gear games, you will almost certainly like BlazBlue. For those of you unfamiliar with Guilty Gear, I will sum up BlazBlue so you know what kind of game this is. Basically, BlazBlue is a very fast-paced Japanese one-on-one 2d fighting game that features a cast of very unusual and memorable characters fighting it out in 2d with some beautifully animated sprites on some amazingly detailed 3d backgrounds. Although I rarely mention graphics, I must say this game is a real treat to look at, featuring some outstanding backgrounds and very detailed sprites that are animated so well, you would swear they are 3d models.
Beyond the graphics, another element of the game likely to stick with most gamers is the highly unusual cast of characters. No lineup of nearly identical karate inspired fighters here, instead, every character plays very differently from the others. For people used to playing Capcom fighting games, Jin may seem familiar. For those of you who prefer SNK fighters, you will probably feel at home with Ragna. For people looking for something totally unique, try playing as a mass of black goo known as Arakune or a faceless samurai with a massive sword called Haku-Men. Although the roster only has 12 characters on it, each one feels completely unlike the rest. The only similarities anyone is likely to notice are characters that play somewhat like some Guilty Gear characters (such as Iron Tager playing very similarly to Potemkin from Guilty Gear).
Beyond the differences in the characters, the skill balance is actually really good. Any character can be played proficiently with enough practice, even some of the more bizarre ones. The boss characters are available from the start but they have been balanced very well with the rest of the cast.
How much replay value you get out of this game is up to you. You can play in arcade, versus, story, training, score attack, and online. For those of you with patience, there is even a gallery of collectible pictures that can be unlocked in various ways depending on certain actions performed in different gameplay modes. For those of you who want to take your favorite character online, I must warn you: Do not expect to win even a single match without a great deal of skill. All of the players I faced were of the highest caliber and often performed insanely powerful combos on me over and over again.
So there you have it. Guilty Gear veterans will love this game immediately and anyone else with even a passing appreciation for 2d fighting games will probably find a lot to like here. Just don't expect to win any matches online unless you train extensively.