As someone who generally has no interest in fighting games...BlazBlue just blows your expectations out of the water.
Therefore, I preordered, the limited edition and got it the day it came out. I started playing, and it just blew me away. It's not a revolutionary game, no, but it sure as hell is one of the best fighting games ever conceived.
Story - For a fighting game, the story is fairly immersive and interesting. If you couldn't tell from the artwork alone, the story naturally has recurring anime elements to it, and to those who aren't fan of anime, it may seem slightly convoluted, but it really isn't. You get to play through the story of each of the 12 playable characters of the BB universe, each with his or her own unique backgrounds and personalities, making the entire story at least somewhat enjoyable to watch as these different personalities and interests clash together.
Music - Oh my God, the music in this game is AMAZING. Mainly rock music mixed in with several other instruments, BlazBlue has the most adrenaline-pumping, intense music of any fighting game I've played. Ranging from Bang's theme, "Gale", to "Under Heaven Destruction", played when Ragna and Jin clash, the soundtrack in this game is supeeeeerb. The music is totally fitting to the fast paced, aggressive nature of fighting in this game. The opening theme of BB, Ao Iconoclast, is sometimes referred to as the epitome of J-Pop, but hey, it's pretty damn good.
Sounds - There's nothing really spectacular about the sound effects in this game, but they are still fitting and pleasing. None of the characters really sound annoying, and they all provide different grunts and whatnot during their different attacks. It still sounds nice, though, hearing your attacks hit your opponent. Sound effects in general are good, but really nothing special about them.
Gameplay - **** yeah gameplay.
For one thing, this game has lots of options for you to choose from. There are several modes to choose: Story mode, Arcade mode, Score Attack mode (Essentially trying to get a high score after beating the roster), Training mode, Versus mode (Offline multiplayer), and, of course...Network mode (ONLINE!!!).
Story mode and Arcade mode are self-explanatory. Story mode, you just advance through characters' stories, trying to complete them if you want. By doing certain sections of the story mode, however, you can unlock little mini-episodes called "Teach me, Miss Litchi!", which teach you facts about the BB universe. Arcade mode is, well...Arcade mode. It's the exact same as every other Arcade mode in every other fighting game ever.
Score Attack is a mode where you need to fight through the game's roster and try to get a high score, which you can post on the online leaderboards.
Training mode is for you to practice getting used to the game, combos, etc. Versus mode is for you and your friends to get together and have lots of fun.
Network mode is a big reason for lots of replay value with BB. Represented with a sort of gamer card that shows off your records, main characters, and other info, you can fight the numerous players online in either Ranked matches, which count toward the win/loss record on the leaderboard, or Player matches, in which you can gather several players in a room with designated options and fight each other without your scores being reflected on the leaderboard.
Gameplay is really just very straightforward, but then again, this is a 2D fighting game. What more can you expect?
Graphics - Orgasmic. The artwork in this game is just beautiful in every sense of the word, and it will just draw you into the game right away. And to make things better, there's a Gallery where you can view official artwork that you've unlocked. The menu screen, the opening video, the fighting scenes...just too amazing and too astounding. The only problem is that, because this game was made for HDTVs, the left and right sides of the screen get slightly cut off on SDTVs, but it doesn't hamper gameplay in any way.
And there it is, my short review of BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger. If you're a Guilty Gear veteran, you'll feel right at home with this game. Newcomers won't find this game difficult to pick up either, as Training mode and other things certainly help you, and if you got the Limited Edition, there's also the bonus disc that helps as a very useful training disc.
This is really a fighting game for the ages. It doesn't break any significant barriers, but if you call yourself a fighting game fan, you NEED to get this game. Even me, someone not into fighting games much, absolutely loves BB. This is definitely be a game that won't be forgotten very quickly, and will possibly see a sequel, as I see it.