BlazBlue: Central Fiction

BlazBlue: Central Fiction (ブレイブルー セントラルフィクション) is the fourth and final game in the C-series of BlazBlue. It was released on October 6, 2016 in Japan, and internationally on November 1 and November 4 of the same year on both the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 consoles. A port titled BlazBlue: Central Fiction Special Edition was announced for the Nintendo Switch at TGS in 2018, and it includes all of the DLC characters (Mai, Es, Susano'o, and Jubei), colors, and announcer lines as part of the base package, as well as an exclusive 25th color. At Community Effort Orlando 2021 (CEO2021), on November 5, 2021, a rollback netcode patch for the Steam version was announced. An open-end beta started on November 6, 2021, with a full release expected for 2022.

Story
As he awakes, the man doesn't remember anything.

He has no idea where or who he is, but something has led him into Kagutsuchi.

He knows he is called the “Grim Reaper,” an enemy of the Librarium…

He knows he holds the “Azure Grimoire”…

He knows the Librarium is chasing him…He delves deep into Kagutsuchi, alone, with an almost nostalgic feeling…

Heading to the “Cauldron” in the deepest part of the city…

Was this a “pre-established harmony”…or a “central fiction”…?

Practice

 * Tutorial Mode - Learn everything from the basics of 2D fighting game mechanics to the advanced and unique systems of BlazBlue, as the characters walk you through the fundamentals.
 * Training Mode - Practice moves and set a variety of parameters and enemy actions. Use this mode to brush up combos or improve the execution of special attacks.
 * Challenge Mode - Take on missions set for each character. The missions will increase in difficulty as the previous mission is cleared. Do you have what it takes to finish them all?

Story

 * Story Mode - Enjoy the story of BlazBlue deeply. The new Blue story. The fate of Ragna, Jin and Noel…? Is this the end of the story…?!
 * Library - A glossary explaining all the terminology that shows up in the Story Mode. It will also cover some 2D Fighting terms you should know so even you may one day become a BlazBlue expert.

Battle

 * Arcade Mode - Enjoy the characters' individual stories while fighting your way through the computer opponents, just like in the arcades.
 * V.S. Mode - Fight against a computer of your friends to your heart's content. When there'a party in your house, this is the mode you want to be in.
 * Grim of Abyss Mode - Defeat waves of enemies, strengthening your character along the way. Reach the bottom level of Kagutsuchi
 * Score Attack Mode - Choose your course and fight against the computers with regulated settings and compete for the highest score. Scores will be logged in the rankings.
 * Speed Star Mode - Defeat all the enemies that appear, and compete for the quickest completion time. Dealing massive damage or using Special Finishes will increase the maximum time. Can you complete it all!?
 * Alliance Mode - Only available in arcades on NESiCAxLive machines (NOT on NESiCAxLive2). Form a team of four characters to fight against an opposing NPC alliance of four. Players lose when the HP for all four of their characters reach 0, and win when the opponent team's characters' HP are all reduced to 0. Players are pit against up to six consecutive opposing teams, with the last team acting as a boss fight. After defeating each team, players are given the opportunity to change their own team as well as choose the difficulty of the course (team A, team B, or team C) for their next opposing team.

Network

 * Network Mode - Connect to NETWORK MODE to battle with other players, and compare your stats online. This mode cannot be played without connecting to PlayStation™ Network.
 * Ranked Match - Play an online match with set regulations. When you've defeated rivals your skill level, you will be pitted against even stronger opponents. The results will affect you overall ranking, so be sure to bring your best game.
 * Player Match - You can enjoy matches with a variety of rules. Invite your friends to play a serious match, or simply train with each other. Whatever you do, be sure to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere.
 * Online Lobby - Play against opponents around the world. You can also chat with others, or even host your own events. Be sure not to miss out.
 * Rankings - Check characters' levels, or Score Attack rankings or various other stats. Match Replays that have been uploaded can also be downloaded from here.
 * D-Code Edit - Edit your D-Code, or online profile as it were. Titles, Player Icons, Lobby Avatars will all be shown on your D-Code.
 * My Room Settings - Edit your "My Room" that will be used during Player Matches. The furniture can be purchased from the Online Lobby's vending machine. Customize to your heart's content!
 * PlayStation® Store - Purchase or get information on the latest and greatest BlazBlue DLC.
 * Forum - A board where you can submit and read messages. You may also post Training Mode Dummy information or your My Room settings. People are able to comment so be sure to share all your content with everyone! Cursing, slander, and harmful comments will not be tolerated.
 * Player List - View the match history of your opponents or view information on players you've registered as "rivals".

Collection

 * Replay Theater - Store and Replay Match Videos. Playback matches of the past to hone your skills, or show off to your friends. You cna analyze matches with the top fighters.
 * Gallery Mode - View the illustrations in Story Mode, listen to music, watch videos, or enjoy the voice acting here. Some items will require P$ so be sure to keep playing BlazBlue to rack up those P$s.
 * Item Shop - Purchase character colors and Battle BGM that can be used while in-game. Be sure to keep playing BlazBlue to rack up those P$s.

Options

 * System Options - Change various settings in the game, including the vibration, save, auto-save, etc.
 * Game Options - The game's difficulty, number of round to victory, round time limit, and system voices can be adjusted here.
 * Display Options - Change the settings for the display, and HUD.
 * Sound and Language - Adjust the audio balance and language settings. BGM, voices, sound effects and language options are among this option.
 * Network Options - Adjust settings related to Network Modes and replay uploads here.
 * Button Settings - Change the button layout and configuration here. It's a good idea to adjust these prior to the match.

New
* Downloadable Content (DLC)

Reception
Central Fiction sits on favorable reviews with a Metacritic score of 84; they also rated it their 29th best PlayStation 4 game of 2016, making it the third best fighting game to have released that year behind Mortal Kombat XL in the 23rd spot and Guilty Gear Xrd -Revelator- in 17th. Destructoid rewarded the game an 85/100, citing it as having "One of the biggest stories in fighting game history". PlayStationLifestyle awarded Central Fiction an 8.5/10, praising the modes and characters but expressing disappointment in the lack of an English dub with this game being the series' first to have excluded it.

The lack of an English dub for Central Fiction has caused a lot of controversy among fans of BlazBlue to the point that a petition was created that appealed to Arc System Works and Aksys Games with the expression of a dub being created as downloadable content. Various English members of the cast backed this petition. This included: Patrick Seitz, the voice of Ragna; Mela Lee, the voice of Rachel, and Cindy Robinson, the voice of Makoto. The petition was never recognized by ASW and it is currently closed, sitting at 6,690 signatures as of January 2019. Seitz later published a post on his official Facebook page about the situation and revealed that neither him or the other VA's were contacted to be told they would not be returning.