The wait for a new Guilty Gear title is almost over. As the console release draws near, several surprises have been unveiled for the upcoming chapter of the bombastic fighter, with the recent being support for cross-console multi-player.

Long before Arc System Works brought a Shin Megami Tensei series into the Fighting genre with Persona 4 Arena, the talented group of Japanese developers created Guilty Gear. The 2D fighter featured hand-drawn character sprites and stages, over-the-top attacks and flashy special moves, and includes one of the most iconic soundtracks of any franchise. The series has been led by Daisuke Ishiwatari, who is responsible for composing the music and developing the cast of the Guilty Gear saga.

After several long years and many updates to pre-existing titles, Guilty Gear is finally getting a complete overhaul, with Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-. While it isn’t the first game in the franchise to feature 3D models, Xrd will be the first Fighter in the saga to feature fully three-dimensional characters and stages. The art style draws from previous games, using cel-shading to emulate the same hand-drawn elements as seen in other GG titles.

As Guilty Gear Xrd is canon to the series, being a direct sequel to Guilty Gear 2: Overture, a few of the characters will not be returning for the next installment in the saga. However, according to a recent issue of Famitsu, Arc System Works will be adding more characters to the roster, exclusively for the console versions upon release. The latest issue also reveals that Xrd will feature cross-play between both versions, allowing PS3 and PS4 owners to battle against each other online. To compliment the new art style, character models and engine, the PS4 version will also be presented in 1080p.

Guilty Gear Xrd is scheduled to release in North America this Fall for both PS3 and PS4.

Source: Siliconera, Joystiq
Image courtesy of Arc System Works