Jump Force Tips and Tricks

This post has been republished via RSS; it originally appeared at: Xbox Wire.

The moment you’ve been waiting for is here! Those of you who have pre-ordered the Ultimate Edition of Jump Force get early access to the game starting tomorrow, February 12! We know that you’re excited to jump right into battle alongside your favorite manga heroes. Before you start, let’s go over some tips and tricks to help you get warmed up.

Creating Your Team

As the saying goes, you are only as good as your team. Each match is 3v3, so choose your three fighters wisely! Although each team consists of three members, keep in mind that the first character you choose will be your primary fighter. You will start the match with this character in play.

Much like in other fighting games, before each match begins there will be an introductory cut-scene in which the characters exchange dialogue. The beauty of Jump Force is that it brings your favorite characters together in the same universe, while staying true to each character’s personality and idiosyncrasies. Unlike other fighting games, instead of using the same opening dialogue for each match, opening dialogue in Jump Force changes based on which two primary fighters are facing off. These unique interactions between characters add another layer of realism and excitement to the game.

Whether you’re going for a more strategically balanced team, or just want play with your favorites, keep in mind that the order in which you choose your characters matters! There are endless possibilities that will no doubt result in some epic matches.

Basics of Battle

Now that we have team-building taken care of, take a look at the graphic below to get a feel for the basic controls:

Attacking

Rush Attacks
Rush attacks, while fast and effective, can only be performed a limited amount of time in row. The max amount of Rush attacks that can performed in a row varies for each character, with the max being seven times in a row.

Smash Attacks

Hold X or Y to charge your Smash or Heavy Smash attacks. If you fully charge a Smash or Heavy Smash, they become Full Power Smashes, which can break your opponent’s guard. While charging a Smash, if you release X at the right moment, you can achieve a Perfect Smash. This will allow you to attack while moving for a moment.

Evasion Techniques

No time to move out of the way of an incoming attack? Press RB just as you’re getting hit to perform a high-speed dodge. You can also press LB while being hit or guarding to perform an Escape. If you are hit while escaping, you will automatically move away.

If your opponent catches you in a throw, tap B to perform a Throw Evasion. A successful Throw Evasion allows you to cancel the throw and regain posture.

Chasing

Perform a Rush attack to launch your opponent, then tilt the left thumb stick while pressing X or Y to Chase your opponent. You can tilt the Left thumb stick to change the direction of the Chase.  Two chases will cancel each other out.

Area Changes

Ever get cornered by an opponent who isn’t letting up? It happens to the best of us. If you’re in a bit of a bind at the edge of a stage, hit your opponent with a full powered Smash or Heavy Smash attack. If executed correctly, you will trigger an Area Change attack, doing damage to your opponent while dramatically blasting them to a new area. Please note that your Awakening gauge needs to be at 50% or above to execute this maneuver.

Mind your Gauges!

Ability Gauge

Your Ability gauge is located under your Health gauge. The Ability gauge starts at 2 and fills up to a max of 5.

Each character has their own unique set of abilities to use in combat, with each ability using up a certain amount of energy in your Ability gauge. The gauge will fill up during combat as you successfully land hits. To fill up your Ability gauge faster, hold RT to Focus. Keep in mind that you won’t be able to attack or defend while Focusing, so watch your opponent carefully to determine the best time to focus.

Awakening Gauge

Pay attention to the gray outline around your character’s icon. It will fill up yellow as you progress through the fight. When it is fully yellow, press the right thumb stick to perform an Awakening, which unlocks special attacks for you character. If you wait longer, the gauge will turn red. Press the right thumb stick when the gauge is red to perform a Full Awakening, unlocking even more powerful and flashy attacks!

Things to Note:

Your Health and Abilities gauges are shared among the team.

The Ability and Awakening gauges carry over between rounds.

Now that you’ve read these tips and tricks, it’s time to use them in combat. For those of you don’t have early access, there’s still time! Pre-order the Ultimate Edition today to get early access so you can get a jump on the competition.

While you’re waiting for your early access to start, join us on Mixer for our Shonen Showdown event, happening today from 2PM PST – 4PM PST! Watch as teams from Xbox, Bandai Namco, and more duke it out to determine which team reigns supreme. We hope to see you on the stream, and on the battlefield when Jump Force releases worldwide February 15!