Crisis Moon: The Bloody Symphony

Crisis Moon: The Bloody Symphony is a 2D fighting game published and developed by Orange Soft. Released for Arcades (System 201), PC and the Samsung Zeo. It is the first non-exclusive Orange Soft title since Fight or Die 3: Fatal Vengeance and their first game to be released on the PC platform.

Gameplay
The game uses an interchangeable 4-button system. At the start of the game, the player can choose between two control schemes:


 * Standard style: Three buttons for light, medium and heavy attacks and one for blocking. Specials, Lunar Drives and Lunar Requiem are done by performing certain commands.


 * Compressed style: Two buttons for light and heavy attacks, one for special moves and one for blocking. Other specials are done by simply combining a direction with the special button (e.g. b+S for Kiyo's "Inverse Needle"). Lunar Drives are done by holding down L, H or S with sufficient Luna. Lunar Requiem finish is done by holding down L+H+S simultaneously with sufficient Luna. Tap G during opponent"s attack to Break.

Each player has a Luna meter which, when filled to a certain level, allows players to use supers, or "Lunar Drives", as well as a Vita meter which decrease as the player blocks attacks. When the player's Vita meter is depleted, the player cannot block until the Vita meter is fully replenshed. At the top of the screen, below the time limit counter, is the Blood Sphere, which fills up as the fight continues. In a match point round, when the Blood Spehere is full, and the player's Luna meter is at maximum level, the player can perform a "Lunar Requiem" finish to end the match on the spot.

The game also features "Breaks" which allow the player to interrupt an opponent's attack or combo with an unblockable flash attack. There are two kinds of breaks: the Vita Break, a non-damaging variant which consumes Vita, performed by pressing all four buttons at any time or slightly before the opponent's attack hits, and the Blood Break, which causes a small amount of damage and instead uses the Blood Sphere. Blood Breaks can be done by pressing the attack button that the opponent uses for their attack (light, heavy or special) and the block button slightly before the opponent's attack hits. Blood Breaks also require more precise timing than Vita Breaks.

Another notable feature is the "Tsuki Cancel", which allows the player to cancel any attack, allowing for longer combos. This is done by pressing all four buttons simultaneously during an attack, and it consumes a quarter of the Luna meter (half of one level for Quarter-Moon Type users).

There are 10 stages in normal gameplay (9 fights with basic characters (matches 4 and 9 are against a "rival") and the boss fight with Dominus). By default, each stage is a two-out-of -three wins match composed of "encounters" (the announcer says it as: As The Darkness Falls, Strife 1, Revolt!).

Types
Before a match, each player has to choose between three "types", each with a different Luna meter type and advantages. Each type is named after a tage of the Moon:
 * Quarter Moon-Type: A three-level Luna meter that allows the player to chain Lunar Drives together. Low attack power, high speed, medium defense.
 * Half Moon-Type: A two-level Luna meter that allows the player to perform EX specials and EX Lunar Drives. Medium attack power, medium speed, high defense.
 * Full Moon-Type: A single-type Luna meter that can be charged by pressing and holding L+M+H (hold down L+S in Compressed style) simultaneously. High attack power, low speed, medium defense.
 * New Moon-Type: A five-level Luna meter that combines the abilities of all three Types. High attack power, high speed, high defense. The New Moon-Type is exclusive to Dominus, the final boss, and cannot be accessed through normal means.

Story
For every 10 years, as the moon turns blood red, Count Godfried Dominus hosts a battle royale to determine the strongest amongst the others, dubbed as the Crimson Carnival. As the blood moon rises once again, Dominus deems it worthy to revive the Crimson Carnival once again.

Kiyotaka "Kiyo" Kamiya is a high school student who possesses the Eyes of Future Death, an ability that alows him to "see" the death of any living thing that exists. One day, while Kiyo was walking from school, he noticed a mysterious hooded figure walking on the street and getting in the way of a speeding car. After he sees a prediction of the mysterious entity's death, Kiyo went out of his way to saye the entity from the car. He then discovered that the entity was a girl named Twilight. Realizing her injuries, Kiyo decides to take her home with him in order to take care of her. Howerver, when Kiyo woke up the next day, he discovers that Twilight is gone.

Weeks later, Kiyo goes out to buy a gift for his girlfriend Motoko Tsukagami when he notices a bunch of people looking at a nearby alley. He decided to take a peek and disovered that it was the dead body of a girl, about the same age as him. After seeing her death, he discovers that she was killed by what appears to be a vampire.

That night, Twilight returns to his life once again, telling him about his Eyes of Future Death, his clan's past as vampire slayers or "Hunters" and that he was the only one left in his clan to save the world from vampires, leaving a white envelope behind. As Kiyo opens the envelope, he discovered that it was his invitation to the Crimson Carnival. He then sees another message written in the back, it read: In the heart of the promised land, lies the Godslayer's Sword. Afterwards, Kiyo searched his backyard and found his clan's sword, the Satsugai-sha.

With a knife on one hand and his clan's sword on the other, Kiyo joins the tournament.

Characters

 * Kiyo Kamiya

Voiced by: Hikaru Midorikawa (JP), Brad Swaile (EN)

A high school student who possesses the Eyes of Future Death. Fights with a knife and sword.

Voiced by: Satsuki Yukino (JP), Erin Fitzgerald (EN)
 * Twilight

A mysterious girl who befriends Kiyo and joins him in being a Hunter. Fights with silver daggers. Voiced by: Ryoka Yuzuki (JP), Carrie Keranen (EN)
 * Motoko Tsukagami

Kiyo's girlfriend who also serves a Hunter by night. Fights with spiritual energy. Voiced by: Norio Wakamoto (JP), Travis Willingham (EN)
 * Abel of the Light

A Catholic priest and one of the strongest Hunters alive. Fights with his blessed staff Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu (JP), David Vincent (EN)
 * Kagetsu

A ninja and the sole survivor of his clan. Fights with ninjutsu. Voiced by: Atsuko Tanaka (JP), Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (EN)
 * Mida Curtis

A dark sorceress with a streak of vampire blood within her. Fights with her black magic. Voiced by: Akio Ohtsuka (JP), Jamieson Price (EN)
 * Prisoner No. 405

A prisoner who was subject to horrible experiments by an unknown organization. Fights with his demonic right arm. Voiced by: Junichi Suwabe (JP, human), Patrick Seitz (EN, human), Pre-recorded howls (wolf)
 * Roman Black

A werewolf seeking revenge against Dominus after the fall of his race. Fights with his sharp claws. Voiced by: Megumi Ogata (JP), Brina Palencia (EN)
 * Terence Reid

A young boy who is possessed by evil spirits. Fights with his shadow. Voiced by: Kana Ueda (JP), Wendee Lee (EN)
 * Shekinah

A nekomata who fights to "save the world from evildoers". Fights with her paws and quick reflexes. Voiced by: "TAKA" (noises)
 * Mr. X

A strange, faceless figure with an unknown agenda. Fighs with ghost-like abilities. Voiced by: Unsho Ishizuka (JP), Christopher Sabat (EN)
 * The Red Knight

A violent zombie knight reanimated by Dominus to serve as his bodyguard. Fights with the cursed sword Iscariot. Voiced by: Yasunori Masutani (JP), Crispin Freeman (EN)
 * Count Godfried Dominus

Current head of the vampires and the host of the Crimson Carnival. Fights with blood.

Stages

 * Tokyo in Rain
 * Moonlght Park
 * Sakura Fields
 * Church of Saving Guidance
 * Temple Ruins
 * Black Altar
 * Asylum
 * Stone's Peak
 * Neko Village
 * Clockwork
 * Treacherous Woods
 * Fallen Warriors' Graveyard
 * The Blood-Drenched Throne

Sequel
A sequel to Crisis Moon, Crisis Moon II: The Hollow Eclipse, is under progress. it will feature new characters as well as new gameplay mechanics and stages. It will be released for Arcades (System 201) and Zeo.

Trivia

 * The song in the game's intro is "Kuusou Mesorogiwi" by Japanese rock band Yousei Teikoku. It is known to most anime fans as the first opening theme of the anime series Mirai Nikki. The music video for Kuusou Mesorogiwi (as seen above) is available as an unlockable item in the game's Gallery mode.
 * Similar to Code Chronos, a demo version of Crisis Moon was released in the Samsung Apps LIVEPLAY store before the official release. The demo versions contains only three characters: Kiyo, Twilight and Motoko, and was available for free.
 * Using Abel's Lunar Requiem "Divine Judgment of God" against antagonists will result in them being sent to burn in Hell, while using it on protagonists will result in them being absolved and sent to Heaven.
 * Crisis Moon: The Bloody Symphony was nominated for "Fighting Game of the Year" in the 2014 Game Ideas Wiki Awards.
 * The game's default announcer is Kanako Kondo.
 * The game's cutscenes are done by the animation studio J.C.Staff.
 * Each character's color palette #12 and #14 is a reference to other characters.
 * Kiyo is Kojou Akatsuki and Yu Narukami
 * Twilight is Merry Nightmare and Mion Sonozaki
 * Motoko is  and Reimu Hakurei
 * Abel is Kirei Kotomine and
 * Kagetsu is Scorpion and Chipp Zanuff
 * Mida is Caster and
 * Prisoner No. 405 is  and
 * Roman is Jon Talbain and Tsume
 * Terence is Ken Kaneki and Ciel Phantomhive
 * Shekinah is Ichigo Momomiya and
 * Mr. X is Q and Hazama
 * The Red Knight is Berserker and Alphonse Elric