Crisis Moon III

Crisis Moon III is a 2D fighting game developed by Orange Soft and published by ACS (Japan and US), and Shiny Star Games (Europe). It is the sequel to Crisis Moon II: The Hollow Eclipse and the third part of the Crisis Moon series. Released for Arcades (System 202: ENDYMION), PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox ONE, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii U, and the Samsung Zeo.

Gameplay
The type-specific ability has been expanded, with each type now having three unique abilities.
 * Quarter-Moon Type
 * Dash Boost
 * Instant Step Cancel
 * Double Step: Allows the player to Flash Step twice, allowing the player to cover more ground. Tap down-forward or down-back during any Flash Step.
 * Half-Moon Type
 * Projectile Reflect
 * Reverse Reaction
 * Chaos Break: Allows the player to use Chaos Mode as a makeshift break. Press L+M+H during an opponent's attack. Consumes one letter from Chaos.
 * Full-Moon Type
 * Air Steady Guard
 * Pursuit Strike
 * Sabaki: Some moves will cause an automatic counterattack when interrupted with certain moves.

The game includes new gameplay mechanics, such as the "Fatal Shatter", a special attack which can be done by pressing H and B simultaneously, but ca also be held down. This attack works similar to the "Focus Attack" in Street Fighter IV, in that it can be used for countering  or as a setup for a combo. A fully-charged Fatal Shatter can also force a Critical Counter hit, causing a long stun period to the recipient, or cause Guard Crush when blocked. However, Fatal Shatters cost a small amount of Luna per usage.

Another new feature is the "Raver Chain" a special mechanic that allows the player to connect a set combination of buttons to form a combo. Raver Chains are done by pressing M and H simultaneously, then inputting the command for the character's Raver Chain (example: L,M,M,H). Raver Chains cost a quarter of the Luna meter (half of one level in Quarter-Moon Type, unlimited during Infinity Mode in Full-Moon Type) and each character has three pre-set Trigger Combos.

The game also includes "Guard React", which allows the player to counter a guarded move with an attack at the cost of some Luna. There are three types of Guard React: Advancing, which pushes the opponent toward a certain distance, done by pressing the Reflector button, Attack, which hits the opponent with a standing L, sweep, launcher or Fatal Shatter, depending on the attack buttons pressed, and Trap, which encases the opponent in a Throw. Also when an Attack or Trap-type Guard React is successful, the amount of  Vita that the player lost while guarding will be replenished.

Story
The previous Crimson Carnival ended up being halted midway after Count Godfried Dominus discovered that the tournament wasn't according to his plans. However, he instead ordered his minions to kidnap Twilight, garnering Kiyo's attention. As Kiyo reaches the Blood-Drenched Throne, he finds Dominus, waiting for him, behind a cruified Twilight. Dominus explained to Kiyo the reasons for his actions, as well as revealing the truth behind his real parents. Kiyo, in a fit of rage and devastation, runs towards Dominus with his knife in his hand and attempts to slash him, and the fight begins.

The battle went on for hours. Dominus attempted to deactivate Kiyo's Eyes of Future Death using his Eyes of Fate, like what he did in the previous Carnival, but failed after finding out that Kiyo's eyes were shut. In the end, Kiyo was able to defeat Dominus. Dominus then announced that in time, the Origin will awaken, right before succumbing into a bunch of bats. Kiyo then leaves, taking the powerless Twilight with him, thinking that the battle is over.

However, mere hours after Kiyo's exit, the bats began to flock in the Throne, eventually reforming Dominus. With revenge in his mind, Dominus patiently waits, for the last day of the year.

Less than a year later, the New Year's Eve is about to come. Sooner, Twilight's blood will be ripe for the Resurrection. And so, as the Blood Moon rises, Dominus announces the Crimson Carnival.

Meanwhile, the Blood Moon is slowly manifesting itself in the mortal world. Kiyo began to notice the ominous red glow in the moon, but decided to ignore it, thinking it was just an illusion.

One day, while he was walking alone on the street, Kiyo turns around to find a mysyerious woman who has been following him. The woman called Kiyo by his name and warned him about the "Ressurection", right before leaving him in the middle of the street.

Soon after, the Blood Moon reaches its pinnacle, marking the final days before the Resurrection. Thus, the vampires began attacking relentlessly, killing every single person in their sight every night. Amidst the chaos and mass hysteria, Kiyo still has the words of the mysterious woman in mind. He believes that the Resurrection that the woman was talking about and the recent vampire attacks are connected.

Meanwhile, Twilight is forcing herself to control her bloodlust, struggling every single night as her urges become stronger. Until one day, Twilight goes missing, leaving only a white enveloped drenched in blood. Inside the envelope was an invitation to the Crimson Carnival, alongside a note: Help me.

Kiyo soon discovers the envelope and sets out to find Twilight and stop the Resurrection from happening.

Characters
See also: List of characters in the Crisis Moon series

Returning
Voiced by: Hiro Shimono (JP), Johnny Yong Bosch (EN) Voiced by: Emiri Kato (JP), Erin Fitzgerald (EN) Voiced by: Kana Asumi (JP), Carrie Keranen (EN) Voiced by: Norio Wakamoto (JP), Travis Willingham (EN) Voiced by: Hikaru Midorikawa (JP), David Vincent (EN) Voiced by: Atsuko Tanaka (JP), Tara Platt (EN) Voiced by: Akio Ohtsuka (JP), Jamieson Price (EN) Voiced by: Rikiya Koyama (JP, human), Patrick Seitz (EN, human), Pre-recorded howls (wolf) Voiced by: Yuko Sanpei (JP), Brina Palencia (EN) Voiced by: Kanae Ito (JP), Christine Marie Cabanos (EN) Voiced by: "TAKA" (noises) Voiced by: Fumihiko Tachiki (JP), Michael McConnohie (EN) Voiced by: Taiten Kusunoki (JP), Crispin Freeman (EN) Voiced by: Akira Ishida (JP), Yuri Lowenthal (EN) Voiced by: Yuko Goto (JP), Cristina Valenzuela (EN) Voiced by: Shigeru Chiba (JP), Kirk Thornton (EN) Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya (JP), Laura Bailey (EN) Voiced by: None Voiced by: Nobuhiko Okamoto (JP), Johnny Yong Bosch (EN)
 * Kiyo Kamiya
 * Twilight
 * Motoko Tsukagami
 * Abel of the Light
 * Kagetsu
 * Mida Curtis
 * Prisoner No. 405
 * Roman Black
 * Terence Reid
 * Shekinah
 * Mr. X
 * The Red Knight
 * Count Godfried Dominus
 * Dawn
 * Shiori Yumizuka
 * Lao Shun-Wang
 * Ermingarde Lenne Stridelfeld
 * Doppelganger
 * Kira Kamiya

New
Voiced by: Tatsuhisa Suzuki (JP), Todd Haberkorn (EN)
 * Reisuke Kamiya

Kiyo's adoptive brother and a trublesome high-school delinquent. Fights with a shinai. Voiced by: Natsuko Kuwatani (JP), Michelle Ruff (EN)
 * Mitsuru Himezawa

A powerful psychic known as "Princess Paper" who seeks to avenge her sister's death. Fights with papers. Voiced by: Robotic noises
 * HADES Unit-001

A prototype warfare mech created for the purpose of destroying the vampires. Fights with laser-based attacks. Voiced by: Yuki Matsuoka (JP), Hynden Walch (EN)
 * Thea Millford

An amnesiac police girl who searches for her lost memories. Fights with a pair of revolvers. Voiced by: Hiroyuki Yoshino (JP), Spike Spencer (EN)
 * Jeremy Knives

A notorious serial killer whose bones were turned into steel. FIghts with sharp blades coming out of his body. Voiced by: ???
 * Lilith

The resurrected "origin" of the vampire race. Fights with blood. Final boss. Voiced by: Hiroshi Kamiya (JP) Bryce Papenbrook (EN)
 * Mordecai Evans

Ermingarde's half-vampire butler who continues to serve for the Stridelfeld family whilst hiding his true form. Fights bareknuckle [DLC] Voiced by: Rie Tanaka (JP), Wendee Lee (EN)
 * Yuuno Kirisaki

The last remaining member of the fallen Kirisaki clan and Kiyo's real mother. Fights with an iai sword [DLC]

Stages
The game features all new-stages, with the previous stages appearing as DLC.
 * Midnight in Akihabara
 * Lone Riverbank
 * Grove of Blossoms
 * Saving Guidance Sanctuary
 * Buddha's Rest
 * Dark Occult Room
 * Underground Sewers
 * Endless Plains
 * Demented Museum
 * Festival of Neko
 * Illusionary Void
 * Volcano
 * The Blood Sphere
 * Subway Station
 * Memory of the Lost
 * Princess' Playroom
 * Sunset Rooftop
 * PowerTime Arcade
 * Literary Paradise
 * Military Armory
 * Crime Scene
 * Sanitariun Gates
 * The Birthplace
 * Grid-III

Offline

 * Arcade (Enjoy Crisis Moon III in this perfect transition of the arcade to your home. 10 stages with 9 normal fights (matches 4 and 9 are against a "rival") and 1 final boss battle. Two player support)
 * Versus (Gather your friends and challenge them in a heated battle, or just sit back and engage in a fight with the CPU. Two player/VS. CPU mode)
 * Score Attack (Battle against a series of opponents to get the highest score. Similar to Arcade, except without continues. One player only)
 * Survival (See how many challengers you can defeat with one life meter. One player only.)
 * Tower
 * Tutorial (Learn the fundamentals of the game, from the basics to the most advanced techniques. One player only)
 * Challenges (Perform a set of exercises exclusive to each character. One player only)
 * Story (Unfold the story behind the Crimson Carnival. Story mode is in the style of BlazBlue, with a visual novel like setup consisting of dialogue, text, multiple endings (a bad ending, a joke ending and the true ending), fights and animated cutscenes by J.C.Staff. One player only)
 * Gallery (Enjoy the music, videos and illustrations. Includes artwork, videos, sound test, medals etc.)
 * Options (Adjust the game's settings to your liking. Includes game options, controller setup and various other settings)

Online

 * Online Lobby (Challenge players from around the world. One online lobby supports up to 4 players, 2 players and 2 spectators)
 * Account Settings (Adjust the settings of your account. Includes settings for Sansung Apps LIVEPLAY accounts)

Update
Crisis Moon III EVOLVE is an update of Crisis Moon III. Crisis Moon III EVOLVE includes the DLC characters from the start and contains additional content such as redesigned stages and three additional characters. It will be released for  Arcades (System 202: ENDYMION), PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox ONE, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation Vita and the  Samsung Zeo.

Trivia

 * The Japan and US versions of the game will receive different songs in its intro: "CROWS" by SiM in the Japanese version, and "Anthem of the Lonely" by Nine Lashes for the US version. The music videos for both CROWS and Anthem of the Lonely (as seen above) are available as unlockable items in the game's Gallery mode.
 * The game's default announcer is Saori Hayami. However, in the console version, the player can unlock an alternate, male announcer (Hiroki Yasumoto) as well as the voices of the main characters as announcers.
 * The story mode introduction was supposed to show the damage that the vampires have caused, and some European countries are implied to be under state of calamity, including France. Following the November 2015 Paris attacks, later pressings of the PAL versions remove any mention of the state of calamity in Europe in the intro, though Ermingarde still mentions the state of calamity in her story mode.
 * This game marks Miyu Matsuki's final video game role, as Mitsuru's late sister Mitsuki Himezawa. Thus, her lines weren't re-recorded for EVOLVE.
 * Doppelganger was removed from the original arcade version of Crisis Moon III, but external codes revealed that data of the "character" is still in the game. Doppelganger is fully functional in the arcade version, but the game glitches upon reaching the final boss battle with Lilith, as she is not meant to be played in this version.
 * The #12 and #14 reference color palettes remain in the game, alongside a new #17 reference pallette and the new characters gaining their own reference palettes: