Gold Burst in Guilty Gear XX Λ Core Plus.
Psych Bursts (サイクバースト, Saiku Bāsuto?) are a gameplay mechanic introduced in Guilty Gear XX, and a system created to turn matches around in various situations.[1] By using Psych Bursts, not only can the player knockback opponents, but also obtain other benefits.
Design[]
Overview[]
The usage of Psych Bursts depends on the Burst Gauge (バーストゲージ, Bāsuto Gēji?), located below the Health Gauge. In Guilty Gear XX,[2] Xrd,[3] and Strive,[4] the gauge becomes full at 15000 units,[2][3][4] and gradually increases as time elapses and with each hit the character takes.[1]
Its fill rate every 10 seconds depends on the character's health; the less life a character has, the faster it will increase. In all three iterations, the Burst Gauge gains the default amount of units at 100-51% HP, but in the XX and Xrd games, the fill rate doubles at 50-26%, and triples at 25-0%.[2] In Strive, its fill rate increases by 1.67 at 50-26%, and doubles at 25-0%.[4] During Positive Bonus, the Burst Gauge fill rate sextuplicates.[4]
In any case, when the gauge is full, it will start flashing and a Psych Burst may be performed by pressing 
+ any attack button, 
or 
or 
or 
. The resulting Psych Burst—which can be either gold or blue—will depend on the character's current state. No matter the type, this universal move renders the character invulnerable for a set time when activated[1] and counts as a projectile hit, meaning they produce no physical pushback upon connecting. They also do not inflict any damage whatsoever; upon connecting, it will simply knock the opponent down and away.
Even if the Burst Gauge is full, Psych Bursts cannot be activated when: Being thrown back, being hit by an Overdrive Attack or Instant Kill (however, a Psych Burst triggered just before the startup of these moves will still go through its animation); affected by the Unconscious state; being hit by certain attacks (in very specific cases); and at the start or end of a round. Unavailability is signaled by a red "X" mark on the Burst Gauge.
Details[]
Gold Psych Burst[]
A Psych Burst will be gold if performed while the character is in normal (or neutral) conditions.[1] If it connects, the Tension Gauge increases to full, ignoring any Tension gain penalty, and even if it misses the opponent, only about 2/3[1] or 66% of the Burst Gauge is expended (meaning that 30% will remain regardless of the outcome).
This type of Psych Burst is invulnerable to strikes and projectiles, but at any point in the air during or after, the character can be thrown, even on startup with perfect timing. It is not possible to combo into a Gold Psych Burst. Gold Bursts possess more invulnerability than their blue counterparts, and are harder to punish.
Blue Psych Burst[]
Blue Burst in Guilty Gear XX Λ Core.
A Burst will be blue when performed while being hit—when the character is leaning backward, slip, being thrown, being knocked down, or guarding against attacks[1]—so it can often save a player from taking massive damage, or ultimately receiving a round-ending blow. It will expend the entire Burst Gauge, but if it hits the opponent, the gauge will be restored by 1/3[1] or 33%.
Its major drawback is that during recovery one is completely vulnerable; if the opponent anticipates and blocks the Psych Burst, they are free to punish the miss as they fall. Blue Bursts can also be air thrown at any point, even on startup.[3] In decision making, it often depends on the attacker to bait the opponent, and the defender to catch the other in a committal action so that the Psych Burst can safely knock them away.
Gallery[]
References[]