Guilty Gear is and always will be a game that is built around the ever changing flow of battle, and the latest entry, Guilty Gear Strive, is no different.
This means that, yes, developer ArcSystemWorks took into account character balance, which means there are going to be fewer limitations when a new player wants to jump in and learn the ropes.
Most fighting games want players to use the characters that speak to them, whether that be through how they look or initial impressions on how they play. Specifically, Guilty Gear wants players to experiment and find a playstyle and fighter that gives them a unique “smell of the game.”
Even with that approach, there are a few characters that have core playstyles and moves that will be easier to understand for beginners. ArcSys has somewhat labeled characters by difficulty using a five-star system, with five being relatively simple to one as tricky to grasp.
Ky Kiske is the only five-star fighter, which means most of his moves are easy to understand and generally pretty good. If you want to just get a decent understanding of the game and play a mostly rewarding character, he is a good place to start.
Most of the GGST roster is sitting in the three-star range, or the middle ground between being difficult to use and having beginner-friendly movesets. The only one-star fighter is Zato-1, and that is mostly because his playstyle involves some disjointed maneuvers with his shadow.
If you want to try characters that ArcSys has labeled as “beginner-friendly,” you can start with Ky, Sol Badguy, May, or Giovanna. Otherwise, just spend some time in the dojo or Mission mode with the character you want to play.
