Quick note. I really recommend you to download
CajNatalie character's fixes here, which is included in SOR3 Ultimate Mod. It is a big improvement over original balance, it doesn't include any extremes and just makes characters more enjoyable to play. Download the archive, open "Characters Patches" folder, copy "data" folder into your SORR directory, copy "chars" and "backup_chars" folders into SORR/palettes folder. Do the same for SOR3 Axel and Skate.
Stats that you see in character select screen are very misleading and were probably added just for fluff, you can only really trust the stamina rating, I really recommend to either read my summaries or try out characters yourself. Keep in mind that everybody who is considered a SOR3 character can't use offensive specials during grabs. The six starting characters, all of their variations + Roo can call police to deal heavy damage to every enemy on the screen, it's not available on every stage though, everybody else has their own version of police special that can be used anywhere, but it's either weaker or does something else instead of delivering damage. Under each character's discription I posted a picture that shows you how to input their blitzes, blitzes are done the same way across all versions of single character, but copypasted them just for conviniece.
Characters that are available from the start:
SOR3 Axel
Уёбище. The worst fucking versions of Axel, he is a very flawed character with almost no strengths. I have no fucking idea what the fuck were developers thinking when making him.
+normal attacks are fast
+blitz 2 is pretty good (but you have to install CajNatalie mod for it to be so)
+has a good special with swords with big invulnerability window
+-offensive special makes him completely invulnetable, but the move itself is as scary as 10 year old girl slapping you a bunch of times
-low damage
-runs slowly
-reach is lacking
-bad approach
-doesn't have a move that deals good damage in a single hit, which makes certain enemies annoying to deal with
-stupid throw when grabbing opponent from behind that leaves him open for attacks of faster enemies and makes it harder to go for chain grabs
-his "GRAND UPPAH" doesn't do shit
-blitzes 1 and 3 leave him open for attacks
-blitz 3 can do big damage if you land it correctly, but it forcefully moves him up and down a lot, has a knockdown hit in the middle of it for some reason and a long recovery after being executed, making it an unsafe and a very unreliable move in general
-struggles against enemies that block
I strongly advise you to avoid this fucking blondie, if you want to play the actual good variations of Axel stick with SOR1 or SOR2 versions.
Blitzes
SOR3 Blaze
Overall Blaze is a much better character than Axel (if you are comparing their SOR3 versions) but she still suffers from SOR3 characters being gimped damage wise for some reason.
+good jumping attacks
+runs fast
+defensive special hits harder than average
+blitzes 2 and 3 are good and strong
+normal attack during frontal grabs is a slamming throw and it can be used on big guys
+-good approach with blitz 3, but pretty bad without it; you can try and use jumping attacks, but they are still vulnerable to anti-airs
-healthpool is lower than average
-doesn't have a move that deals good damage in a single hit, which makes certain enemies annoying to deal with
-damage is lacking, but it's better than Axel's (lol, get outperformed by a girl)
-blitz 1 sucks, although it's the best of all Blaze versions, others have it even worse
-isn't really good with any of the weapons, she has some flashy moves with swords and knives but they are uselesss; you can try and use her normal attack with knives, which is a stab and slash combo, but it's slow
You might find Blaze fun to play, but her SOR1 and SOR2 versions are much better overall.
Blitzes
Adam
My favourite and the first character I've beaten the game with. Adam has a lot of stengths and almost no real weakness without being overpowered.
+good jumping attacks with above average damage
+healthpool is above average
+good approach
+his standing combo will launch enemies into the air and if they collide with others, they will hurt and knock them down
+all of his blitzes are good, easy to input and can be used for different situations
+has a second offensive special (press special while running) that makes him invincible and does good damage in single hit; I didn't like this move at first, because it's slow and range is so-so, but it's good once you know how to use it
+great normal attack with two handed weapons, it's fast and has great reach, he also has some ok specials for bats, pipes and planks, but you can just keep spamming those excellent normals
+defensive special can hit enemies several times for bigger damage
+-first offensive special is meh considering how good his other moves are, but it means that you can save your meter for defensive one instead
-runs slowly
-back attack sucks (probably the worst in the game)
-delay between attacks in his combo is pretty significant (especially without CajNatalie mod) and makes it harder to go in for grabs or mix it with specials or blitzes
Adam is the most well rounded character in the game, he's moveset is great and he's good with almost any weapon in the game. Adam is a good choice for beginners and advanced players alike.
Blitzes
SOR3 Skate
Absolutely pathetic fucking garbage, forget about this fuck and never play him. He's just extremely inferior to SOR2 Skate.
Blitzes
Max
The big guy. One of the best characters in the game, he was so good that he even recieved some nerfs in CajNatalie mod, but he's still brilliant even with that mod installed.
+biggest fucking
dick damage in the game, nobody else comes close
+big healthpool
+good approach
+hardest hitting standing combo in the entire game
+best and strongest grabs in the game, his asscracker throw from behind (I believe it's called "atomic drop" in wrestling) will take about 60% of life bar away
+can throw big guys freely
+all of his blitzes are good, especially blitz 2 that makes him invulnerable (nerfed in CajNatalie mod) and crashes blocks
+defensive special range and damage are above average
+when he swings two handed weapons he attacks both in front and behind of him
+has good running attack with pipes and planks that is a bit slow, but comes with great range and damage
+strong offensive special with good damage and range
+-can't throw enemies at all, he only slams them into the ground; punks won't be able to tech your throws, but it also means you can't use them as a living projectiles or abuse pits
-slowest run in the game, you can try and compensate it with his slide though
-standing combo is slow
-big hitbox
-going big
dick damage during frontal grabs leaves him open for attacks
-can not change positions during grabs
Max fits "strong but slow" archetype perfectly, he a real powerhouse and should be your choice if you want to absolutely destroy everything that you see. He's one of the best characters in the game, but it takes skill to use him correctly thanks to his low speed and big hitbox.
Blitzes
Zan (considered SOR3 type of character)
Zan is kind of a one trick pony type of character and it's easy to hate him for it, but I think you should try giving him a go, he might turn out to be more enjoyable than he seems.
+heathpool is above average
+runs fast
+extreme approach with his blitzes, especially with blitz 3 that will beat every other move in the game, except projectiles and certain jump attacks that come from great height
+can throw enemies behind himself during rear grabs
+-has an unblockable special projectile (press special while running), but it's damage is low and you can hurt yourself with it
+-all of his blitzes have great properties, but their damage is low
-low damage, it's so bad that you should really consider turning timer off if you decide to play Zan
-standing combo sucks - slow and lacks damage
-isn't really good with any of the weapons
-relies on having stars, because trying to input blitzes manually while running around is really hard
Playing Zan is about spamming blitzes, their damage blows, but they look pretty cool. If you are looking for a cool cyborg to play, then you should consider skipping Zan, he's an old man first and everything else second. Though you might give him a go if zapping punks with electricity, while sliding on rocket boots everywhere sounds like your type of thing.
Blitzes
Characters that you have to buy in shop:
SOR1 and SOR2 versions of Axel
As I've said, these 2 are much better than their SOR3 counterpart, though they still have serious flaws, they also feature some great strengths this time, not being considered SOR3 type of character also greatly helps them.
Common strengths and weaknesses:
+fast standing combo
+blitzes hit very hard, even blitz 1 (grand upper) that you're going to prioritize, because it's the easiest one to use; SOR2 version hits a bit weaker and features less multihit
+blitzes 1 and 2 are good and strong
+offensive special hits very hard; SOR1 version will take away about 50% of life bar, SOR2 version hits even harder - about 60%
+good special with swords with big invulnerability window; SOR1 version is gamebreakingly good - biggest invulnerability window with huge range and damage ( takes 45% of the life bar with single sword slash at no cost, lol), though the attack is slower; SOR2 version is the same as SOR3
-run slowly
-bad approach; SOR2 versions has it a bit better, because his jumping attacks are better
-offensive special leaves them open for attacks; SOR1 versions is way faster, SOR2 version is a copy of SOR3 special, but damage is way higher and it has no invulnerability
-blitzes 1 and 3 leave them open for attacks
-blitz 3 can do big damage if you land it correctly, but it forcefully moves them up and down a lot, has a knockdown hit in the middle of it for some reason and a long recovery after being executed, making it an unsafe and a very unreliable move in general
-struggle against enemies that block
-don't have a move that deals good damage in single hit, which makes certain enemies annoying to deal with; SOR1 version has it a bit better, because his offensive special is only 3 hits
There isn't much left for individual details, but here they are:
SOR1 (has range issues without CajNatalie mod) SOR2 (is untouched in CajNatalie mod)
+the only version of Axel that has a proper rear throw -reach is kind of lacking
-has the worst jumping attacks in the entire game -stupid throw when grabbing opponent from behind that leaves him open for attacks of faster enemies and makes it harder to go for chain grabs
-has a running special (press special while running), but it's useless - pathetic damage and reach
-since he's unchanged in CajNatalie mod it's way harder to land his blitzes 2 and 3
-one of the slowest grab attacks in the entire game
Even with much improvements over SOR3 variant Axel remains one of the hardest character to play, because he's very unsafe. Both of the versions might seem like they are overly flawed, but you won't really notice it when you start breaking bones with their super strong blitzes and specials, the hard part is getting in without having your face smashed. Blocking enemies are the bane of their existence though, because they nullify their biggest strengths. Oh and if you find a sword, you can break the game with their special.
Blitzes
SOR1 and SOR2 versions of Blaze
Just like with Axel, I consider these 2 the better versions of SOR3 Blaze thanks to their bigger damage.
Common strengths and weaknesses:
+runs fast
+good jumping attacks; SOR1 version isn't as good, but is still fine
+defensive special hits harder than average
+blitzes 2 and 3 are good and strong
+offensive special has good reach, hits hard (SOR2 version hits very hard but SOR1 is faster) and deliver it's damage in a single hit
+-good approach with blitz 3, but pretty bad without it; you can try and use jumping attacks, but they are still vulnerable to anti-airs
-healthpool is lower than average; for SOR1 version it's very low
-blitz 1 is horrible, just forget about that move
-aren't really good with any of the weapons, they have some flashy moves with swords and knives but they are uselesss; you can try and use their normal attack with knives, which is a stab and slash combo, but it's slow; SOR1 version doesn't even have that
Individual details:
SOR1 SOR2
+her blitzes 2 and 3 are slides, they don't hit as hard but have better range and are way faster, also you can slide under attacks that hit high +good back attack that also hits in front of her
-the only version of Blaze that doesn't have a slam during frontal grabs
The biggest advantage of these 2 over SOR3 Blaze is their strong offensive special that is good in almost every situation. SOR1 version trades some of her health and damage for speed, SOR2 version hits harder but is a bit slower. Blaze is good girl, I recommend you to try her out.
Blitzes
SOR2 Skate
His SOR3 variation is worthless, but SOR2 Skate kicks ass. Ever wanted to play something like Zan but with high damage ? Well, look no further.
+fastest run in the game (alongside his SOR3 version and Rudra)
+all of his blitzes are good and hit very hard
+extreme approach with his blitzes
+good jumping attacks with above average damage
+alongside with Max has some of the best grabs in the game (bet you didn't expect that from a kid)
+can throw opponents in any direction
+his throw from behind deals high damage, makes him invulnerable for something like 3 seconds and can also hit enemies that come close (this happens more often than you would think)
+smaller hitbox
+-offensive special hits very hard, but it's also slow and not that easy to land properly
+-has good running attack with knives, but why use it when his blitzes are so much better ?
-very low health
-grab attacks are pretty slow
-his blitz 1 and offensive special are considered air attacks, which can make some very specific enemies annoying to deal with
SOR2 Skate is kind of similar to Zan - run around and spam blitzes, but his damage is way higher, his moveset is way better in general and he offers you more room for tactics with his grabs, jumping attacks and offensive special. Don't hate on SOR2 version, just because SOR3 Skate is an insufferable garbage, SOR2 Skate is a cool kid.
Blitzes
Mr.X (considered SOR3 type of character)
Ever wanted to play as the big boss ? Despite being a formidable opponent, as a playable character Mr.X is honestly pretty underwhelming.
+big healthpool
+runs fast
+standing combo has good reach
+throws enemies very fast and very far
+can play a good keep out game with his gun
+his shooting attacks are unblockable
+-defensive special makes him shoot everywhere, it covers big area, but it's a bad move when you need to get out of the crowd that stands close to you; also the animation is long and he's only invincible at the beggining of it
+-offensive special is fast and deals decent damage at range, but doesn't do anything when used at close distances
+-all of his blitzes have significant strong and weak sides at the same time: blitz 1 - fast and decent damage, but short range; blitz 2 - ok, but harder to land and it's doesn't have the speed of blitz 1 nor the damage of blitz 3; blitz 3 - good damage, but it's hard to land and easily goes past opponents, animation is also pretty long
-can't use weapons at all, if you pick anything up he will throw it away immediately
-doesn't have police special
-can't change positions during grabs
-bad jumping attacks
I would say that Mr.X is a very average character, he looks cool with his gun, but he's not as amazing gameplay wise.
Blitzes
SOR2 and SOR3 Shiva
Remember when I said that there's no character that will carry you through the game ? Well, when it comes to Shiva that statement is only half true, this guy is seriously overpowered.
+biggest range on normal attacks in the game (especially for SOR3 Shiva), it's so good that most of the time AI just can't handle it
+fast standing combo
+great jumping attacks
+defensive special has bigger than average range and damage
+offensive special has great range and damage, also it's a single hit attack
+great approach, because of extreme range on his normal attacks you don't even have to use bltizes or jumping attacks
+runs fast
+healthpool is above average
+blitzes 2 and 3 are good
+can hit opponents 3 times during grabs before finishing it, he is the only character that can do so
+can throw big guys freely
+great special with swords, that is almost as broken as SOR1 Axel's is; SOR3 Shiva is a plain better sword user than his SOR2 variant
+-police special makes him super fast for about 1 minute, doesn't clear screens for you but still helps you kill shit better, it also can be used anywhere
-blitz 1 sucks, it might look like a cool move when used by a boss, but it's really not
-has the same stupid throw from behind, that SOR2 and SOR3 Axels do; it also does less damage than his frontal throw, so avoid it
As for their differences, they are very minor. The only significant ones are these two: SOR3 Shiva can't use offensive special during grabs, but is way better with swords. SOR2 version has a good running attack with knives, but as usual the damage is low; also his blitzes are faster but their range is shorter.
It's hard not to love Shiva, when he's a nigh perfect character. Don't feel bad about playing him, the game throws a lot of cheap shit at you and it's fine to pay it back the same type of coin.
Blitzes
Rudra (considered SOR3 type of character)
Completely original character by SORR developers. I really didn't like playing her at first, because she's just not my type, but after giving her another try I found her to be pretty fun and strong.
+fastest run in the game alognside Skate
+all of her blitzes are good and ignore blocks
+blitz 3 hits pretty hard
+defensive special hits harder than average and also ingores blocks
+good approach
+good range on normal attacks
+good jumping attacks with above average damage
+great throw during rear grabs, has big invulnerability window, makes it easy to go for chain grabs and can also be used on big guys
+-police special can be used anywhere, but it's damage is lower
+-decent special with swords that hits very hard (probably even harder than SOR1 Axel's special), but it's kind of slow, range isn't that good and it doesn't make her invincible
-health is lower than average
-blitz 1 damage is low
-blitz 3 - her fastest way of killing things is pretty awkward to input manually, so you would want to keep those 3 stars
-probably the worst offensive special in the game (I think even SOR3 Skate has better one) - throws three shurikens that deal pathetic damage, it's only good for knocking enemies down and making them drop their weapons
It feels like whoever developed this character wanted her to have an aswer for everything, she might not look that amazing, but harder parts of the game are way easier for her to beat (ability to crash blocks is way stronger than you might think). I find her design boring and still don't fancy playing her much, but she's a strong character nonetheless and the game features a unique ending for her.
Blitzes
Elle (considered SOR3 type of character)
I guess you can count her as another unique entry in the series, she was present as an enemy in SOR2, but wasn't made a playable character until Remake. I wasn't expecting anything from this character, but here's what I got.
+biggest Z axis range on her normal attacks, it's easy to hit enemies above or below you
+standing combo also hits enemies behind her
+good jumping attacks
+hardest hitting defensive special in the game, it's so good that it can used as an offensive one
+offensive special has huge range
+can throw enemies in any direction
+runs pretty fast
+-police special can be used anywhere, but it's damage is lower
+-blitzes 2 and 3 aren't strong, but aren't weak either
-isn't really good with any of the weapons, she has a decent running attack with knives, but it's too slow
-blitz 1 is pretty bad
Elle is the most average character in the game (first time charcter stats actually tell you the truth), her moveset is solid, but none of her attacks are really outstanding. She's alright and you can have fun with her (if you catch my meaning), it's just that I don't like her lack of extremes.
Blitzes
Ash (considered SOR3 type of character)
I haven't played this character without CajNatalie mod, which buffs him a lot, so I can't tell what's it like to play him in the original version, other people say that he's really bad. But here's the summary for a modded game.
+runs very fast, hard to tell but it feels like his speed matches Rudra's
+defensive special hits harder than average
+great jumping attacks, his elbow drop is so good that it will beat most anti-airs
+standing combo hits very hard, only Max hits harder
+last hit of standing combo has insane reach, it's way longer than his sprite and AI absolutely can't handle it, you can even bypass opponent's block with it (don't forget that there's a button that allows you to use last hit of standing combo instantly)
+grab attacks are fast and have good reach, pretty easy to hit adjusting enemies
+blitz 3 is crazy strong: great damage, great range, great priority, great speed; it's a move that wreck everything
+he's invincible during his jump back after he does frontal throw and enemies will often walk right into him and get grabbed, allowing you to easily do a chain throw combo, while staying completely safe
+-police special can be used anywhere, but it's damage is lower, it also looks hilarious
+-running attack with pipes and planks has enormous X axis range and good damage, but Z axis range is lacking and recovery is pretty long, so it's not that easy to hit somebody with it
+-offensive special is pretty meh, but it also means that you can save your meter for defensive one instead
+-blitz 1 has great properties, but it's damage is low
-can not throw enemies behind during frontal grabs, he will slam them into the ground instead
-standing combo is slow and delay between hits is massive
-kind of relies on having 3 stars, it's not easy to spam his best attack - blitz 3 manually, while staying on the move
-absolutely horrendous roll (worst in the game), it's so slow that you should forget about using it at all, if you don't you will get yourself killed
Despite looking like nothing but a joke material about faggotry Ash can be a very strong character, if you know how to use him. He's the most gimmicky though, so it will take quite some time before you become good with him.
Blitzes
Dishonorable mention:
Roo and SOR3 Skate
Remember that I've said that I've only finished the game with 16 characters ? Well I couldn't make it with these 2. I've already said that SOR3 Skate is just a much worse version of SOR2 Skate, it's like they've taken out all of his strong sides, except high speed and grabbing game, and threw some shit on top of it.
Roo is fucking awful as well, his damge is extremely low, his jumping attacks are lacking, hiz blitzes are only good against opponents in the corner, his range sucks, his health is very low etc etc etc. There's hardly anything good about him, he makes SOR3 Axel look like a decent character, the only good thing he has going for him is his extreme back attack that breaks block, has great range and can stunlock opponents indefinitely, if you can keep landing it correctly, in fact that's almost his entire playstyle - get in the position (i.e. turn his ass towards the crowd) to spam his back attack and keep doing until everybody dies, considering his extremely low damage you have to repeat it about 1 trillion times per encounter. Sounds fun ? Absolutely fucking not !
Roo Blitzes