Project X Zone 2 is a unique game since it combines a dozen of characters of several different franchises, owned by five different companies. It’s a miracle a game like this makes it outside of Japan but thank Bandai Namco for the effort. Since it includes characters from popular manga and popular games, the game is destined to have a lot of fans but is it actually any good? The story isn’t really that good but the presentation and gameplay transform the game to a very accessible SRPG.

That’s one confusing story

So let’s start with the story, you don’t need to know the events of Project X Zone to understand the story of this sequel. That doesn’t mean that this game doesn’t offer subtle references to the events that happened before. If you have played the first Project X Zone, you’ll be pleased with these subtle little nods while newcomers can enjoy the story even without understanding those nods. It’s the perfect marriage of old and new and the perfect way to start a new adventure, don’t expect it to be an easy to follow or light story however.

The game focuses around Shinra, a mysterious group that deals with paranormal threats. It all starts in Japan where they discover mysterious golden chains. Not long after their first discovery, they’ll find out those golden chains appeared in several places in space and time. It’s not much of an innovating story but it’s a perfect way to connect a lot of different worlds and gaming franchises.

This means you’ll encounter a lot of characters and not all of those are that well-known to the Western public. It’s clear that this game is aiming for a Japanese market, meaning you’ll have a lot of text and a lot of references to the source material you won’t always understand. Things get worse when multiple characters appear on the screen, resulting in huge walls of text to conquer. The biggest problem with the narrative is that it never feels worth it. You’ll meet a lot of characters and not all of them will have that much screen time. After a while you just start losing your interest in their stories since most of the characters will disappear soon after their introduction.

A true crossover

That being said, the game does try to keep things light by never taking itself too seriously. Dialogues often end in characters addressing the absurdity of their tasks. The game isn’t afraid of tongue-in-cheek humor and breaks the fourth wall frequently. It’s never on a Deadpool level but it’s good to see the developers tried to keep the dialogues as light as possible. Do keep in mind that you’ll definitely need to have a good memory if you want to understand the story however.

Solid combat

Of course, the story is only one part of the game, the second part, being the combat, is of more importance. First things first, thing improved a lot when it comes to combat. No longer will you see that confusing number system where characters and enemies moved in a varying order. In Project X Zone 2, you’re in full control of your characters thanks to a more straightforward turn-based system. This means your characters and enemies move in turns, similar to the Fire Emblem franchise. This means that characters are moved on a specific grid. You can only attack your enemy once you’re close enough but keep in mind that positioning is key for survival. If you manage to attack your enemy in the back or side, you’ll inflict way more damage. Enemies can do this to the players as well of course. Standing next to an ally will also give you some advantages since you’ll be able to call in that second character as a support during combat. Thanks to these small improvements, the turn-based combat actually feels fresh and fun to play.

Combat doesn’t stop there, unlike other turn based games, the combat is actually performed in real time. At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see the attacks of your character. By pushing those buttons as fast as possible, you can inflict damage. Each character is able to perform three attacks each round so chaining up your attacks with your other character is key to deliver a devastating K.O. If you’re able to keep the enemy up in the air, he won’t be able to attack so there really is some strategy found in the system.

Deep combat

Those are the basic elements of the gameplay and are easy enough for newcomers like myself to understand. If you have history with fighting games, however, there’s more depth to be found in the combat. For example, you can charge your attacks by not using them during a fight. That’s right, if you decide to ignore an attack one round, it will become more powerful during your next round. It’s an interesting new technique that offers new ways of playing for sure. Another new trick is called the Mirage Cancel, which allows you to cancel an attack to gain an extra attack for it. This will slow down your enemies but won’t inflict that much damage. Last but not least are Cross Hits, those aren’t new but remained as brutal as before. By timing your input correctly, your main and support character can perform a special attack, freezing the enemy and inflicting massive damage.

Perfect presentation

Last thing worth mentioning is how the presentation is handled. With a game like Project X Zone 2, presentation is very important. It’s good to see that the developers invested a lot of time in the presentation. Characters are all drawn in high quality and look great in the scenes. Besides that, the sprites and animations look spot-on and are never boring to look at. It never gets boring to see those characters in action and it must be said, they all look incredible. Same goes for the environments and the extra layer of depth when you switch on the 3D effect.

The music is also worth mentioning but enjoying it will be based on just how well you know the different franchises. Project X Zone 2 offers some nice remixes of famous tracks and the other sound effects all add to the experience. The presentation is without a doubt very strong in this one!

Conclusion:

When it comes to story alone, Project X Zone 2 falls flat on its face but the gameplay and presentation will get you hooked for sure. It follows the same path as the first Project X Zone but manages to improve the combat and overall strategy with some interesting new techniques. Of course you’ll best enjoy the game if you’re familiar with the franchises but even without this knowledge, you’ll be able to find a lot of enjoyment in this SRPG for Nintendo 3DS.

8/10