2013’s Project X Zone didn’t exactly wow me when it was first released. The premise of it was interesting enough; a crossover between the universes of Capcom, Sega and Bandai Namco appealed to a large number of fans, and hey, you can never have too many SRPGs in your life. Unfortunately, the lack of a coherent plot and the countless waves of enemies the game threw at you in each stage made it feel tiresome and a bit of a slog to get through. With Project X Zone 2, it seems like nothing’s changed at all.
For those not in the know, Project X Zone 2 pairs off certain characters from their respective games and has players attack their enemies by punching in simple combos while moving their avatars around on a gridded map. For example, you could have have pairs like Chris and Jill from Resident Evil, as well as Kazuma and Goro from Yakuza, face off against Juri from Street Fighter. The combat system is pretty engaging; it’s not just a matter of punching in simple combos to do damage. You also have to watch the movements of your opponent as they get knocked around, and punch in your next combo at the right time to continue your juggle.
If you position two pairs of characters next to each other on the map before attacking, you’ll also be able to perform crossover attacks. For instance, if they’re positioned closely, characters like Megaman and Leon S. Kennedy will be able to attack together, as will Yuri Lowell and Phoenix Wright. Project X Zone 2 is, therefore, still a great fanservice title that will undoubtedly appeal to gamers who know and love the Capcom, Sega and Bandai Namco universes.
However, aside from the new additions to the character roster, Project X Zone 2 looks like the exact same game as its predecessor from 2013. While I didn’t get to see much of the story with what little time I had with the game, the battle system seems largely unchanged, and players will still get mobbed with enemy waves towards the end of a level.
The game’s visuals still look aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and it’s always a joy to watch pixelated versions of your favorite characters dance across the screen as they assault their opponents. Fans of the first game and both developers will be delighted to find that the gameplay mechanics have remained intact here. Though if you were like me, and quickly grew tired of the repetitive gameplay and the lack of anything even remotely resembling a plot, Project X Zone 2 doesn’t look like it’s going to change your mind.
Project X Zone 2 is set to be released for the Nintendo 3DS on November 12 in Japan, and in early 2016 in the west.
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