Project X Zone

Project X Zone (pronounced as “Project Cross Zone”) is a crossover tactical role-playing video game for the Nintendo 3DS developed by Monolith Soft with assistance from Capcom and Red Entertainment and published by Namco Bandai Games. It is a follow-up to Namco × Capcom and features characters from Namco Bandai, Capcom, and Sega. The game was released on October 11, 2012 in Japan; June 25, 2013 in North America; and July 5, 2013 in Europe Project X Zone received mixed to positive reviews upon release.

Praise went towards the game’s cast, combat system, and presentation, but criticism was directed at its repetitive gameplay and confusing storyline. A sequel, Project X Zone 2, was released in Japan in November 2015 and in North America and Europe in February 2016. Mii Kouryuji, the latest descendant of the Kouryuji clan, and her tutor, private detective Kogoro Tenzai search for the Portalstone, the heirloom of the Kouryuji clan.

As they investigate the whereabouts of the Portalstone, they team up with a large cast of characters who have been affected by strange portals appearing in their worlds, and fight against villains who have taken opportunity of the chaos caused by the rifts between worlds collapsing. Stages in Project X Zone take place in grid-based locations from the game’s many crossover titles. Each friendly unit is made up of two characters (thus referred to as a Pair Unit), though a third character (or “Solo Unit”) can be added for once-per-battle assistance.

Unlike Namco × Capcom, units can move freely within their range on the field map, with no penalty for accessing treasure chests or destructible objects prior to attacking. The battle system is called the Cross Active Battle System, wherein pressing the A button in combination with the Circle Pad performs up to five basic attack combos.

Additional gameplay elements include Support Attack, which allows the player to call in a nearby ally for assistance, and Cross Hit, which freezes the target in place during simultaneous attacks from multiple units. Also, the player can trigger Critical Hits by connecting their next attack just before the target hits the ground after the first. As the player’s units deal damage, the player’s Cross Power (XP) gauge fills up and can be used for special attacks and defensive moves on the map. Damage done via Cross Hits can fill this gauge up to 150%.