Developer: Banpresto / Monolith Soft
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Genre: Tactical Role-Playing Game (RPG)
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Released: July 5, 2013
Website: www.projectxzone.eu

Ratings
Story: 6.7/10
Design: 8.8/10
Gameplay: 9.0/10
Presentation: 8.7/10
Overall score: 8.4/10

The ultimate crossover from three different universes is here, as characters from Capcom, Sega and Namco Bandai square off in the handheld extravaganza Project X Zone.

This tactical role-playing game pits you into a battle with over 60 characters from multiple franchises such as Mega Man X, Dead Rising, Valkyria Chronicles, Tekken, Virtua Fighter, Xenosaga and many others, across different games, making it all work to its advantage.

It’s a real challenge to come up with a coherent story that ties everything together, so don’t be surprised if you feel lost or confused. The plot revolves around an ancient artefact called the Portalstone being stolen from a legendary family, and the two main protagonists investigating into the matter. There are plenty of characters hopping around in between dimensions that often results in a lot of confusing subtext.

Thankfully, the game handles this well by incorporating each and every player’s unique charm into the game and through the Crosspedia, a vast encyclopedia that details the characters you come across. It’s a very well-documented endeavor, the original Japanese voice-acting is retained which adds to the atmosphere.

The game is played out across a series of maps rendered in 3D while the characters are shown in 2D sprites. Characters will be able to control a whole party of notables that are paired together when engaging enemies, with solo characters acting as assistants within the battles.

Once you move around the map and engage the enemy, you’re taken to a separate battlefield where your team can input powerful and flashy moves in order to whittle down your opponents’ health. The combat system is great, with multiple moves mapped onto singular buttons being chained together to make things as intricate (yet simplistic) as possible. Each character pair can perform a wide variety of moves ranging from special attacks and wall bounces to devastating finishing moves that can decimate a unit on the battlefield.

There’s also the Cross Hit and Critical Hit mechanic, with the former locking enemies down and having nearby allies join in on the fun, while the latter rewards players with greater damage and faster boosting of the Cross Gauge used to unleash special moves. The Cross Gauge can also be used for other purposes such as healing allies and blocking attacks on the overhead map. The visual style of the game is impressive at some places and too simplistic in others. The overhead view hasn’t been given much polishdespite the 3D design, but the battle screen and special moves sport some great-looking sprites, animation and special effects.

The game’s shortcomings are few; it is not so challenging and the monotonous formula is repeated over and over again. Still, Project X Zone is a solid title that can keep you entertained for hours.