Project X Zone, the 2013 collaborative strategy RPG developed by Monolith Soft featuring characters from various Namco Bandai, Capcom and Sega games, will have a sequel. The game will be called Project X Zone 2: Brave New World.
Check out this teaser trailer.
Click here for the English version of the announcement trailer.
The roster gets bigger
Dante (Devil May Cry), Kite (.hack), Akira Yuki (Virtua Fighter) and Jin Kazama (Tekken) are also confirmed to return, paired up with newcomers--their rivals from their respective games--Vergil, Haseo, Kage-Maru and Kazuya Mishima.
Also making their debut in the sequel are yakuza rivals Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima (Ryu ga Gotoku) and Racoon City survivor turned special agent Leon S. Kennedy (Resident Evil 6). Completing the confirmed list of characters thus far are the ninja trio of Natsu (SoulCalibur V), Hotsuma (Shinobi) and Strider Hiryu (Strider), who makes his return ten years after he debuted in PXZ's spiritual ancestor Namco X Capcom.
The final seconds of the teaser trailer revealed a short glimpse of Reiji Arisu and Xiaomu, protagonists of NXC, seemingly hinting that the duo will take the spotllight back as the main heroes in this installment. This fact also seems evident with the game's subtitle, "Brave New World", as it is the English title for "Subarashiki Shin Sekai", NXC's opening theme.
PXZ2 will be available in Western shores just a few weeks after its release in Japan on the fall of this year. The European release will have additional subtitles aside from English--French, Italian, German and Spanish.
The fanboy in me rejoices.
Sources: Bandai Namco Entertainment - Japan (YouTube) | America (YouTube) | Europe
My wishlist
The possibilities are endless for this sequel, and there are a lot of characters and IPs from the three companies that have yet to be featured in the game. I personally want more titles to be represented in it, like Asura's Wrath, God Hand, Crimson Tears, Plasma Sword, Bionic Commando, Chaos Legion, Shenmue, Golden Axe, Alex Kidd, Nights Into Dreams, Namco Tales series and the original Rockman series, to name a few. I would like to see how the "Rock-men", Rockman and X, would interact with each other just because.
And Digimon, too. Namco Bandai does their games too, right?
But of course, Sonic the Hedgehog!
Now, what if they also bring back those series represented in NXC, like Captain Commando, Klonoa, Tower of Druaga and Dino Crisis? I think these titles need to be relevant again.
Ryu (Street Fighter) and Sakura Shinguji (Sakura Wars) also need to be back; Ryu (Breath of Fire) and Sakura Kasugano (SF) should be brought in it too, so I could see more of those entertaining same-name gags just like this one involving the two Alisas from Tekken and God Eater.
I mentioned wanting more Tales characters to be in the game. Tales of Destiny was featured in NxC, while Vesperia will be represented again in this sequel, and I can only hope that they put more characters from another Tales series; I say Jude and Milla from Tales of Xillia would be a great addition as a pair unit, with Gaius as solo. The same can be said for Asbel and Sophie from Tales of Graces.
Or if King does make it back in the game, how about they reunite this "cat" with Felicia (Darkstalkers) for old times' sake?
I appreciate that they gave all the pair units their unique Multi-Attacks, allowing them to hit up to four enemies at once, aside from letting them and solo units join in during another pair's attack turn. I think it would be even greater nod to NXC if they could bring back the old Multiple Assaults, letting two or three pair units team up to create even harder-hitting team attacks on multiple enemies.
PXZ2 prominently features Tekken's Jin and Kazuya as a new pair unit, and their Devil Genes will surely be heavily played out in some scenes. Heihachi was a playable ally in the first game, though his rejuvenated appearance isn't canon in the Tekken mythos, so it wouldn't be logical to put him back as the same character model. And since father and son are paired up as allies, it's not impossible to include the grandfather in the team as an ally as well. Although, it would be interesting to see Heihachi partnered up with another Tekken character, or probably another old man from another game, like SF's Gouken.
And still speaking of Tekken, I would love to see Asuka Kazama and Lili in PXZ2. Oh, and Josie Rizal, too! (No, it's not because of that despicable thing called "Pinoy Pride".) They could very much be good counterparts to SF's Sakura and Karin Kanzuki, should the developers decide to put them in.
Also, I suggest they put in Ogre, Azazel or maybe Kazumi as bosses. I believe Tekken 7 would've been released in consoles before this game gets released, so Kazumi can very well be featured here.
And Gouki. Most definitely Gouki. His Oni form, too.
And if I can have my way in the game, I'll put in the one and only Sega master, Segata Sanshiro. I'll put him as a solo unit so I could see his epic double-explosive judo throw and hear his obsolete yet timeless "Sega Saturn, Shiro!" as his win quote.
And there also has to be an in-game joke about him dating Sakura (Sakura Wars).
Even though I honestly can't wait.