* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic:
** The menu theme from the sequel, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMzI3exCLQQ "New World Project"]], is so epic it gets reused as the main song during the game's final level.
** The rearrangements for most featured songs in ''Brave New World'' have been praised by fans and critics alike for being composed '''exceptionally''' well. Being all live-recorded, it brings in one of most earwormy and diverse arrangements [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpeu5UWssrIcOE-3m9Wf74Je7JzMoH7Q0 through four legendary companies' history.]]
** "You Will Know Our Names" is known for being one awesome battle theme in ''[[VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1 Xenoblade Chronicles]]''. Somehow, this game made the theme [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2P1LjhqMmE even more awesome.]]
* BaseBreakingCharacter: Some fans see Kogoro and Mii as {{Flat Character}}s who fade into the background ([[SupportingProtagonist despite being the main characters]]) as the party grows larger, making them unappealing and unvaried compared to other pairings. Others see them as an underdeveloped, but still interesting duo whose dynamic should have been appropriately explored in the sequel. The fact that ''Brave New World'' shows the Koryuuji mansion late in the game yet the two don't make an appearance and are only mentioned in passing only peeved Kogoro/Mii fans more.
* [[Awesome/VideoGameLevels Best Level Ever]]: Stage 27 ("The Dimensional Cliff") from the first game is practically one of the best parts. A lot of {{Mooks}} that are way too close to each other with not a lot of health that you can use MAP attacks with impunity, Phantom [[spoiler:finally joins the party for Haken and Kaguya's MAP attack (though you can't use it here)]], [[VideoGame/MegaManX Vile is in his Ride Armor]] ''and'' also a boss fight on foot, [[spoiler:[[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic all to the tune of]] ''[[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration Rocks!]]'']] Unfortunately, the spoiler's not present in the localization.
* BreatherBoss: Unless players deliberately make a mistake during {{Combo}}s, [[VideoGame/SakuraWars Ciseaux]] is one of the easiest bosses in the first game. Makes sense since in ''Sakura Wars 3'', [[WarmupBoss Ciseaux is the first major boss you'll fight in the game]].
* BrokenBase: Both games borrow the TurnBasedStrategy formula of ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'' with the ActionCommands button-inputting of ''VideoGame/EndlessFrontier'', but is this mechanically "good" as part of gameplay or does it become a redundant chore after a while?
* CrossoverShip:
** A popular pairing is [[VideoGame/{{Strider}} Strider Hiryu]] and [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfValkyrie Valkyrie]], which stretches back to ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom''.
** On the [[HoYay Les Yay]] side, some artists will pair [[VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia Estelle]] with [[VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening Lucina]], though this one's more obvious thanks to the numerous amount of times the two interacted in ''Brave New World'', such as holding hands while jumping on a catapult.
* CryForTheDevil: [[VideoGame/MegaManX Vile]] may be a cruel, murderous psychopath, but it's hard not to feel a twinge of pity for him when his single-minded obsession with beating X just leads to him dying all over again. Knowing that he's basically been half-mad since the day he was born also can add to this. Then again, see UnintentionallyUnsympathetic below.
* EndingFatigue: The penultimate stage and the final stage of both games ''will'' tire players out before they finally see the ending.
* EnjoyTheStorySkipTheGame: The gameplay is much contested due to being repetitive and quite long. However, many say it's worth it to see so many characters from different franchises interact in a single story that meshes aspects of all their worlds together.
* EvenBetterSequel: Despite it [[MissionPackSequel being largely the same as the first game]], ''Brave New World'' is generally considered to be superior in all aspects compared to its predecessor thanks to its gameplay tweaks, character roster, and [[AuthorsSavingThrow the developers addressing fan complaints about the first game]].
* FanficFuel: Having everyone else from Bandai Namco/Capcom/Sega/Nintendo (and by extension, additional companies who have yet to join in a ''PXZ'' game like Creator/{{SNK}}, Creator/{{Konami}}, Creator/ArcSystemWorks, Creator/KoeiTecmo and Creator/SquareEnix, among others) join in the fight against Ouma or fight alongside Ouma.
* FanNickname:
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxnmkcMX1rQ Bruce Willis]] for [[VideoGame/DynamiteCop Bruno Delinger]], due to his character and first game being [[DolledUpInstallment dolled-up]] as an adaptation for ''Franchise/DieHard''.
** "Epic Brofist" for Jin and Kazuya's LimitBreak in ''[=PXZ2=]'', as it involves the two punching the enemy from opposite sides, a reference to the Bandai Namco logo screen for the ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'' games.
* FriendlyFandoms: Some overlap with the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' fandom due to both series being {{Massive Multiplayer Crossover}}s featuring characters from Creator/{{Bandai Namco|Entertainment}}, Creator/{{Capcom}}, Creator/{{Sega}} and Creator/{{Nintendo}} (to varying extents), with Ryu, Lucina (in ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU Smash 4]]''), Chrom, Ken and Kazuya (in ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate Smash Ultimate]]'') being playable in both series, and [[VideoGame/MegaManX X]] having a supporting role as part of another character's [[LimitBreak Final Smash]].
* GameBreaker: Now with [[GameBreaker/ProjectXZone its own page]].
* GatewaySeries: As with ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'' before it, the inclusion of less well-known/[[CashCowFranchise commercially successful]] [=IPs=] ([[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff depending on the territory]], of course) in ''Project × Zone'' and its sequel ended up generating renewed or additional interest in those series (such as ''VideoGame/SakuraWars'' and ''VideoGame/ValkyriaChronicles''), though this is slightly downplayed in that ''PXZ'' has a significantly lower number of "[[UnexpectedCharacter oddball choices]]."
* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: Despite low sales domestically, Namco Bandai did decide to localize it in the West due to the surprising amount of interest abroad. Post-localization, some Namco Bandai press releases remarked that sales were high enough a sequel could be feasible. ''Project × Zone 2'' was eventually announced following a leak, and the publisher immediately confirmed that it too would be localized.
* HarsherInHindsight:
** Natsu was much more better received and characterized in ''Project × Zone 2'' than [[VideoGame/SoulcaliburV her home game]]. Unfortunately, while the ''Project × Zone'' series ended there, it was later announced that [[VideoGame/SoulSeries Natsu's home franchise]] would receive [[VideoGame/SoulcaliburVI a new game]] which was a ContinuityReboot that all but placed her game into CanonDiscontinuity (later reveals in ''Soulcalibur VI'' indicate that [[spoiler:the events of ''V'' are set in a BadFuture that certain characters in [[AlternateTimeline the new timeline]] are privy to and trying to [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong avoid]]]]) with no indication if she'll be a part of the reboot timeline, rendering most of the improvements for Natsu here almost [[AllForNothing for nothing]].
** Metal Face/[[spoiler:Mumkhar]] describing Bionis and Mechonis being fused and then destroyed via Ouma's 101 Embryo Project would accurately describe [[spoiler:the Intersection]], which [[spoiler:fused the new ''[[VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1 Xenoblade 1]]'' world Shulk created after Zanza's defeat and Alrest from [[VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2 its sequel]] into ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3''[='s=] Aionios, only for Origin, an ark created in a joint venture by Melia and Nia in order to preserve their peoples' lives and knowledge, to be infected by Z, a living computer virus created by the people's fears of [[StatusQuoIsGod not wanting the worlds to defuse]]]].
* HeartwarmingInHindsight: Reiji and Xiaomu's Multi Attack concludes with her wearing a wedding dress. [[spoiler:At the end of ''2'', she's seen wearing it again, but this time as a real bride as she and Reiji are married.]]
* HePannedItNowHeSucks:
** Games Radar's review of the first game was heavily criticized for unfair comparisons against ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' ({{Irony}} ensues given [[GuestFighter who appears in the sequel]]), and being very critical of other aspects without acknowledging the reasons behind them.
** Gamespot and IGN's reviews for the sequel were hit with this simply for giving it a lower score than the original despite the improvements made to issues from the first game.
* HilariousInHindsight:
** When the first game was released, one reviewer unfavorably compared it to ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening''. Now that Chrom/Lucina are in the sequel, it's turned out more hilarious than what it should be.
** Back in the first game, defeat [[VideoGame/MegaManX Vile]] for the final time and [[VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia Yuri Lowell]] will compare him to [[VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia Zagi]], his {{recurring|Boss}} [[TheRival rival]] from their home game. In ''Brave New World'', guess who's among the new batch of villains, and who Vile (now as [[VideoGame/MegaManX3 Vile MK-II]]) [[EnemyMine seeks to have an alliance with]]?
** The theme song of the first game is sung by Yoko Takahashi. Come the sequel, Xiaomu ends up making a ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' reference by stating "I'm a cruel angel, and my thesis is you're dead meat!", a nod to ''Evangelion'' opening theme song "A Cruel Angel's Thesis", also sung by Takahashi.
** During Chapter 29 of the second game, Ryu taps into the [[VideoGame/StreetFighterIV Power of]] [[Anime/StreetFighterIVTheTiesThatBind Nothingness]] to break Bison's Psycho Power control over Ken and Estelle. Come ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV'', [[spoiler:Ryu uses the same power in the end to destroy Bison and his Psycho Power for good]].
** During the next Chapter in the second game, Metal Face/Mumkhar states that he'd wish he had a weapon or item that could equal the Monado in power so he could defeat Fiora and Shinra, as well as Shulk, Dunban, and the rest of the XC1 party if he wanted to. Fast forward to ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'', released 2 years after ''Project x Zone 2'', which features the Aegis, a weapon that does equal the Monado in power more ways than one.
* ItsTheSameNowItSucks: Players disappointed with the first game's bare-boned, sluggish combat weren't impressed with how ''Project × Zone 2'' isn't much different in its basic premise. Some went so far as to warn newcomers from picking up the sequel despite the improvements addressing most of the complaints from its predecessor.
* JustHereForGodzilla: Not a massive example, but expect a fair number of fans following the games simply because it has a certain character they like. ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' fans are a good example, especially with this game duology being released during the ''Franchise/MegaMan'' franchise's 2011-[[VideoGame/MegaMan11 2018]] hiatus (''VideoGame/RockmanXover'', {{Ascended|Fanfic}} FanGame ''VideoGame/StreetFighterXMegaMan'', and the various ''Legacy Collection'' {{compilation|Rerelease}}s notwithstanding).
* LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt: [[spoiler:In the first game, the climax of Chapter 17 had Arthur [[HeroicSacrifice seemingly sacrifice himself]] by blowing himself up with [[Franchise/{{Tekken}} Alisa's]] head along with the statue. However, if anyone's played ''VideoGame/GhostsNGoblins'', they would know that Arthur wouldn't kick the bucket that easily as long as he has his armor.]]
* SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound:
** Land a CriticalHit on an enemy and watch as a lot of "POWS!" come from successive hits and at the yellow numbers signifying a critical is scored (that, and an extra 5% of {{Experience Point}}s are earned for each one in the first game, 10% in the second).
** "Cross Hit"; even better is both a Cross Hit and a CriticalHit occurs during the same {{Combo}}.
* {{Narm}}:
** The appearance of [[VideoGame/MegaManX4 Iris]] in Chapter 29 of the first game would be surprisingly poignant, if not for the fact [[VideoGame/MegaManX Zero]] says "[[MemeticMutation What am I fighting for?]]" at one point; thus, it doesn't hold as much impact as it could have been. However, considering the game's tendency to make [[CallBack Call-Backs]] and [[ShoutOut Shout-Outs]], this might have been [[InvokedTrope intentional]]. (It also helps that, for fans who were only aware of the meme due to the English version of ''X4'', the voice acting is ''much'' better this time around, thanks to Creator/RyotaroOkiayu's performance.)
** [[spoiler:The HeroicSacrifice by [[VideoGame/GhostsNGoblins Arthur]]]] in the climax of the chapter "Operation Crackdown" would have been more dramatic had it not been ruined for the InterfaceSpoiler of this character still being listed as a party member when players check on their units while preparing for the next chapter.
** Neneko's battle theme, "Curiosity and the Cat", while catchy, is ''[[SoundtrackDissonance REALLY]]'' out of place during battles.
** In Chapter 39 in the second game, you finally defeat [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/SakuraWars Aya-me]]]] for good. As expected, they say their farewells, but their death animation involves them rising up into the air before they explode like most other boss enemies. This is somewhat silly by itself, but it's even sillier if they happen to be positioned under one of the bus stops in the level when they take the final blow, causing them to briefly rise into the air and then explode much quicker after giving their speech, giving the impression that them hitting their head on the bus stop canopy was what caused them to ultimately explode.
* OneSceneWonder: Iris might appear in one chapter, but her brief appearance finally gives Zero [[ILetGwenStacyDie some form of closure]].
* ReplacementScrappy: [[AmericansHateTingle To many Westerners]], [[VideoGame/CapcomFightingEvolution Ingrid]] is one of the most reviled ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' characters, due to being shoehorned into the franchise after her own game, ''Capcom Fighting All-Stars'', was cancelled; invalidating M. Bison's threat by claiming she is the true source of Psycho Power (though such a claim is [[ContinuitySnarl nebulous]] in actual ''Street Fighter'' canon); being a literal god with no flaws whatsoever; and because her appearance and moveset are perceived to clash with the series' tone. She's also the linchpin of the plot for ''VideoGame/StreetFighterXTekken'', widely seen as one of the weaker [[VideoGame/CapcomVs Capcom crossover fighters]], as she's the creator of [[ArtifactOfDoom Pandora]]. Conversely, Ingrid is ''very'' popular among Japanese fans, and even has her fair share of supporters in the West. All in all, this rounds out to your typical BaseBreakingCharacter, but what didn't do the girl any favors anywhere is how, in ''Project × Zone 2'', she is the token ''Street Fighter'' support character, replacing EnsembleDarkhorse Juri. For its part, ''[=PXZ2=]'' turns Ingrid into a very [[LampshadeHanging self-referential]] character who even [[SelfDeprecation points out some of the same criticisms levied at her by fans]] ([[TakeThatScrappy and gets heckled by]] [[FourthWallObserver Xiaomu]] [[TakeThatScrappy in a similar fashion]]), though her character simultaneously going the DenserAndWackier route proved just as divisive for several players.
* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap: [[VideoGame/SoulSeries Natsu]] was part of the reviled fleet of [[ReplacementScrappy Replacement Scrappies]] and {{Flat Character}}s that was ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburV''. Thanks to ''Project × Zone 2'' granting her some actual personality where ''SCV'' and [[ObviousBeta its incomplete narrative]] had little if none of it for her, along with some character focus and good chemistry with most of the cast (particularly the other {{Ninja}}s), she had a much warmer reception here than in her home series.
* SequelDifficultyDrop: The second game is easier than the first, mostly because bosses and enemies aren't as ridiculously durable as they were in the first game, you don't have to fight as many of them at the same time and because of the existence of shops and the ability to retain your gold if you quit out of a level, allowing you to spam items much more freely. There's also the fact that all buffing skills increase your stats far more than they did in the first game.
* SoOkayItsAverage: The consensus is that while there are improvements over many issues ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'' had, there are still a number of pressing problems with the gameplay. Sure, the {{Crossover}} interaction between all heroic and villainous characters are great, but the pacing becomes excruciatingly slow during later parts of a playthrough due to the sheer number of enemies and how much health they have. It doesn't help that players can never skip attack animations since this TurnBasedStrategy game requires active button inputs for combat.
* SuspiciouslySimilarSong: The opening riff of the {{Leitmotif}} for Kogoro/Mii, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNMNLnuk4r0 "Wanderer's Road"]], sounds similar to the opening of the ''VideoGame/DoubleDragon'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxgwZiCM6wA theme.]]
* TearJerker:
** Some of the villains' last words upon being defeated for the last time, especially if players have played their source games. Notable examples are [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/SakuraWars Aya-me]] and [[VideoGame/MegaManX Vile]]]] in the first game, [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom Saya]]]] in the sequel.
** [[ForegoneConclusion Knowing the]] [[DoomedByCanon canonical fates]] for several of the characters in their home series can make their appearances here feel bittersweet, particularly for the likes of [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/Shinobi2002 Hotsuma]]]] and [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}} KOS-MOS]]]] in ''Brave New World''. [[note]]While [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry Vergil]]]] was another example at the time, [[spoiler:''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'']] revealed that they had survived. [[spoiler:[[Franchise/{{Tekken}} Heihachi]]]], on the other hand, died in the UpdatedRerelease of [[spoiler:''VideoGame/Tekken7'']].[[/note]]
* ThatOneBoss:
** Granted he's the FinalBoss, but [[spoiler:Meden]] in the first game takes the icing on the cake. On Normal Mode (i.e. your first playthrough), he's got 200,000 {{Hit Point}}s; regenerates his Cross Point gauge faster than players can, which guarantees his counter attack is going to be his LimitBreak, an incredibly wide attack range to strike any Pair Unit from where he's at; hits like a truck (from full health to almost death state even ''with a defense buff''); and when players get next to him, the only way to attack him is either directly in front of him or have a unit capable of attacking an extra panel away. Knock him down to 25% health and he [[FlunkyBoss starts summoning]] "{{Mooks}}," as in ''[[DegradedBoss the same sub-bosses players previously defeated a while ago before getting to him]]''. The upside is players can skip destroying the sub-bosses since the objective is to simply beat the boss; the {{Mooks}} are there more for intimidation purposes. However, for those players who are [[HundredPercentCompletion completionists]] and want to wipe the field clean of everything, they better prep themselves as they'll be taking potshots from the boss, while praying he doesn't get a full Cross Point gauge on his turn. Just when players think they're safe, they'll likely get attacked with a LimitBreak from each of the sub-bosses, too. This is one hell of a ride.
** In ''Brave New World'', some bosses can turn into this since almost all of them have some sort of unique property that's generally a pain to deal with, especially if players fight them in challenge stages:
*** [[Franchise/DotHack Azure Kite]] deals counter damage depending on the amount of damage dealt to him, which thankfully cannot defeat Pair Units, but will almost invariably drop their HPToOne.
*** [[Franchise/ResidentEvil Nemesis]] has large chunks of RegeneratingHealth between turns, making a fight against it difficult if players can't take it down in a single turn.
*** [[VideoGame/MegaManX Sigma]] drains all Cross Points after attacking him, forcing players to finish their turn with a LimitBreak, even if they'd rather save it for something else other than Sigma if they don't want to lose all of it.
* ThatOneLevel:
** ''Project × Zone'':
*** Chapter 16, [[VideoGame/DotHackR1Games "Detestable Golden Sunny Demon"]], requires destroying all four Stehoneys because they have the key to [[VideoGame/GhostsNGoblins Astaroth's room]]. The problem is they're positioned far away on the map and will likely get the first move during the turn while players' Pair Units are struggling to get to them. If one Stehoney gets to the gate, GameOver. Spamming skills that improve mobility and attack range is a requirement for this mission.
*** The stretch of stages where the party must collect the fragments of [[spoiler:[[Franchise/DotHack Aura]]]] can be pretty tense since it must be done in 15 turns, and there's only a third of the party available for three of the four missions. In particular is the third one where [[VideoGame/SpaceChannel5 Coco Tapioca]] must be defeated in 15 turns. What makes this tricky is he's surrounded by {{Mooks}} that can deal StatusEffects, with Saya and her flunkies flanking from the party's rear, picking off the team and probably forcing players to divide the already minimized party to keep them at bay. The narrow passageway in the middle of the area where {{Mooks}} love to swarm and has a sub-boss doesn't help.
*** Chapter 29, [[VideoGame/MegaManX4 "An Unbeatable Love"]]. You get your entire army against a large group of [[DemonicSpiders Feydooms]], as well as Skeith Zero and two "clone" Skeiths that are only ''slightly'' weaker than the original. On Turn 3, Vile joins with a wave of ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' enemies, and thanks to [[spoiler:Iris showing up]], Zero has a HeroicBSOD on the far end of the battlefield. The player has five turns to either reach Zero or defeat Vile (which requires depleting his life bar twice, since he is on his Ride Armor) before a Game Over.
*** Chapter 39, [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry "The Devil Never Cries"]], will throw the uninitiated off-guard: it starts with common {{Mooks}} (at least two of them have barriers) and two Astaroths. Take those down and [[VideoGame/ShiningForce Riemsianne la Vaes]] and [[VideoGame/ValkyriaChronicles Selvaria Bles]] arrive with similar reinforcements; defeating the second wave will result in [[VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}} Jedah Dohma and Lord Raptor]]. To put the cherry on top of this MarathonLevel, Jedah must be defeated within a hitherto unknown fixed time limit.
*** Chapter 40, "Treasure on the Horizon", is unique in that it has no unexpected bosses or surprise reinforcements, but the objective of the map is to [[spoiler:defeat 24 copies of [[Franchise/StreetFighter Juri Han]], [[Franchise/{{Tekken}} Alisa Bosconovitch]], Heihachi, Sanger, Saya and [[VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}} T-elos]], all of whom are bosses with around 90,000 {{Hit Point}}s]]. If players haven't been smart with healing items, prepare for some pain.
** ''Project × Zone 2'':
*** In Chapter 11, "Boulevards of Belligerence", the party must defuse bombs aboard a cruise ship. One of them is guarded by [[VideoGame/StreetsOfRage Axel's robotic doppelganger, Break]], and halfway in the chapter, [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Nemesis Nemesis]], [[Franchise/ResidentEvil several Tyrants]] and [[VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}} B.B. Hood]] arrive. Fail to get to the bombs in time and it's an instant Game Over.
*** In Chapter 16, "Thicker Than Water", the Stehoneys must be defeated before they reach the goal or it's a GameOver. {{Mooks}} will be guarding them; and once enough are defeated, Nemesis and [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil6 Ustanak]] show up, with the former having RegeneratingHealth.
*** Chapter 22, "The Demons Within", features a BrainwashedAndCrazy Estelle, whom players must prevent from reaching M. Bison. During the chapter, [[VideoGame/ForgottenWorlds Sylphie]] will appear and summon Vile and other {{Mooks}}; at the same time, Estelle cannot be knocked out of play by any other character in the party except [[VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia Yuri Lowell]] and Flynn or they get an instant GameOver. To top it off, [[VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia Zagi]] enters the picture later, and the Nemesis returns again and is just as hard as it was in the previous chapters.
*** Chapter 24, "Beautiful, Dangerous Wood Sprites": The level is a battle royale against most of the game's female villains, such as [[OriginalGeneration Sheath]], who spams an AreaOfEffect attack, Aya-me, [[VideoGame/VirtuaFighter V-Dural and the V-Dural statues]], Juri, [[Franchise/{{Tekken}} Unknown]], and T-elos, with a ton of {{Mooks}} backing them up.
*** Chapter 26, appropriately titled [[VideoGame/DotHackGU "The Terror of Death Approaches"]]: The Dragonturtle breaks down, so players must split the party up [[ProtectionMission to defend it]]. The chapter truly ups the ante once [[VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}} Pyron, Lord Raptor]], [[Franchise/DotHack Skeith, Azure Kite]], [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry1 Nelo Angelo]] and waves of {{Mooks}} with barriers show up. If even one of them touches the Dragonturtle, it's an instant GameOver. The biggest problem are the flying enemies, who can easily get out of range from Pair Units' attacks.
*** The final level, "Arisu in Destinyland", is abnormally difficult compared to the rest of the game. [[spoiler:The arena is covered in a red fluid that damages characters when walked over, which adds up in the long run. Also, the places where the playable characters spawn are bombs which will explode if even a single enemy steps on it, leading to an instant game over. To make matters worse, [[BossRush Metal Face, Sigma, Ranmaru, Kamuz and Pyron]] spawn right in front of them and dash at the bombs the moment they see an opening. The final boss itself hits like a truck, has an attack range that covers almost the entire map, has a whopping 400000 HP, can summon more enemies almost every turn, and is completely invulnerable unless Saya, who is at the very edge of the level, is killed. But to hurt Saya herself, Sheath, Dokugozu and Dokumezu must be defeated first.]]
* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter:
** The sequel introduces more [=NPCs=] who make one or two minor appearances, but had the potential to be playable or influence the plot in more than one way. This includes [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2 Ada Wong]], who many wanted to be a Pair Unit [[BattleCouple with Leon]]; [[VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening Tiki]], who many agree should've been a Solo character; and [[Franchise/AceAttorney Miles Edgeworth]], who is reduced to a cameo in one chapter and in the ending.
** Hayato is TheHero of [[VideoGame/StarGladiator the series he's from]], but is one of the antagonists here due to being BrainwashedAndCrazy. As a result, he barely interacts with the cast; and when he is finally freed, he is PutOnABus, with June explaining that he is recovering off-screen.
* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot:
** In the first game, Juri claims she has a new target now that Seth has been killed. This heavily implies that her alliance with Bison in the sequel was a façade for her to get close enough to murder him, similar to her role in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterXTekken''. However, this plot point goes nowhere and she randomly disappears after being fought on [[VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening Ylisse]].
** Natsu's inclusion in ''[=PXZ2=]'' follows her backstory from ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburV'' -- searching for her master Taki, who disappeared after embarking on a journey to the west. With Taki's previous playability in ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'' and enduring popularity among the ''VideoGame/SoulSeries'' fandom (complete with ''[=N×C=]'' vets commenting on the similarities and differences between Taki and Natsu), one would think student and teacher would reunite over the course of the game, finally giving the two kunoichi a chance to interact after ''SCV'' showed nothing of their on-screen relationship. Alas, this possibility is dashed almost immediately after Natsu brings it up in Prologue 3, with [[VideoGame/{{Strider}} Hiryu]] informing the girl that Taki has already returned to her time and Natsu not resuming her search until the epilogue.
* UnexpectedCharacter: Though not quite as crazy as ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'', since most of the characters are from more recent and/or recognizable franchises... but there are still some surprising choices.
** [[VideoGame/DynamiteCop Bruno Dellinger]] isn't a character who was on a lot of fans' radars due to not having any appearances in years and ''Dynamite Cop/Dynamite Deka'' being one of Sega's lesser-known franchises as a whole (with its most recent entry releasing in '''2007''').
** [[VideoGame/ZombieRevenge Rikiya Busujima]], whose game is an obscure spin-off of ''VideoGame/HouseOfTheDead''. Many fans had instead expected a character from one of the main ''[=HotD=]'' games.
** [[Anime/{{Yumeria}} Neneko]] ([[TwoBeingsOneBody and by extension Neito]]) aren't that well-known by longtime Namco fans and those that do know them are more familiar with their game's anime adaptation.
** For a ''VideoGame/SoulSeries'' representative, instead of a fan favorite like Taki, we have her apprentice Natsu, who hails from [[VideoGame/SoulcaliburV one of the least popular games in the franchise]]. However, due to how [[TheScrappy controversial]] the likes of the series's then-incumbent protagonist Patroklos was, some say it's a better choice.
** One of the most surprising Solo Units in the second game is Advertising/SegataSanshiro, who is unique in that he is not a video game character, but the mascot for UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn's commercials.
** ''VideoGame/{{Shinobi}}'', one of Sega's classic albeit more under-the-radar series, is represented in ''[=PXZ2=]''... but not by its usual hero Joe Musashi, who players might have recognized thanks to ''[[VideoGame/SegaSuperstars Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed]]'' a few years prior. Instead, the honor goes to Hotsuma, the hero of ''VideoGame/Shinobi2002'' (a SoftReboot where Joe only appeared as a SecretCharacter), with Hibana, the protagonist of [[VideoGame/Nightshade2003 that game's sequel]], along for the ride as a Solo Unit. And they get to hang out with perennial Capcom darkhorse [[VideoGame/{{Strider}} Strider Hiryu]]. (Perhaps it's [[ScarfOfAsskicking the shared fashion sense]]?)
** The sequel breaks the barrier between just three companies and adds ''Creator/{{Nintendo}}'' characters: [[VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening Chrom, Lucina]] and [[VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1 Fiora]].
* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Vile in the first game. Though his death is presented as a tragedy, him [[spoiler:taunting Zero over Iris's appearance]] in Chapter 29 came off as a KickTheDog moment.
* {{Woolseyism}}:
** In the sequel, the localization team found an interesting way to play with Sheath's American origins by making her speak in [[GratuitousEnglish Engrish]]. This brings the assumption the cast are all speaking Japanese to each other ([[NoDubForYou no surprises there]]) and her poor English is meant to be a stand-in for her poor Japanese, making this an unusual case of TranslationConvention. Xiaomu even pokes fun at this, citing Sheath's "Japanese [is what] she learned from the Internet."
** Xiaomu's boatloads of gags and jokes are references to old-school video games instead of obscure {{Anime}} and Japanese video games most non-Japanese players have never even heard of.
** Segata Sanshiro's quotes that reference his various commercials were changed up to more recognizable-to-American moments. For instance, his pre-battle speech with Jill and Chris is completely different -- in Japanese, he recognizes the threat of zombies, which is a nod to his ''VideoGame/HouseOfTheDead'' commercial, while in English, he complains about their weapons not having Blast Processing.
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