History YMMV / ProjectXZone

* HarsherInHindsight: Natsu was much more better received and characterized in ''Project X Zone 2'' than [[VideoGame/SoulcaliburV her home game]]. Unfortunately, while the ''Project X 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 [[AlternateContinuity 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]].
** A more tragic example that also has to do with characterization. Morrigan and Chun Li being put together as a team is definitely harsher given that in a future adaptation of both Street Fighter and Darkstalkers, the UDON comics, Morrigan is [[AdaptationalVillainy portrayed as an evil monster despite being good in canon]] and their first encounter has them fighting over Morrigan killing humans and attempting to kill both Chun Li and her friend as well provoking property destruction. Said meeting is what leaves Chun Li with the impresion that all Darkstalkers are evil.

** 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.

* {{Woolseyism}}

** A more tragic example that also has to do with characterization. Morrigan and Chun Li being put together as a team is definitely harsher given that in the most recent adaptation of both Street Fighter and Darkstalkers, the UDON comics, Morrigan is [[AdaptationalVillainy portrayed as an evil monster despite being good in canon]] and their first encounter has them fighting over Morrigan killing humans and attempting to kill both Chun Li and her friend as well provoking property destruction. Said meeting is what leaves Chun Li with the impresion that all Darkstalkers are evil.

** [[ForegoneConclusion Knowing the 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]]

* HarsherInHindsight: Natsu was much more better received and characterized in ''Project X Zone 2'' than [[VideoGame/SoulcaliburV her home game]]. Unfortunately, while the ''Project X 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 [[AlternateContinuity the new timeline]] are privy to and trying to [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong avoid]]]]), rendering most of the improvements for Natsu here almost [[AllForNothing for nothing]].

*** 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 StandardStatusEffects, 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 26: The Dragonturtle breaks down, so players must split the party up [[ProtectionMission to defend it]]. The difficulty is cranked UpToEleven 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.

** Not only is ''Project X Zone 2'' a reality, but the international release was launched within three months after the Japanese release. On another note a complaint about the first game from western fans was that there was a large amount of characters nobody knew of due to NoExportForYou reasons, so the sequel has focused on giving us characters that are more well known to the west while still including obscure characters for people to experience.

** "You Will Know Our Names" is known for being one awesome battle theme in ''[[VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1 Xenoblade Chronicles]]''. Somehow, this game made the theme even [[https://youtu.be/y2P1LjhqMmE more awesome.]]

* [[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'', Ciseaux is the first major boss you'll fight in the game.
* BrokenBase: Both games borrow the TurnBasedStrategy formula of ''Namco × Capcom'' with the ActionCommands button-inputting of ''VideoGame/EndlessFrontier'', but is this mechanically "good" as part of game-play or does it become a redundant chore after a while?

* CryForTheDevil: 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.

* FanficFuel: Having Everyone else from Bandai Namco/Capcom/Sega (and by extension, additional Companies who have yet to join in a Project X Zone game like SNK, Konami, Arc System Works, Koei-Tecmo and Square-Enix, among others) join in the fight against Ouma or fight alongside Ouma.
* FriendlyFandoms: Some overlap with the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' fandom due to both series being {{Massive Multiplayer Crossover}}s featuring characters from Namco Bandai, Capcom, Sega and 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]].

* HarsherInHindsight: Natsu was much more better received and characterized in ''Project X Zone 2'' than [[VideoGame/SoulCaliburV her home game.]] Unfortunately, while the ''Project X Zone'' series ended there, it was later announced that Natsu's home franchise would receive [[VideoGame/SoulCaliburVI a new game]] which was a ContinuityReboot that placed her game into CanonDiscontinuity, rendering most of the improvements for Natsu here almost [[AllForNothing for nothing.]]

** 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}} rival from their home game. In ''Brave New World'', guess who's among the new batch of villains, and who Vile (now as "Vile MK-II") [[EnemyMine seeks to have an alliance with]]?

** During Chapter 29 of the second game, Ryu taps into the Power of 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.]]

* 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 X Zone 2'' granting her some actual personality where ''SCV'' and [[ObviousBeta its incomplete narrative]] had little if none of it for her, with some character focus and good chemistry with most of the cast (particularly the other {{Ninja}}s), she gets a much warmer reception here than in her home series.

* SoOkayItsAverage: The consensus is while there are improvements over many issues ''Namco × Capcom'' 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.

** [[ForegoneConclusion Knowing the fates]] for several of the characters in-canon in their home games makes the game bittersweet, [[spoiler: with [[VideoGame/Shinobi2002 Hotsuma]] and [[VideoGame/XenoSaga KOS-MOS]] in particular]]. [[note]][[spoiler: While [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry Vergil]] was another example at the time, ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' revealed that he had survived. [[VideoGame/{{Tekken}} Heihachi]] on the other hand, died in the UpdatedReRelease of ''VideoGame/Tekken7''.]][[/note]]

** 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 pot-shots 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.

*** Chapter 39 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 24: 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, [[VideoGame/{{Tekken}} Unknown]], and T-elos, with a ton of {{Mooks}} backing them up.

** 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 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.

** [[VideoGame/DynamiteCop Bruno Dellinger]] isn't a character that's on a lot of fans' radars due to not having any appearances in years, the last game was released in 2007, and is one of Sega's lesser-known franchises.
** [[VideoGame/ZombieRevenge Rikiya Busujima]], whose game is an obscure spin-off of ''VideoGame/HouseOfTheDead'' with many fans expecting a character from one of the main games.
** [[Anime/{{Yumeria}} Neneko]] ([[TwoBeingsOneBody and by extension Neito]]) aren't that 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 got Natsu, who hails from 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 videogame character, but the mascot for Sega Saturn's commercials.

** "You Will Know Our Names" is known for being one awesome battle theme in ''[[VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles Xenoblade Chronicles]]''. Somehow, this game made the theme even [[https://youtu.be/y2P1LjhqMmE more awesome.]]

** The sequel breaks the barrier between just three companies and adds ''Creator/{{Nintendo}}'' characters: [[VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening Chrom, Lucina]] and [[VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles Fiora]].

** [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic]] is nowhere to be seen in both games, and his franchise isn't represented or mentioned at all either.

* UnexpectedCharacter:
** It's a bit better about this than ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'', since most of the characters are from more recent and/or recognizable franchises... but there are still some surprising choices.

** It's a bit better about this than ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'', since most of the characters are from more recent and/or recognizable franchises... but we still get characters from ''VideoGame/DynamiteCop'', ''VideoGame/ZombieRevenge'' and ''Anime/{{Yumeria}}''.

* FriendlyFandoms: Some overlap with the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' fandom due to both series being {{Massive Multiplayer Crossover}}s featuring characters from Namco Bandai, Capcom, Sega and Nintendo (to varying extents), with Ryu, Lucina (in ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU Smash 4]]''), Chrom and Ken (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]].

** [[ForgoneConclusion Knowing the fates]] for several of the characters in-canon in their home games makes the game bittersweet, [[spoiler: with [[VideoGame/Shinobi2002 Hotsuma]] and [[VideoGame/XenoSaga KOS-MOS]] in particular]]. [[note]][[spoiler: While [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry Vergil]] was another example at the time, ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' revealed that he had survived. [[VideoGame/{{Tekken}} Heihachi]] on the other hand, died in the UpdatedReRelease of ''VideoGame/Tekken7''.]][[/note]]

* 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.

* 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, which leads to...

** ''You Will Know Our Names'' is known for being one awesome battle theme in ''[[VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles Xenoblade Chronicles]]''. Somehow, this game made the theme even [[https://youtu.be/y2P1LjhqMmE more awesome.]]

** For the sequel, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gc3AK8k90xw&t=6m13s this commercial]] where Advertising/SegataSanshiro meets up with [[VideoGame/SakuraWars Sakura Shinguuji]]: players had no doubt ''Brave New World'' would make a reference out of it, [[https://twitter.com/SEGA_OFFICIAL/status/641838546962124801 which it later did]].
*** Is it any coincidence that in the sequel, Sakura isn't paired with [[VideoGame/SakuraWars Ichiro Oogami]]? It's probably for his sake, because if Segata ever sees [[CovertPervert Ichiro]] do anything funny at [[ClingyJealousGirl Sakura's expense]], he might not survive Segata's usual antics. This promotion video was hilariously {{Lampshaded}} at the 2015 Tokyo Game Show when the master of ceremony called out for Creator/HiroshiFujioka onto the stage.

* HilariousInHindsight: See [[HilariousInHindsight/ProjectXZone here]] for its own page.

* FanficFuel: Having other Bandai Namco/Capcom/Sega characters join in the fight against Ouma or fight alongside Ouma.

* 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.]]
** In a way, the entry on HarsherInHindsight involving Iris. Sure, Creator/YukoMizutani passed away shortly after, but before her death, she managed to come back for Iris and gave Zero a much needed closure before passing away for good.

* ItsTheSameNowItSucks:
** Players disappointed with the first game's bare-boned, sluggish combat weren't impressed with how ''Project X 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.
** The fact the sequel's priced at $/€ 40.00-50.00 has also enforced this mentality due to some players seeing ''Brave New World'' more as a budget title, given its seemingly low production value.

*** At the very least, due to it being locked with Japanese voices, players won't hear the infamous voice acting from ''VideoGame/MegaManX4'': since Zero isn't screaming in anguish in ''Project X Zone'' compared to before, the non-{{Narm}}y impact is reduced.

* ReplacementScrappy: An interesting example. [[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 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 X 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]], though her character simultaneously going the DenserAndWackier route proved just as divisive for several players.

*** Chapter 40 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-based items, prepare for some pain.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: [[spoiler:
** The sequel introduces more [=NPCs=] who appear only once or twice, not counting the ending, but whose appearances make you wish they were playable. This includes [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2 Ada Wong]], who many wanted to be a Pair Unit with Leon; [[VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening Tiki]], who many agree should've been a Solo character; and [[Franchise/AceAttorney Miles Edgeworth]], who many say should of been a Rival Unit or another Solo Unit.
** Hayato is TheHero of [[VideoGame/StarGladiator the series he's from]], but is one of the main antagonists here due to being BrainwashedAndCrazy. Had it not been for that, he could have possibly formed a Pair Unit with June.

* TierInducedScrappy: Two examples from the first game.

** Of the Pair Units in the game, [[Franchise/ResidentEvil Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine]] [[LateCharacterSyndrome fall behind the rest due to them being the last to officially join the party]]. As a result, they suffer from not having enough time to level up and match their peers; furthermore, they're one of the slowest pairs, meaning there's more work to be done to make them on par with the rest of the party. [[AuthorsSavingThrow To make up for this]], Chris/Jill are the first Pair Unit to join Reiji/Xiaomu in the sequel, have a +1 to attack range, and they allow other characters to give out experience with their Genesis [[note]]gives plus 25% experience to any pair unit, including themselves. Stacks up to 100%[[/note]]. Combine that by giving them Aty, and away we go!

** It's a bit better about this than ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'', since most of the characters are from more recent and/or recognizable franchises... but we still get characters from ''VideoGame/DynamiteCop'', ''VideoGame/ZombieRevenge'', ''VideoGame/SpaceChannel5'' [[note]]though in this case, Ulala has also appeared in many of Sega's crossovers[[/note]], and ''Anime/{{Yumeria}}''.
** The sequel. For a ''VideoGame/SoulSeries'' representative, instead of a fan favorite like Taki, we got Natsu. However, due to [[DesignatedHero how]] [[TheScrappy controversial]] the likes of the series's then-incumbent protagonist Patroklos was (and still is), some say it's a better choice. Then we ended up getting Advertising/SegataSanshiro himself.
** Even more so, the sequel breaks the barrier between just three companies and added ''Creator/{{Nintendo}}'' characters, being [[VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening Chrom, Lucina]] and [[VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles Fiora]] (though Fiora is less unexpected due to both ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles'' and this game being developed by Creator/MonolithSoft).
* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: [[spoiler:Vile in the first game. Though his death is presented as a tragedy, him taunting Zero over Iris's appearance in Chapter 29 came off as a KickTheDog moment to Zero.]]

** Then there's Xiaomu herself: 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 also suffers from this. As a lot of his quotes references his various commercials, some of them 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.

* CrossoverShip: Going to Website/{{Pixiv}} and searching for the game has some artists pairing up [[VideoGame/{{Strider}} Strider Hiryu]] with [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfValkyrie Valkyrie]], the scarf being the biggest reason why Hiryu is okay with it. 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 were almost together in ''Brave New World'', one of them having to hold hands while jumping on a catapult.
** The Hiryu/Valkyrie ship seems to have stretched back to ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'' days as a lot romantic fan art featuring both were around by good sum before ''Brave New World'' -- so much that a lot of the fans celebrated both appearing together again upon Hiryu and Valkyrie's return.

* HarsherInHindsight: Zero, having not gotten over Iris's death in ''[[VideoGame/MegaManX X4]]'', finally finds closure when he meets her spirit in the Digital World in the first game in 2013. And then Creator/YukoMizutani passed away in ''2016''...

** Despite the first game being localized, one of the largest complaints was the lack of licensed songs from certain series, the most glaring omission of which is the game's primary theme song (see below)! The sequel brought more, if not, all licensed tracks from all series in the game proper.
** See BrokenBase below regarding [[OriginalGeneration Kogoro Tenzai and Mii Koryuuji]]: due to their divisiveness, the sequel has them PutOnABus and uses the more popular and established [[VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom Reiji Arisu and Xiaomu]] as protagonists again after having appeared in the first game as supporting characters to Kogoro/Mii, although some fans would have preferred seeing the latter get more development instead.

** "Mysterious Project (Ver. SP)", the theme from the official site of the first game. It even ''[[spoiler:[[BackgroundMusicOverride overrides]] the FinalBoss music]]''!
** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwJ0moEahfc Wing Wanderer]]", the opening song for the first game, which sadly wasn't in the localization.
** Kogoro/Mii's {{Leitmotif}} "Wanderer's Road (SP Ver.)"
** ''Brave New World'' has "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ljqOR9qjhs All the World's Stage]]."

* CryForTheDevil: 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. On the other hand, see UnintentionallyUnsympathetic below.

* BrokenBase:
** More than a few people were that annoyed some of the cooler characters in the roster ([[VideoGame/SuperRobotWars Sanger Zonvolt]] and [[VideoGame/{{Tekken}} Heihachi Mishima]], for example) were in the game as "[[AssistCharacter Solo Units]]" rather than fully playable roles. The same thing happened when ''Brave New World'' announced [[Franchise/AceAttorney Phoenix Wright, Maya Fey]] and [[VideoGame/StreetsOfRage Axel Stone]].
** Some ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' fans were upset at the fact that [[VideoGame/StreetFighterIV Se]][[TheScrappy th]] is the villain representative for the series and not [[VideoGame/StreetFighterII M. Bison]]. To be fair, [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/StreetFighterII Dictator]] is already dead at this point from the timeline of TheVerse. Of course, he did come BackFromTheDead in his game as well]]. Surely enough, Bison came back for the second game.
** There are some fans who think the plot of ''Project X Zone'' is simply an ExcusePlot to continue from ''Namco × Capcom'', while others are content this {{Crossover}} between [[Creator/BandaiNamcoEntertainment three]] [[Creator/{{Capcom}} different]] [[Creator/{{Sega}} publishers]] ([[Creator/{{Nintendo}} four]], as of ''Brave New World'') are even happening.
** Because ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' was excluded from the Sega line-up, a lot of people weren't exactly happy about it, given he is the company's mascot. However, the blue hedgehog has a sizable BrokenBase of its own; additionally, neither ''VideoGame/{{Klonoa}}'' (who was in ''Namco × Capcom'' but not here) nor many other animal-based/non-humanoid characters from other video games also appear in ''Project X Zone'' (the ones that do are largely villains); all this is before mentioning ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff is more popular in the West than it is in Japan]].
*** Adding to the setting and nature of ''Project X Zone'' is the argument of whether or not its content is the reason why Sonic isn't included. An extension of this is the argument as to whether or not having a seemingly all-human roster on the heroes' side and not on the villains' side is intentional or just mere coincidence (the latter appears more likely to be the case).
** Both games borrow the TurnBasedStrategy formula of ''Namco × Capcom'' with the ActionCommands button-inputting of ''VideoGame/EndlessFrontier'', but is this mechanically "good" as part of game-play or does it become a redundant chore after a while?
** Female characters in ''Brave New World'', specifically [[VideoGame/VirtuaFighter Pai Chan]], [[VideoGame/{{Tekken}} Ling Xiaoyu]], [[VideoGame/DotHackR1Games BlackRose]] and [[VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia Estelle]], seemingly being replaced with male characters [[VideoGame/VirtuaFighter Kage-Maru]], [[VideoGame/{{Tekken}} Kazuya Mishima]], [[VideoGame/DotHackR1Games Haseo]] and [[VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia Flynn Scifo]] (the latter was in the last game, but as a Solo Unit) was not well-received. Fortunately, Xiaoyu, Pai and Estelle are in the sequel; the problem is the latter two are now Solo Units, giving certain players something to complain about.
** Were Kogoro/Mii victims of underdevelopment to their characters in the first game and deserve a return in the sequel to properly do so or were they shafted because of the possibility of them getting overshadowed (again) by more popular pairings like Reiji/Xiaomu and the rest of the roster? Given their absence in ''Project X Zone 2'' and Reiji/Xiaomu ascending back to protagonists, indications point to the latter; additionally, there was a divide among players whether or not Kogoro/Mii were {{Flat Character}}s who had less plot relevance ([[SupportingProtagonist despite being the main characters]]) as the party grew larger, unintentionally making them unappealing and unvaried compared to other pairings.
*** 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 has peeved the Kogoro/Mii fans more.
** Regarding character inclusions and overall series representation in the sequel, a lot fans have become vocal about the amount of SpotlightStealingSquad ''VideoGame/SakuraWars'' received compared to other franchises -- notably, all four characters return as pairs, with two new bosses from their series entering on top of two returning ''Sakura Wars'' villains from the first game. By contrast, ''Street Fighter'' and ''Tekken'' have less individual representation, but since they're one of the most well-known series from Capcom and Namco Bandai respectively, some fans believe what they have is justified, yet naysayers will argue series' character count is in favor of ''Sakura Wars''. [[note]]Individually, ''Street Fighter'' and ''Tekken'' have a total of five characters represented; ''Sakura Wars'' has eight.[[/note]] Some fans of ''Sakura Wars'' see this justified due the franchise being one of SEGA's juggernaut properties, having lived the glory days as the flagship franchise and KillerApp for Saturn in Japan and has quite an expansive media and legacy stretching to present day. On the other hand a good number of players, [[AmericansHateTingle mostly in the West]], dislike ''Sakura Wars'' due in part of how generic the cast feels when compared to the other characters in the game as well as the fact that out of all the franchises, ''Sakura Wars'' overshadows more popular franchises.
** The inclusion of a HotSpringsEpisode in ''Brave New World'': although it's a completely optional cut-scene that's played for {{Fanservice}}, the fact it's only available on NewGamePlus doesn't help its case. Is it truly worth viewing on a second play-through or not?

** ''You Will Know Our Names'' is known for being one awesome battle theme in [[VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles ''Xenoblade Chronicles'']]. Somehow, this game made the theme even [[https://youtu.be/y2P1LjhqMmE more awesome.]]

** ''You Will Know Our Names'' is known for being one awesome battle theme in [[VideoGames/XenobladeChronicles ''Xenoblade Chronicles'']]. Somehow, this game made the theme even [[https://youtu.be/y2P1LjhqMmE more awesome.]]