Building on an already good formula, “Project X Zone 2” makes major improvements across the board from its predecessor, cementing it as a vastly superior game.

Much like the original, “Project X Zone 2” is a huge crossover between the video game franchises of Namco, Capcom and Sega. Despite having a plotline that involves dimension-hopping and time travel, it’s more logical than the previous game. Accompanied by memorable character moments and writing of equal quality, the story of “X Zone 2” is a large enhancement over the original.

Gameplay stays relatively the same, with the player moving their units from an overhead perspective to attack enemies. When battling, the play style is more similar to that of fighting games, where chaining together combos and timing strikes perfectly is the key to victory.

The introduction of new mechanics fixes the biggest problems with the series’ previous iteration, which was the length of individual maps and the amount of damage bosses can take.  No map in this game has an enemy count larger than twice the allowed player units, where as maps in the original had enemies counts reaching two and a half times the number of player units. Bosses go down much quicker thanks to the side and back attack mechanic, which allows units to deal more damage based on where the enemy is facing in relation to them. It’s possible to beat bosses in a single turn with good skill and positioning.

When it comes to music, “Project X Zone 2” blows its predecessor out of the water. All songs are done using real instruments, and it sounds amazing. Some stand out mentions are “F.A.T.E.,”a hard rock piece, “Summoned by the Sun,” a tropical-style melody, and “Gentle Hands,” a violin and piano focused tune. However, some songs, such as “Divine Decree Ablaze” and ‘The Beginning of Eternity” don’t quite fit the 3DS sound system, causing the speakers to crackle. Players should use either external speakers or a pair of headphones in order to get the most out of the soundtrack.

The game uses its graphical style to great effect. Sprites are well animated and move fluidly. A standout pair for this is Cecil and Nana, whose weapons routinely transform. Maps are faithful to their source material, to the point where The Fallen Arm is almost a one-to-one recreation of the same area in “Xenoblade Chronicles,” right down to where items are located.

“Project X Zone 2” was created as a giant love letter to fans of multiple franchises, but unlike its predecessor, it has an identity beyond that as a solid Strategy RPG. An engaging story combined with better map design, amazing soundtrack and highly detailed sprites makes “Project X Zone 2” a game that anyone could like.