Battle X Royale is a crossover 3D fighting game developed by Bandai-Namco Studios and published by Electronic Arts. It is the eighth game in the Namco X series and features a mix of characters and stages from iconic horror and action game, comic and film franchises, including many EA-owned properties.
The game runs on Bandai-Namco's Soul Calibur fighting game engine. It features fully three-dimensional character models, stages and fighting planes with a heavy focus on the weapon and combo-based mechanics of the fighting game series of the same name. Additionally, the Create-A-Fighter feature also appears in the game.
The game was released on July 11, 2017 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows. It will feature cross-network play and console-exclusive characters between platforms.
Story[]
Supreme Leader, Kylo Ren attempts to seize control of the cosmic cube, Pandora (Street Fighter X Tekken) which has landed on the planet Omega. Luke Skywalker uses the Portalstone (Project X Zone) to travel between dimensions and enlist the finest assassins in an attempt to stop him and his clan-while unknowingly luring beings from other dimensions in a never-ending power struggle.
Meanwhile, Darth Vader returns from the dead due to the Portalstone's time reversal effects. He rebuilds the Galactic Empire and wages war against the First Order, led by his successor. A battle between the two superpowers ignites as they fight for control of the galaxy!
Gameplay[]
Battle X Royale's mechanics are based on the Soul Calibur fighting game engine. The core weapon-based combat returns with various tweaks, implementing the all-new Pandora Edge system (a combination of Critical and Pandora-based powers from the Soul series and Street Fighter X Tekken, respectively). Like traditional Soul games, players fight using a combination of vertical and horizontal weapon and melee (punch/kick) strikes and are accompanied by both a color-changing gem, Soul Gauge, beside the health meter and a combo meter, Pandora Gauge, right beneath it.
The Soul Gauge, which changes from green to blue as you attack and empties and turns red when you block or have attacks repelled, allows the player to perform a Soul Crush, which obliterates their opponent's armor and leaves them more vulnerable to damage (be it hit or blocked attacks) while briefly stunning them, and a Critical Edge, a powerful special attack. This can be done when either the player's meter is flashing blue or their opponent's is glowing red.
The Pandora Gauge is a fluctuating combo-driven meter that rises with the number of hits in a single combo and depletes following the end of each attack. It grants the user special abilities during its lifespan. It allows them to charge at the opponent and perform quick movements, which can be used to perform longer, more sophisticated combos that increase in damage with each successive hit or tactically outmaneuver the enemy. Players can also use its remaining gauge to perform a Nullifier attack, which releases an exploding blast of energy to break an enemy's combo. The larger the Pandora meter when used, the more damage it'll inflict on impact. When the meter is maxed out, the wielder can utilize a Soul Destroyer, an energy-siphoning telekinetic slash/dash attack. When completely fulfilled, the meter will remain in Critical until the wielder uses a special ability. If both meters are maxed out, the user may perform a Critical Finisher, an insta-kill technique.
The game also breaks from the traditional best of 3 round format of old Namco fighters, instead implementing two separate life icons that vanish when a fighter's life meter is drained. After losing a life, the fighter will enter Pandora Mode. During this time, the player will receive a power boost and be able to use Super Arts infinitely (and Critical Finishers when the respective Soul Gauges allow it). However, their remaining life force will be constantly drained until defeated. Your character's attacks steadily increase in power as your character inches closer to death, however.
Additionally, new base attacks have been added. Select characters, such as Blade, Alice, Quiet, Fem Shepard, etc. may make use of guns in addition to normal melee and weapon strikes. Others, such as Spawn, Ghost Rider, etc. can use energy/magic strikes while being afforded the same melee and weapon-based attacks of the remaining roster.
The vaunted Create-A-Fighter Mode from the Soul series appears in the game. Players have the option to create a customizable fighter complete with their own moves, weapons and stats based on the tier system from the Soul series, D being the lowest and S being the max. Every custom fighter begins on the lowest tier (D), but can unlock stat upgrades by gradually advancing through levels simply by using their created character. Create-A-Fighter also has an all-new Animation Tool from which players can create their own Special Arts and attacks/combos based on a designated fighting style. Players may also design their own hand-made outfits and weapons via the CAF Animation Tool as well as the option to use pre-rendered outfits and moves provided in-game.
Game Modes[]
- Story Mode-Play an elongated Story Mode divided into chapters and a cutscene preceding each bout.
- Arcade Mode-Fight a series of CPU opponents before facing your rival, the sub-boss and end boss (either Darth Vader or Kylo Ren depending on platform).
- CPU Battle #1
- CPU Battle #2
- CPU Battle #3
- CPU Battle #4
- CPU Battle #5
- CPU Battle #6
- Rival Battle (see below)
- Sub-Boss Battle
- End Boss Battle
- Versus-Play a single match against an AI or CPU-controlled opponent.
- Freddy's Nightmare-New game mode based on the Nightmare on Elm Street films. Enter Freddy's nightmare realm. Face a series of superpowered undead versions of fighters while trying to outrun Freddy in an all-new Beat-Em-Up-styled game mode before encountering him as the end boss-in his most powerful form. Also available in PlayStation VR.
- Tag Battle Mode-Fight a series of CPU opponents in tag bouts.
- Survival-Fight a constant series of bouts until both your characer's life meters are completely drained.
- Create-A-Fighter-Create your own custom fighter using either in-game templates or hand-made via the all-new Animation Tool.
- Training-Hone your skills against an AI opponent.
- Gallery-View concept art, cutscenes, saved battles and unlocked character endings.
- Network-Play online against other players via network play.
- Versus-Play against another player in singles bouts via network play.
- Tag Battle-Face another player in 2-on-2 or 3-on-3 tag team bouts via network play.
- Free-For-All-A side-scroller Beat-Em-Up game mode where are all matched players can freely march around the map to battle other matched players. Inspired by Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks.
- Death Battle-Inspired by the Death Battle game on Deviantart. Players can upload their own dream bouts with their choice of any combination of characters, arena, and match rules and conditions, including boosts and handicaps between select characters. Afterwards, a player can challenge other players via invitation after selecting a player-created Death Battle and vote on the winner with Player Points deducted and earned based on favorability % after completing. Each player in a given party selects between the featured characters on a first-come, first-served basis. NOTE: Player-created characters are not compatible.
- Juggernaut Battle-Features an all-new variant of Street Fighter X Tekken's Pandora Mode. The game starts off with a preliminary match between the first two players in a party of up to 8 after all players have selected a character with the winner earning a match point and becoming the Juggernaut, who sees a power boost and recoverable red health. Afterwards, the remaining players will jump into the match in order of queue and face the Juggernaut until he or she is eliminated with the victor earning the Juggernaut mantle and eliminated players exiting and being pushed to the back of the queue. The game continues until the 10:00 time limit has elapsed with 1 point being awarded to KOs by the Juggernaut and 3 points for eliminating the reigning Juggernaut. Additional XP points are awarded to the players finishing in the top 3 by order of placement.
- Options-Tweek game settings.
Characters[]
Battle X Royale contains a base roster of 36 playable characters, including Alice and Selene from the Resident Evil and Underworld series of films, respectively. Additionally, the game contains 6 console-exclusive playable characters (3 per platform) and 6 DLC characters in total, 2 of those being console-exclusive characters (one per platform).
The game's end boss varies depending on which version you're playing. The PlayStation 4 version of the game features Darth Vader as the end boss while the Xbox One and Windows Store/Steam versions of the game features Kylo Ren. These Star Wars villains will be timed-exclusive on their respective platform(s) and later be available as DLC on the opposite platform(s), similar to Darth Vader and Yoda for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of Soul Calibur IV, respectively. Only after being purchased as DLC will either of the platform-specific end bosses be playable, however and on the platform(s) opposite their launch platform(s).
Additionally, Saya, an NPC from Bandai-Namco's own X series, will serve as the game's sub-boss for either version(s) of the game. She's the new apprentice to either Darth Vader or Kylo Ren depending on which version you're playing.
Rivals[]
| Character | Rival Battle |
|---|---|
| Rayne | Selene |
| Rey | Leatherface |
| Raiden | Rey |
| Nariko | Corvo Attano |
| Selene | Alice |
| Alice | Raiden |
| Fem Shepard | Rayne |
| Isaac Clarke | Prophet |
| Prophet | T-800 |
| Snake Eyes | Big Daddy |
| Corvo Attano | Yoshimitsu |
| Alex Mercer | Carnage |
| Yoshimitsu | Snake Eyes |
| Super Tyrant | Xenomorph |
| Carnage | Super Tyrant |
| Spawn | Alex Mercer |
| Scorpion | Spawn |
| Deadpool | Wolverine |
| Wolverine | Scorpion |
| Xenomorph | Predator |
| Predator | Super Tyrant |
| T-800 | Sweet Tooth (PS4)/Fulgore (XB1/PC) |
| Freddy Krueger | Jason Voorhees |
| Jason Voorhees | Freddy Krueger |
| Michael Myers | Leatherface |
| Leatherface | Michael Myers |
| Big Daddy | Isaac Clarke |
| Ashen One | Kratos |
| Kratos | Nariko |
| Sweet Tooth | Jason Voorhees |
| Arbiter | Predator |
| Jago | Scorpion |
| Fulgore | Jago |
| Blade | Rayne |
| Ghost Rider | Spawn |
| Darth Vader/Kylo Ren | Deadpool |