Project X Zone 3: The Azure Eclipse

Project X Zone III: The Azure Eclipse (プロジェクト クロスゾーンIII：紺碧の日食 Purojekuto Kurosu Zōn San: Konpeki no Nisshoku), or simply Project X Zone 3 outside of Japan, is a strategy role-playing game developed by Monolith Soft and B.B. Studio, and later published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. In addition to being the third Project X Zone game, this is the first entry in the series to be released on the Nintendo Switch.

Even though this game continues the dream crossover between Capcom, Bandai Namco Entertainment and Sega, this game once again features guest characters from Nintendo's Fire Emblem series, as well as introducing characters from Activision's Crash Bandicoot franchise and Square Enix's NieR: Automata.

Announcement
A teaser trailer for Project X Zone 3 was first shown during the Nintendo Direct of February 2019. Right when the direct was wrapping up, television static interrupted the "signal" in short spurts before cutting it off completely. Once the static stopped, text describing the series fades in and out on a black screen. The logo for the first Project X Zone is shown in between the text, but golden chains snatch and destroy it as the sequel’s logo replaces it. Confirmation of the next sequel is suddenly proven by the following line of text.

"Worlds Will Cross Once More!"

The logo for Project X Zone 2 is shown again, but it starts to crack and shatter when a blue light illuminates the screen. Even though the trailer didn’t show off any gameplay, it did reveal a small handful of playable characters after the halation. These characters include the following: Once the trailer reached its conclusion, the city skyline of Toronto is shown with a blue tint. It then switches to an image of two unknown women standing before a bright light in the sky. During E3 2019, these two women would later be revealed to be Glas and Emerald Risket, the main protagonists of the story. Before the Nintendo Direct ended, Japanese viewers were then revealed that the game will be getting an August 2019 release while the rest of the world would have to wait until early 2020.
 * Ryu and Ken Masters from Street Fighter
 * Mike Haggar from Final Fight
 * Arthur and Firebrand from Ghosts 'n Goblins & Gargoyle's Quest
 * Alis Landale and Serena Corsair from Phantasy Star & Guardian Heroes
 * Welkin Gunther and Alicia Melchiott from Valkyria Chronicles
 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Velvet Crowe and Eleanor Hume from Tales of Berseria
 * Excellen Browning, Lamia Loveless and Kaguya Nanbu from Super Robot Wars

Main Plot/Opening Monologue
For every generation, a mysterious object blocks the sun. Usually lasting about a week, this causes a blue glow to illuminate the entire world. Scientists have stated that the moon is nowhere near the sun during these strange eclipses, but they could never identify the object blocking the sun itself.

This phenomenon is infamously known as the Azure Eclipse.

While the Azure Eclipse gained publicity over the years, tons of incidents occur in its more recent appearances. Reports tell about roaming monsters of unknown origin when the blue light is present. That’s how the Azure Eclipse got the attention of several hidden services, including Union 10.

Union 10. A secret organization owned by the Canadian government which is dedicated to keeping reality safe from all kinds of dark multidimensional forces. They have been lurking in the shadows since Canada's earliest years, fighting a silent war with no conclusion. Many of their battles don’t last long, but that doesn’t mean the long ones are nonexistent.

During the last Azure Eclipse, Union 10 and a young man named Leos Risket collaborated with their Japanese counterpart, Shinra, and fought through a brutal conflict. Apparently, the phenomenon can create dimensional rifts between other worlds that are unrelated to the raging tyrants. The alliance has also discovered a crazed girl who appears to have connections to the Azure Eclipse. This brought up some questions during the eclipse’s aftermath.

Who was that girl? What was her reason for coming here? Is she following the orders of some superior leader? Does the Azure Eclipse act as some gateway to an undiscovered world?

20XX, Present Day.

After being absent for two and a half decades, the Azure Eclipse has returned to shake a whole new generation… and quite literally. During those past years, Leos has changed from a free wandering spirit to a family man. He has become the father of two twins, Glas and Emerald, both of whom are now rookie members of Union 10.

The two sisters are now on their way to their first field mission. Little do they know that this little operation will lead them on a journey that will test all their limits, but also reveal the meaning behind the Azure Eclipse.

Basics
Project X Zone 3 keeps the core gameplay mechanics like its predecessors. The player moves multiple playable units across a map to engage in combat with enemy units. Multiple attacks can be linked together with other close pair units and a selected solo unit to build extensive combos.

Unit Stats
These are the stats carried by all units on the map. Players can increase the stats on their units by either leveling them up or equipping them with gear and accessories.

Status Effects
Status effects are abilities that both allies and enemies have in a few of their attacks. Most of the time, these usually last for about two to three turns. Playable units that have a status effect can be cured with the right item.

Skills & Auto-Skills
Skills are a way for players to temporarily enhance abilities for playable units. Normal skills can be activated by individual units with the cost of their SP. Returning from the second game, auto-skills are equipable  enhancements that trigger when certain conditions are met.

Intermissions
Intermissions happen in between chapters, giving players a break from battle scenarios. During intermissions, players can save their progress, modify a unit’s skills and abilities, buy and sell equipment from the shop, practice combos in training mode, and alter the game's basic options to their liking.

New Features
Just like the previous instalment, this game introduces some new mechanics to the series.

Being on new hardware, the game's visuals have received a graphical upgrade compared to the previous installments, both of which were released on the Nintendo 3DS. However, character sprites can be given the classic pixelated look from the 3DS games by switching the represented to Retro Mode in the options menu.

The most notable addition is the moveset customization feature. From here, players will have the ability to select and arrange the input to a unit’s moveset. With all possible moves unlocked, players can select five out of seven normal attacks for each pair unit (plus one out of two support attacks), and one out of two for solo units.

With all the other unit stats, the SPD (Speed) stat returns from the first game. Instead of determining the order of the units, SPD is a player-exclusive stat that gives playable units a chance to dodge attacks from enemies. A higher SPD stat increases a unit’s chance to dodge enemy attacks.

Also being introduced in this installment, Burn is a new status effect that temporarily lowers a unit's stats. Units infected with Burn can be cured with the new item, Water Hose.

Glas Risket
Main Article: Glas Risket

Glas Risket (ガラス・リスク Garasu Risuku) is a rookie member of Union 10 and one of the game’s main protagonists. She is known for being a laid-back genius who specializes in video games and even hosts an internet series centered around the subject. However, an encounter she had with a street gang has left her with the habit of rescuing innocent people from any potential life-threatening situations that surround her. This is likely her oath to the lives she'd failed to save that day, but Glas' acts of selflessness are a flaw in her intelligence since this way of thinking can place her in danger.

In battle, Glas fights using various forms of martial arts, combining them into a fighting style she calls the "Risketsu Technique." This led to the development of the Sage Gauntlets, which are gloves that can harness all sorts of elemental abilities.

Emerald Risket
Emerald Risket (エメラルド・リスク Emerarudo Risuku) is a rookie member of Union 10 and one of the game’s main protagonists. She is a dedicated musician who has created Time Warp Academy, a virtual band that combined the music genres of Rock, City Pop and R&B into an interesting hotchpotch. Compared to her twin sister, Emerald is a lot more childish and optimistic out of the two. However, this limited sense of judgment has made her develop a bad habit of trusting several bad crowds. Thankfully, Glas has always saved her from those vile situations.

Her combat weapon is the Checker Hyde, an electric guitar that can cast various spells with the right tunes.

Leos Risket
Leos Risket (レオス・リスク Reosu Risuku) is a non-playable character and the father of Glas & Emerald. Twenty-five years prior to the events of this game, he was a member of Union 10’s field division who’d witnessed the Azure Eclipse for himself. Now he’s in charge of the organization and behaves a mentor figure towards his two daughters. His personality is best described by Glas & Emerald as a  “ stereotypical shonen manga protagonist in the real world.”

Zaffre Vigil
Zaffre Vigil (ザフレ・ビギル Zafure Bagiru) is a goddess of creation, the one responsible for the Azure Eclipse and the central antagonist of the game. Her primary goal is to destroy the worlds that hold her "prisoners", all while salvaging the innocent mortals to let them inhabit a new world that she created.

Zaffre herself comes from a race of gods who’re believed to be the creators of the Portalstone from the first Project X Zone and to an extent, reality itself. The original purpose of these enchanted stones is to seal in the spiritual energy of those who attempt to rob the gods of their powers. But in extremely rare cases proven by Oros Phlox, it’s possible for these prisoners to escape and even harness their stone’s energy. To prevent these disasters, the gods open dimensional rifts from their own world to further strengthen the seals on the Portalstones.

However, Zaffre will later recall on the events of a civil war that almost led to the extinction of existence. Her side had overthrown the rebellions by sealing their leader inside a colossal Portalstone, but Zaffre believes that she might be the last of her kind to survive the war. Since the aftermath, she’s taken the responsibility of preventing these malevolent souls from escaping their Portalstones. Throughout a majority of the game, the motivation behind her new twisted objective remains a mystery.

Even though her appearance resembles a woman in her early thirties, Zaffre has actually been alive for millenniums. She's mostly a polite woman who understands the factors of being a leader, even knowing that her beliefs and actions can leave dire consequences in the near future. The goddess doesn't let emotions cloud her judgment, but being confronted by Glas and Emerald gives her an uncontrollable sense of guilt and regret.

Zaffre's primary way of fighting is by using a simple staff, but she can easily morph it into any ancient weapon of her choosing (sword, bow, etc). Being a creation goddess, she can also summon horrific monsters from her thoughts. Unlike Oros Phlox who require the aid of the Portalstone, she can actually accomplish this ability at will.

Mezzanotte
Mezzanotte (メザノッテ Mezanotte) is a loyal servant to Zaffre Vigil and one of the game's major antagonists. Centuries prior to the events of this game, civil war broke out amongst the gods and Zaffre discovered her unconscious body in the aftermath. She was taken in by the goddess and eventually became her servant.

This little devil is known for being an unpredictable sadist, but the creation goddess will intervene if her twisted actions go too far. Even though she's cruel by nature, Mezzanotte can be an aggressive mess when facing those she has a grudge against, especially Leos Risket. During the previous Azure Eclipse, her existence was discovered between the alliance of Shinra and Union 10. She waged war against the two secret organizations, but she was forced to retreat when Leos overpowered her in combat.

Due to her violent and warped behavior, Zaffre knew that she was a former follower of the God of Mischief. However, an enraged Mezzanotte reveals at the end of the game that she was a servant for Zenatos, another creation god who's responsible for triggering that same civil war many centuries ago.

Mezzanotte's weapon of choice is a whip that she can wield at surprisingly fast speeds. She also has control over some Geokinetic abilities. These powers include swimming through solid ground like water and assembling various earthly masses into a colossal golem body.

Playable Characters
Characters marked with a (*) symbol are temporarily fought as an enemy unit.

Characters and game franchises highlighted in Italic Bold are new to the series.

Pair Units
A pair unit consists of two characters; a leader who is the one represented on the map and during boss unit attacks, and a partner who assists the leader during the player’s attacks. Pair units are navigated across a map to collect items and trigger battles with enemy units. With 100 XP, either a Special Attack can be activated during combat, or the player can attack multiple enemies at once from the map. Pair units can also activate skills that can effect units in the player’s party. These type of units can gain experience points, level up, and eventually gain new skills.

 Downloadable Content These characters appear exclusively in bonus chapters that can only be purchased through the Nintendo eShop. Placing these units in the main campaign will leave no effect on the story.  

Solo Units
A solo unit is a character that can be linked to any pair unit in the player’s party. These characters are meant to be summoned by the player during combat phases to further extend combo attacks. Solo units cannot be leveled up, but they do provide some unique skills to their linked pair unit.

 

Downloadable Content  These characters appear exclusively in bonus chapters that can only be purchased through the Nintendo eShop. Placing these units in the main campaign will leave no effect on the story.

Boss Units
These are the enemies that will be fought throughout the entire game. Bosses are obviously much stronger than the regular grunts, even having access to both special & multi-attacks with 100 EP.

Characters marked with a (*) symbol have multiple forms.

Characters and game  franchises highlighted in  Italic Bold  are new to the series.

Alternative Boss Forms
As the main story progresses, certain boss units can go through an enhanced transformation or two. Their attacks will mostly be different, but sometimes they might even receive new auto-skills with their evolution.

Sub-Boss Units
This is another type of boss unit that will be encountered throughout the game. Even though they cannot use special or multi attacks, these enemies can be quite a handful with their auto-skills.

Characters and game  franchises highlighted in  Italic Bold  are new to the series.

Event Characters
These characters don’t appear as enemies, but they’re not playable, either. Most of these characters appear exclusively in cut-scenes while some act as shopkeepers.

Characters marked with a (*) symbol are shopkeepers.

Characters and game  franchises  highlighted in  Italic Bold  are new to the series.

Enemy Units
These are the basic grunts that players will face off against. Usually most of them can be defeated in one combat phase, but enemies with high stats and  certain  auto-skills won't be a pushover.

Chapters
This is a list of all the chapters in the game. With 5 prologue chapters, 45 main story chapters, 12 unlockable challenge stages and 3 DLC chapters, there's a total of 65 battle scenarios for the player to conquest through.

Characters being introduced in the game will be highlighted in italic bold.

Challenge Stages
During the progression of a New Game+ playthrough, several extra battle scenarios will become unlocked. On top of using expert tactical skills, challenge stages are meant to test players with their party's SP management due to items being inaccessible in these levels. Special equipment that's exclusive to the New Game+ story can be obtained within the stages themselves. These challenge stages can also help playable units gain some experience points if the player can conquer them.

Side Stories
These are additional battle scenarios that can be purchased through the Nintendo eShop. Completing each of these maps will reward the player with extra playable characters and exclusive equipment.

Japanese

 * Rina Satou - Glas Risket, Velvet Crowe
 * Nana Mizuki - Emerald Risket
 * Akio Otsuka - Leos Risket, Phalanx, Opening Narrator
 * Sayaka Ohara - Zaffre Vigil, Tessa, Selvaria Bles
 * Aoi Yuuki - Mezzanotte
 * Isshin Chiba - Jin Kazama
 * Junichi Suwabe - Lars Alexandersson
 * Mamiko Noto - Unknown, Cordelia Gi Randgriz
 * Yumi Hara - Devil Kazumi
 * Hitomi Harada - Excellen Browning
 * Kaori Shimizu - Lamia Loveless
 * Yukana Nogami - Kaguya Nanbu
 * Natsuko Kuwatani - Koma
 * Ai Maeda - Shion Uzuki
 * Mariko Suzuki - KOS-MOS, T-elos
 * Maaya Sakamoto - Alisa Ilinichina Amiella
 * Daisuke Sakaguchi - Kota Fujiki
 * Ryohei Kimura - Sorey
 * Takayuki Sugō - Heldalf
 * Hiromi Igarashi - Symonne
 * Azumi Asakura - Laphicet
 * Ami Koshimizu - Eleanor Hume
 * Tomoaki Maeno - Oscar Dragonia
 * Yui Horie - Teresa Linares
 * Kikuko Inoue - Valkyrie, Black Valkyrie
 * Haruko Momoi - Kanda Momo / Wonder Momo
 * Yuichi Nakamura - Richard Miller
 * Kumiko Watanabe - Klonoa
 * Nobuyuki Hiyama - Joker, Abyss (Second Form)
 * Yukari Tamura - Mii Koryuji
 * Ai Orikasa - Saya
 * Kazuhiko Inoue - Reiji Arisu
 * Omi Minami - Xiaomu
 * Hiroki Takahashi - Ryu
 * Yuji Kishi - Ken Masters
 * Misato Fukuen - Sakura Kasugano
 * Ayumi Fujimura - Ibuki
 * Shigeru Chiba - F.A.N.G.
 * Tetsu Inada - Arthur, Augus
 * Hitoshi Bifu - Astaroth
 * Takahiro Sakurai - Mega Man X
 * Ryotaro Okiayu - Zero
 * Mugihito - Sigma
 * Hiroki Tōchi - Chris Redfield, Wild Dog
 * Yuko Kaida - Claire Redfield
 * Atsuko Yuya - Jill Valentine
 * Toshiyuki Morikawa - Dante, James Cools
 * Hiroaki Hirata - Nelo Angelo
 * Rie Tanaka - Morrigan Aensland, Lolo, Sylphie
 * Yuji Ueda - Jon Talbain, Lord Raptor
 * Saori Hayami - Hsien-Ko
 * Rikiya Koyama - Frank West
 * Kiyoyuki Yanada - Mike Haggar
 * Tsuguo Mogami - Guy
 * Atsuko Tanaka - Ruby Heart, Poison, Katrina
 * Hiroki Yasumoto - Asura
 * Shinichiro Miki - Akira Yuki
 * Yasunori Matsumoto - Jacky Bryant
 * Minami Takayama - Pai Chan
 * Takenobu Mitsuyoshi - Kage Maru
 * Marina Inoue - Alis Landale, Alicia Melchiott
 * Yōko Sōmi - Serena Corsair
 * Chisa Yokoyama - Sakura Shinguji
 * Sanae Kobayashi - Gemini Sunrise
 * Akio Suyama - Ichiro Ogami
 * Hisayoshi Suganuma - Shinjiro Taiga
 * Kiyomi Asai - Ranmaru Mori
 * Daisuke Egawa - Dokurobo
 * Tomokazu Sugita - Michael Hardy, Dr. Mad, President Peace
 * Takaya Kuroda - Kazama Kiryu
 * Susumu Chiba - Welkin Gunther
 * Yui Kano - Edy Nelson
 * Jun Fukuyama - Maximilian
 * Binbin Takaoka - Gulius Thunderhead, Aku Aku
 * Junichi Kanemaru - Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Kotaro Nakamura - Dr. Eggman
 * Nobutoshi Canna - Knuckles the Echidna
 * Atsushi Abe - Taro Yamada / Rent-a-Hero
 * Mineko Okamura (Credited as Herself) - Ulala
 * Sho Hayami - Jaguar / Shadow
 * Akira Ishida - Purge
 * Yu Kobayashi - Lucina
 * Kaori Nazuka - Hinoka
 * Mamoru Miyano - Leo
 * Saori Seto - Anna
 * Hidenori Takahashi - Owain
 * Lynn - Azura
 * Takehito Koyasu - Validar, Anankos
 * Kappei Yamaguchi - Crash Bandicoot, Firebrand
 * Kenta Miyake - Dr. Neo Cortex
 * Ryūzaburō Ōtomo - Uka Uka
 * Yui Ishikawa - 2B

English

 * Marisha Ray - Glas Risket
 * Laura Bailey - Emerald Risket, Zaffre Vigil
 * John DiMaggio - Leos Risket, Uka Uka
 * Grey Griffin - Mezzanotte
 * Brad Swaile - Jin Kazama
 * Zach Hanks - Lars Alexandersson
 * Cherami Leigh - Excellen Browning
 * Colleen Clinkenbeard - Lamia Loveless, Ruby Heart
 * Karen Strassman - Kaguya Nanbu, Anna, Poison
 * Erica Mendez - Shion Uzuki, Eleanor Hume
 * Caitlin Thorburn - KOS-MOS, T-elos
 * Kate Higgins - Alisa Ilinichina Amiella, Xiaomu, Cordelia gi Randgriz
 * Robbie Daymond - Sorey
 * Patrick Seitz - Heldalf
 * Cristina Valenzuela - Velvet Crowe
 * Amber Connor - Laphicet
 * Brina Palencia - Teresa Linares
 * Erica Lindbeck - Valkyrie, Black Valkyrie
 * Natalie Lander - Kanda Momo / Wonder Momo
 * D.C. Douglas - Wild Dog
 * Max Mittelman - Klonoa, Leo
 * Brittney Karbowski - Lolo, Ranmaru Mori
 * Stephanie Sheh - Mii Koryuji, Koma
 * Kaiji Tang - Reiji Arisu, Owain
 * Megan Hollingshead - Saya
 * Kyle Hebert - Ryu, Validar
 * Brittney Lee Harvey - Sakura Kasugano
 * Kat Steel - Ibuki
 * Jesse Merlin - F.A.N.G.
 * Dan Worren - Arthur
 * Ted Sroka - Mega Man X
 * Johnny Yong Bosch - Zero, Shinjiro Taiga
 * Chris Tergliafera - Sigma
 * Roger Craig Smith - Chris Redfield, Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Reuben Langdon - Dante, Ken Masters
 * Siobhan Flynn - Morrigan Aensland
 * Taliesin Jaffe - Jon Talbain
 * Hunter MacKenzie Austin - Hsien-Ko
 * T.J. Rotolo - Frank West
 * Jason Miller - Guy
 * Matt Riedy - Mike Haggar
 * Tara Platt - Tessa
 * David Vincent - Akira Yuki, Richard Miller
 * Eric Kelso - Jacky Bryant
 * Imari Williams - Kage Maru, Augus
 * Kira Buckland - Alis Landale, 2B
 * Minae Noji - Serena Corsair
 * Wendee Lee - Sakura Shinguji
 * Michelle Ruff - Gemini Sunrise, Jill Valentine, Pai Chan
 * Paul St. Peter - Dokurobo, Opening Narrator
 * Matthew Mercer - Michael Hardy, President Peace
 * Liam O'Brien - James Cools, Asura, Joker, Lord Raptor
 * Richard Epcar - Kazama Kiryu, Firebrand
 * Dave Wittenberg - Welkin Gunther, Ichiro Ogami, Purge
 * Colleen O'Shaughnessey - Alicia Melchiott
 * Carrie Keranen - Selvaria Bles
 * Christine Marie Cabanos - Edy Nelson, Symonne
 * Christopher Sabat - Gulius Thunderhead, Phalanx, Unknown Bird Character
 * Mike Pollock - Dr. Eggman
 * Travis Willingham - Knuckles the Echidna, Astaroth, Anankos
 * Michael Sinterniklaas - Taro Yamada / Rent-a-Hero, Oscar Dragonia
 * Julie Ann Taylor - Ulala, Sylphie
 * Ray Chase - Jaguar / Shadow
 * Alexis Tipton - Lucina
 * Nika Futterman - Hinoka, Katrina
 * Rena Strober - Azura
 * Todd Haberkorn - Crash Bandicoot, Maximilian
 * Greg Eagles - Aku Aku
 * Lex Lang - Dr. Neo Cortex

Cameo Appearances
While many franchises from the three companies are featured in this game, a select few can only be spotted through a cameo appearance. This can range from a character/object being present in a unit’s attack or having an entire map be based on a certain game.

Soundtrack
One month after the international release of Project X Zone 3, the game's official soundtrack made its worldwide debut. All songs and jingles from the game are present on the soundtrack which came out on digital download stores, CD, and even a three-part vinyl record set.

Opening Theme: Final Battle Theme:
 * Ignite These Blue Flames
 * Artist: Nana Mizuki
 * Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi
 * Composition: Yuzo Koshiro
 * Arrangement: Noriyuki Kamikura
 * I'm With You Now
 * Artist: Nana Mizuki
 * Lyrics: Nana Mizuki
 * Composition: Yuzo Koshiro
 * Arrangement: Noriyuki Kamikura

April Fools Day Trailer

 * On the April 1st of 2019, a trailer for the game was uploaded to YouTube, which revealed Popuko and Pipimi from Pop Team Epic as a playable guest pair unit. However, this was simply an April Fools joke from the developers and the two girls are completely absent in the final game.
 * During this "trailer", Popuko was voiced by Kazuhiko Inoue, who's also been the voice of Reiji Arisu since his debut in Namco X Capcom. Pipimi's voice was provided by Toshihiko Seki, who had previously voiced Kogoro Tenzai in Project X Zone.

Reception
Just like the previous two instalments, critics gave Project X Zone 3 a mixture between mixed and positive reviews. Most praise from the game comes from its selection of gaming all-stars, unique story and balanced difficulty, which improved from the critiques of Project X Zone 2 being a bit easy. Even though the game was criticized for having short bursts of repetitive gameplay at some points, the new original characters and unit customization features made up for the hiccups. Some even consider Zaffre Vigil to be one of the most interesting, sentient and mysterious villains in the entire series. Overall, the game was best described as a nostalgic television show that only gets more clever through an adult's perspective.

General

 * This is the first game in the Project X Zone series to contain an English dub for its international release. However, Tekken's Unknown, Devil Kazumi and Marvel Vs. Capcom's Abyss still retain their Japanese voices.
 * Unlike the original Japanese release, the entire script for the game's English dub is fully voiced.
 * A huge majority of the game's original songs were inspired by City Pop, a Japanese music genre originating from the late 1970's to early 1980's.

Unused Concepts
​
 * A scraped idea for the game involved a new villain (who would later become Zaffre Vigil) kidnaping heroes from across the multiverse and creating an army of mindless clones from them. Project X Zone 3’s original concept had the surviving protagonists go out and rescue the captured heroes from this new threat.
 * Open world map exploration would have been introduced to the series as it involved the idea of capturing enemy clone units. Any playable unit would use this new card technology to capture Illusion Units (the name for these characters), summoning them to either fight on the battle map or to be used like a solo unit. However, this concept went unused because it was very similar to the lore of the Pokemon games. The only thing to remain from this premise is the playable character lineup.
 * During the earliest stages of development, the game was originally planned to be released for the Nintendo 3DS in late 2018.
 * Within the game's files, hackers have discovered data containing unused sprites, portraits, dialogue scripts, and attacks for a possessed Takumi from Fire Emblem Fates. Based on the coding of his dialogue and attacks, he was likely planned to be a boss unit before being replaced by Validar from Fire Emblem Awakening.

Character Facts

 * Excellen/Lamia and Lucina/Hinoka are the only pair units in the game to have unique level up jingles, which actually come from their respected games of origin.
 * Instead of fighting in their respected robots, both Excellen Browning and Lamia Loveless fight on foot, wielding weapons that were enchanted by Kaguya Nanbu. Excellen carries a multi-weapon gun she called the Howling Launcher 0. Lamia mainly uses a magic enhanced katana and metal claws, but she can also attack with kunai shurikens.
 * Their combat styles correspond to the robots they pilot in the Super Robot Wars games, with those exact mechs being the Weiss Ritter/Rein Weiss Ritter for Excellen, and the Vysaga for Lamia.
 * Excellen's special attack with Lamia, Rampage Ghost, is originally a combination attack she does with Kyosuke Nanbu (who pilots the Alt Eisen/Alt Eisen Riese). The special attack itself is based on its more recent incarnation, which first appeared in 2nd Super Robot Wars OG.
 * Alisa Ilinichina Amiella is not just the only God Eater character to appear in all three Project X Zone games. She is marked as the first character in the entire series to serve in all three playable unit positions. In the first game, Alisa was a pair unit partner to Soma Schicksal, only to return as a solo unit in the second game. This all follows up to her being a pair unit leader in this game with NeiR: Automata's 2B as her battle partner.
 * Just like in Project X Zone 2, Alisa goes through a wardrobe change to match her appearance in the mobile game, God Eater: Resonant Ops.
 * Whenever they appear on a battle map, both the King of All Cosmos and Anankos are rendered as 3D models instead of sprites.
 * All designs for the Phantasy Star characters have their origin from the first game's remake, Sega Ages 2500 Series Volume 1: Phantasy Star Generation 1, which was originally released for the PlayStation 2.
 * Despite being a recurring character throughout the Fire Emblem franchise, the Anna that appears in this game is unique to the Project X Zone series, claiming that her family has been a part of Shinra for many generations.
 * Her place as the game's default merchant mostly relates to her being in the profession since the first Fire Emblem game, Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light.
 * This is one of the few pieces of media where Crash Bandicoot can actually talk. When the game was originally released in Japan, the role was reprised by his first Japanese voice actor, Kappei Yamaguchi. In the English dub, Todd Haberkorn, who was mostly known for portraying Fairy Tail's Natsu Dragneel, provided a fitting wackiness to orange marsupial's speaking voice.
 * Crash is the only character to have his appearance change between the Japanese and international versions of the game. In the original Japanese release, Crash's design is based around the depiction of him from his franchise's Japanese marketing. When the game was ported to the rest of the world, all of his sprites, dialogue portraits and artwork were changed to match his design from the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy.
 * Despite this change, Crash's Japanese design goes untouched in the game's opening cinematic.

Prologues
Prologue 1: The Risket Sisters Prologue 2: The Lord of Calamity & the Shepherd Prologue 3: Awakened Revelations Prologue 4: Serving a Plate of Ice Cold Street Justice Prologue 5: The Golden Axe
 * The pacing of this introduction is strikingly similar to Project X Zone 2's opening prologue chapter.
 * Based on the actual geometry of Toronto itself, the battle map seems to resemble Yonge-Dundas Square.
 * This is the first real-life location in the series to not be located in Japan.
 * When Sorey meets Velvet for the first time, he goes on to say that she was in a dream he had once. This is likely a reference to a scene in Tales of Zestiria the X where that said dream took place. Upon hearing Velvet's reason to why she's out to kill Artorius, Sorey simply encourages her to keep following that path, which is a complete role reversal based on that original dream sequence.
 * The chapter title card is likely a reference to the Revelation path in Fire Emblem Fates, which can only be purchased through the Nintendo 3DS's eShop.
 * Speaking of which, Lucina, Hinoka and Leo learn the truth behind Hoshido and Nohr's conflict from Azura's spirit, much like the same way Corrin learned it from her when Revelation's path started.
 * Based on the information given about their losses, it's likely that this game's Hinoka is from the Conquest route in Fire Emblem Fates. The same goes for Leo, but his origin comes from the Birthright route.
 * Azura's presence as a ghost is identical to her role in Heirs of Fate, a set of six DLC chapters from Fire Emblem Fates.
 * The Akihabara map is recycled from the first Project X Zone, which appeared in both Chapter 11: Across Infinite Time and Chapter 30: City of Mercy.
 * In this game, the map will later be reused in Chapter 6: Can You Become Rent-a-Hero for Mankind's Sake?
 * In this game, Black Valkyrie wields the stolen Golden Axe, replicating the premise of the original Golden Axe games.
 * During his final defeat in Namco X Capcom, the Ghosts 'n Goblins antagonist Red Arremer Joker revealed that he fought in the Crest War, therefore revealing himself to be Firebrand. In this game, this context is mentioned between Arthur and Valkyrie when the red demon brings up that exact war for the last few crests.

Chapters 1 to 11
Chapter 1: The Beginning of the Azure Eclipse Chapter 2: Just a Quick Intermission Chapter 3: Two Sakura Blossoms Take the Stage! Chapter 4: Operation Needlemouse Chapter 5: Wanderers With Wings Chapter 6: "Can You Become Rent-a-Hero for Mankind's Sake?" Chapter 7: Dead Souls Rising Chapter 8: The One Man Army Chapter 9: Hidden Truths Chapter 11: Dwelling Corruption
 * The Shibuya map is recycled from both previous Project X Zone games.
 * In Project X Zone, the map appeared in Chapter 4: Arisu in Wonderland and Chapter 5: The God Eaters.
 * In Project X Zone 2, the map was also present in Prologue 3: Dancers in Shadow, Chapter 5: The Phoenix Mirror and Chapter 40: Iron Fists of Fury.
 * Just like a couple maps featured in the series, the Namco Theatre stage is based on its appearance in Namco X Capcom.
 * Sakura Kasugano's introduction in this game is similar to her first appearance in Namco X Capcom. In the latter, she sees a Wonder Momo show and becomes a playable unit in the first chapter. During this game's events, she and Ibuki are doing volunteer work at the Namco Theatre where they become a playable pair unit.
 * His interaction with Sonic reveals that Dr. Neo Cortex has a fierce rivalry with Dr. Eggman.
 * The Imperial Theatre map is recycled from both previous Project X Zone games.
 * In Project X Zone, the map appeared only in Chapter 9: Justice Over Evil.
 * In Project X Zone 2, the map served as a tutorial stage for both rescuing and controlling multiple units in Prologue 2: O Brother, Thou Must Not Die.
 * The chapter title card is likely referencing Sonic's name when his character design was in the prototype phase.
 * After Welkin & Alicia defeat Selvaria in the first half of the chapter, she is captured inside a capsule by Dr. Eggman. The second half revolves around a trope seen in the original Sonic the Hedgehog games. Once Eggman is defeated, the player is able to destroy the capsule and free the Valkyria, much like how Sonic concludes an entire zone by rescuing the captive animals in the same matter.
 * Starting at the end of the chapter, a running gag carried throughout the game shows Valkyria Chronicles' Selvaria Bles worshipping Sonic as a mythical creature, much to the latter's confusion.
 * The Portalstone chamber map is recycled from the first Project X Zone, which appeared in Chapter 40: Treasure on the Horizon.
 * Even though it doesn't serve as a battle map, the heroes appear outside the Koryuji Manor at the end of the chapter.
 * In Project X Zone, this location was used as a battle map in Prologue 1: The Wanderers, Chapter 1: Welcome to the Koryuji House, and Chapter 31: Key to Another World.
 * This map is featured again in Project X Zone 2, but only in a brief cutscene after completing Chapter 37: Cypher Punk.
 * This chapter's title card shares the same name of the vocalized version of Rent-a-Hero's opening theme, which was featured in both Fighters Megamix and the original game's Sega Dreamcast remake, Rent-a-Hero No.1.
 * After Taro Yamada/Rent-a-Hero appears for the first time, his battle theme will overlap the rest of the soundtrack until the battle scenario ends.
 * The Kamurocho map is recycled from Project X Zone 2, which appeared in Chapter 2: Like a Dragon.
 * With Kazama Kiryu and Frank West being introduced in this chapter, its title card is an obvious combination of Yakuza: Dead Souls and Dead Rising.
 * The Millennium Tower map is recycled from Project X Zone 2, which appeared in Chapter 38: Undying Souls.
 * Throughout the Yakuza games, several major events take place at the Millennium Tower.
 * Lord Raptor's introduction in this game continues a gag that started in Project X Zone 2. This gag shows him first appearing in the exact same place of his final defeat in the previous game.
 * The chapter title card shares the same name with two DLC chapters from Fire Emblem Fates.
 * Owain's presence in this chapter is likely a reference to the DLC story as well. In the original game, the remaining good will of Anankos has recruited Owain, Inigo and Severa to find his child (Corrin) and get him/her to save the kingdom of Valla, which has fallen into corruption by the real Anankos.
 * When Cortex appears in this chapter, he comments that evil geniuses will always come back, even mentioning that he's been turned into a baby and has seen the horrors of a moron's brain. He's likely referencing the endings to both Crash Bandicoot: Warped and Crash Twinsanity.

Chapters 12 to 22
Chapter 12: Let's Dance Chapter 13: Where the Horizon Has No Conclusion Chapter 14: For the Glory of Mankind
 * This chapter is a reenactment of Report 2's third act in Space Channel 5 Part 2. In the original game, President Peace is kidnapped by the Rhythm Rogues during a music festival at Space Park. Ulala reports on the crisis to save him from a plant monster under Shadow's control.
 * When Sonic meddles with Shadow's plans, he mentions the Shadow from his own series several times.
 * He jokingly calls Space Channel 5's Shadow "The Ultimate Dancing Life Form," which is a parody of "The Ultimate Life Form," one of Shadow the Hedgehog's nicknames.
 * The Fujisakura Altar map is recycled from the first Project X Zone, which appeared in Chapter 12: Fury Sparks and Chapter 25: A Storm of Romance.
 * Due to the context of how Haken Browning is mentioned, it's likely implied that this game takes place after Super Robot Wars OG: The Moon Dwellers.
 * In said game, he transports Sänger Zonvolt back to the New A.D. after the events of Project X Zone. However, he and Aschen Brodel end up being transported along side him. Shortly after their introduction, both Sänger (piloting the Dygenguar) and Haken (piloting the Gempest Haken along side Aschen) become playable units.
 * As mentioned by Excellen and Lamia, both Haken and Aschen are stuck in the New A.D. after the events of The Moon Dwellers.
 * Because Kaguya shares the same surname with Kyosuke, Excellen constantly refers to her as her "soon-to-be little sister in-law" throughout the game.
 * The chapter's title card is also the slogan for YoRHa, the organization in NieR: Automata that 2B belongs to.
 * The God-Eating Fools Carrier map is recycled from the first Project X Zone, which only appeared in Chapter 22: God, Man, and Demon.
 * When Selvaria Bles is confronted by F.A.N.G., he mentions her previous cooperation with S.I.N. during the first Project X Zone. During said game, this was just one of the many enemy forces Selvaria worked along side, hoping that they would help bring her back to the Imperial Empire in Europa.
 * In the same confrontation, Nameless members No. 1 (Imca), No. 7 (Kurt Irving), and No. 13 (Riela Marcellis) were also mentioned. They served as the main characters in Valkyria Chronicles 3 and were also playable characters in the first Project X Zone.
 * Jill being brainwashed by Shadaloo's technology could be a reference to her role in Resident Evil 5.

Chapter 15: Hunter Highjacking Chapter 16: The Chest to a Pirate's Heart
 * After the heroes save Zero from a virus, he stated that he came in contact with an opera singing robot before being infected. The mentioned robot is likely Simone, one of the many bosses in NieR: Automata.
 * Ironically, this boss fight with Simone introduced the enemy's ability of hacking into the player's character. This would result in activating a simple shooting game where the player must destroy the virus.
 * The way Sigma got revived is very identical to how Adam was created in NieR: Automata.
 * In Mega Man X4, Cyberspace is the location where Cyber Peacock is fought.
 * Even though Cyberspace was already in both Project X Zone 1 & 2, the layout of this map has been changed from its predecessors once again.

Chapter 17: Red Earth, Blue Sun Chapter 18: The Door to Phantomile Chapter 20: It's Time to Crash this Monster Party! Chapter 21: Dancing Like a Wolf Chapter 22: Slammin' it Down on a Saturday
 * In Red Earth, Savalia is the stage where Hauzer is fought, which relates to its boss debut in this chapter.
 * This chapter's title card is also the subtitle for the first Klonoa game.
 * The day/night concept was previously used in Klonoa: The Door to Phantomile.
 * In said game, the enemies become invincible monsters when the night sky is present.
 * In this game series, the alliance that Joker and Ranmaru forge is the second time where two antagonists become great friends with a devoted cause. This previously happened with Mega Man X's Vile and Tales of Vesperia's Zagi in Project X Zone 2.
 * The title card is a possible reference to Monster Party, a game published by Bandai for the Nintendo Entertainment System.
 * When the Earthpulse triggered visions of Cortex's past, the heroes comment about seeing a "kid being harassed by a bunch of clowns" and a "circus tent being destroyed by fireworks."
 * These are references to Cortex's backstory from the original Crash Bandicoot during its development.
 * The chapter title card is a reference to both the novel Dances with Wolves, and the Duran Duran song Hungry Like a Wolf.
 * The Deserted Chateau map is recycled from Project X Zone 2, which appeared in Chapter 3: Turnabout Family Reunion, Chapter 33: Dance with the Devil, and the conclusion to the Final Chapter: Arisu in Destinyland.
 * The chapter title card is a reference to Capcom's Saturday Night Slam Masters, a pro wrestling game whom Mike Haggar guest stars in.
 * Although the Haunted Graveyard appeared in Chapter 16: Detestable Golden Sunny Demon during the first Project X Zone, the layout of this game's map is completely different from the former.

Chapters 23 to 33
'Chapter 23: The Wrath of a Demigod... and Some Other Mad Geniuses' Chapter 24: An Eternal Voyage
 * In Crash Twinsanity, the 10th Dimension is where the Evil Twins, Victor and Moritz, were teleported to after being mutated by a young Cortex's Evolve-O-Ray prototype.
 * Before Cortex and his group departed to the Evil Twins' Stronghold, Crash's 10th Dimension counterpart was briefly mentioned by him.
 * The layout of this map is based on Ant Agony, the final level in Crash Twinsanity.
 * In the Mega Man X series, the Sigma Virus is the Maverick embodiment of Sigma himself, and a virus infection that can transform Reploids and other robots into Mavericks.
 * Abend's role is quite similar to Phantom's role in the original Project X Zone, as both robots get hijacked by an outside force (with Abend, it's the Sigma Virus) and later salvaged by the heroes. In this case, Abend appears in Excellen and Lamia's newly unlocked attacks after the chapter's completion.

Chapter 25: Chaos Over an Emerald Chapter 26: Katamari Construction Zone Chapter 28: The Beasts of Broadway Chapter 29: Invasion on Gallia! Chapter 30: A Declaration of Love Within War Chapter 31: Data Rising Chapter 32: World Wanderers, It's the Pac-Man Theater! Chapter 33: A Passion for Vengeance
 * The Magic Circle Chamber map is recycled from both previous Project X Zone games.
 * In Project X Zone, the map appeared in Prologue 4: The Man The Devils Fear, Chapter 13: Valkyries' Adventure, and Chapter 24: Maidens of the Battlefield.
 * In Project X Zone 2, the map appeared in Chapter 37: Cypher Punk and Challenge 6: The Formidable Caged Ones.
 * In the Sonic series, the Master Emerald is the reason why Angel Island floats in the sky. The emerald is what remains from an ancient echidna tribe. Knuckles, a descendant from the tribe, is known to be the gem's only guardian.
 * The Katamari mission replicates the exact lore seen in the actual Katamari games.
 * At the end of the chapter, Knuckles recalled on a weird dream he had. In his brief description of it, he was confronted by a deformed version of himself who asked him if he knew the way. This is likely a reference to the Ugandan Knuckles meme.
 * The Little Lip Theatre map is recycled from Project X Zone 2, which appeared in Chapter 18: Escape from the Gangs of New York.
 * The Castle Randgriz map is recycled from the first Project X Zone, which appeared in Chapter 14: Eternal Rivals.
 * Several important events from the original Valkyria Chronicles are depicted in this chapter, mostly from the game's second half.
 * The Willamette Shopping Mall map is recycled from the first Project X Zone, which appeared in Chapter 3: The Further Misadventures of Tron Bonne and Chapter 32: Dead Rising Again.
 * The title chapter card references the quote "Ladies and gentlemen, it's the Pac-Man theater," which appears when the player enters the second world in Pac-Mania.
 * This chapter replicates the gameplay and overall premise of the Pac-Man series.
 * The four V-Durals are even colored after the four ghosts from those games.
 * After stabbing Leos with a dagger which somehow didn't leave any wounds, Mezzanotte's confident remark after her defeat would eventually foreshadow his fate in Chapter 38.

Chapters 34 to Endgame
Chapter 34: Band Battle! & Chapter 35: The Dance Virus Broadcast Chapter 37: Crisis Against the Clock Chapter 38: Days Lost Chapter 39: A Purpose to Continue Chapter 40: The Vallite King & Chapter 41: We Decide Our Fate Chapter 42: The Crystal Beyond the Sun Chapter 43: Fractured Final Chapter: Renaissance from the Darkness
 * Both these chapters reenact Reports 5 and 6 from Space Channel 5 Part 2.
 * In Crash Twinsanity, the Psychetron is used as a way to access different dimensions, including the 10th Dimension where the Evil Twins were located.
 * In the Revelation path of Fire Emblem Fates, a later chapter shares the same title card.
 * The final encounter with Oscar and Teresa is identical to their actual one from Tales of Berseria.
 * The meaning of this chapter's title card is taken quite literally here. Emerald attempts to help Glas move on after their father's sudden suicide all while Mezzanotte is left a broken woman and unable to trust anyone after Zaffre banished her for the attack she conducted on Leos.
 * Most players consider this to be one of the hardest levels in the game since Glas and Emerald are placed in a fight for survival without any backup.
 * The objectives in this chapter are quite similar to the events in Chapter 25: Blades Drawn from Fire Emblem Fates (the Revelation path).
 * To further extend this connection, the chapter's map was also recreated from the source material.
 * In Fire Emblem Fates, First Blood is an item obtained from the second Hidden Truths DLC chapter. The blood comes from Anankos himself and those who drink it will have the ability to use Dragon Veins, much like the Risket sisters in this chapter.
 * These two chapters mimic the fight against Anankos in Fire Emblem Fates' Revelation path.
 * However, the map of the latter is based on the final Heirs of Fate DLC chapter.
 * In the context of this being a crossover game, it's revealed that Anankos provided Maximilian with his power after he branded Selvaria as a traitor, eventually becoming a mere puppet for the dragon.
 * Right down to his words, Dante's interaction with Nelo Angelo pays tribute to their final encounter in the original Devil May Cry.
 * With the player fighting against duplicates of enemy-turned-allies, the final battle against Zaffre Vigil is quite similar to Project X Zone's pre-final chapter.
 * T-elos, who had been duplicated in said scenario, will recall that battle in disgust upon seeing the clones of herself.
 * In this chapter, Zaffre will refuse to attack Glas and Emerald, foreshadowing a secret about the twins. This makes Zaffre one of the first enemy units in the series to have this kind of behavior.
 * When the game transitions into this chapter, an intermission will not occur and the player is unable to use quick-saves. This is the first time in the series where the luxury of saving the game gets disabled at a certain point.
 * Before returning to their worlds, some of the party members will talk about certain things which foreshadow events and characters from their respective franchises.
 * Selvaria Bles mentions some details about a second Valkyria in the Imperial Alliance to Welkin and Alicia. This second Valkyria is likely Crymaria Levin, one of the main angagonists from Valkyria Chronicles 4.
 * Gulius Thunderhead opens up about returning the Golden Axe to the gods who created it, therefore giving a glimpse into his role in Golden Axe 3.