5/5 ★ – RawMetal's review of GUILTY GEAR XX ACCENT CORE PLUS R.

System: PlayStation 3 Started: September 21, 2025 Ended: November 28, 2025 Redemption Playthrough First Attempt: June 9, 2014 In 2014, during my Guilty Gear obsession, I bought the digital version of Guilty Gear X2’s definitive edition, Accent Core Plus R, for PlayStation 3. Though it was called Accent Core Plus, there was an update available to download the Accent Core Plus R version. Guilty Gear X2 has gotten the Street Fighter II treatment as it released a total of six versions until development shifted to Guilty Gear Xrd. I played this game extensively with friends during weekend hangouts and trained with various characters. However, I barely played Arcade Mode with I-No, especially due to her sudden difficulty spike even on Beginner’s Mode. I set the game aside for a while as my plan was to complete Arcade with all characters, finish Story Mode, and unlock all Gallery illustrations. Now in 2025, I’m revisiting it to just clear a chunk of backlogged games. Guilty Gear X2 felt like a hidden gem, yet it remains popular in fighting game communities. Released in 2002, it flew under my radar as a kid, as I was playing Bloody Roar: Primal Fury, Soul Calibur II, and Capcom vs. SNK 2. Playing it now makes me wish I had discovered the series earlier with this entry. Known for its heavy metal soundtrack, X2’s music is great as always, with more references to actual metal bands. The Midnight Carnival track is a standout. However, the soundtrack with the character themes is mostly the same as the previous game’s X version, with a grittier, more mechanical sound, although I prefer Guilty Gear X’s more energetic music. Interestingly, a different soundtrack exists exclusively in South Korea, and I wish Accent Core Plus R included those tracks unless you mod it on PC. X2 offers more content. M.O.M. mode, akin to Survival, involves collecting points to level up your character’s health and power. Story Mode lets you explore characters' adventures in the X2 lore, while Mission Mode challenges you with specific conditions, like low health or no jumping. Each character’s “EX Mode” unlocks new moves, abilities, or special inputs. For example, I-No’s OP Megalomania that you can actually pull off or A.B.A.'s giant key in permanent attack mode. Playing through these modes is fun just to toy with the game. I remember the brutal difficulty spike with I-No in Arcade Mode. Arcade Mode starts out easy but once you get to the final boss, she can literally rock your world in 20 different places. Especially with her Megalomania attack. If you are playing Guilty Gear for the first time, She’ll shred you straight to Hell and insult you with her sexual innuendo quotes. However, after several matches against her, you’ll learn her patterns and beating her becomes incredibly satisfying. This game has so much content that you might be playing this game forever if you don’t use a Gaming Guide. Its Story Mode has branching paths based on your performance or choices, but the game never explains how to unlock certain endings. For instance, beating Zappa’s ending unlocks one of Faust’s story paths, and some endings require performing specific moves or actions like an Instant Kill. Online guides are helpful for navigating these. The game’s tutorial is lacking, requiring experimentation with combos, though Guilty Gear Xrd improved this with excellent tutorials. Gallery Mode unlocks illustration artwork as you complete arcade runs with characters, but these can also be found online. The Secret Voice Interviews featuring voice actors from Guilty Gear XX answering questions from fans, especially the series creator, Daisuke Ishiwatari is interesting, though they lack subtitles, so you need to look up translations. Despite some frustrating aspects like the final boss difficulty, cryptic story paths, and pointless art unlocks, Guilty Gear X2 is arguably the best entry among fans. Personally, I see it as a runner-up, but it remains one of my favorites. Out of all the Guilty Gear games, X2 and Xrd are my most played with friends. X2 could have been my favorite due to its extensive content, great music, and interesting characters, but my heart belongs to Xrd. Even today, X2 is still played in local fighting game tournaments. If you're looking for a top fighting game outside of Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, or even Tekken, I highly recommend Guilty Gear X2 as an alternative. But only for slightly mid-tier experience fighting game players due to I-No unless you are up for the challenge.