2008 · Idea Factory · Crossover · Fighting

Cross Edge

In a world where dreams and nightmares become reality, a band of powerful warriors from across dimensions must come together to stop their worlds from being consumed by evil incarnate. Harness the power of characters from such series as Disgaea, Ar tonelico, and DarkStalkers! Utilize the dynamic battle system to unleash powerful special skills and team combos, and choose your destiny!

Released: 25 September 2008
Platforms: PlayStation 3 Xbox 360
Genres: Crossover Fighting Role-playing Tactical Tactical role-playing
Developers: Idea Factory
Publishers: —
Perspective: Bird view / Isometric Side view
Themes: Action Fantasy Science fiction
Country: Japan
Age ratings: ESRB T PEGI 12 GRAC 15+CERO C
Languages: English, Japanese

About

Cross Edge is a role-playing video game originally for the PlayStation 3. The game was developed by Idea Factory with characters from games by Capcom, Nippon Ichi Software, Bandai Namco, and Gust Corporation. Released on September 25, 2008, in Japan, the title features turn-based battles, a plot that involves rescuing souls, and the ability to dress the female characters of the player's party in a wide variety of outfits. It was later ported to the Xbox 360 in Japan under the title Cross Edge Dash.

Cross Edge features characters from Darkstalkers, Disgaea, Ar Tonelico: Melody of Elemia, Spectral Souls: Resurrection of the Ethereal Empires, Blazing Souls, Atelier Marie and Mana Khemia 2: Fall of Alchemy. NIS America published the game in North America, and it was released for that region on May 26, 2009.

›Story

When we woke up it was totally different from the world we once knew.

It was like some paradoxical dream world. And yet, the monsters that attacked us were definitely real. We met people who came to this world from somewhere else, just like us. And then there's that strange girl...

"I've been waiting for you!"

She told us all about the world we're in. It was created from Souls gathered from other worlds. We're those same kind of souls, but we also kept our physical bodies. So we're different from other Souls because we're bound to this world more strongly than the rest.

And if this world doesn't stop stealing souls from other places, sooner or later those other places will disappear forever. To stop this terrible outcome, we have ot sever the bond between this world's evil master and ourselves. But to do that, we have to release all the souls confined to this nightmare world.

"Can you please help me?"

That girls is the only one who can actually release the Souls. So we set out on our mission... To return to the worlds we belong to. Believing that's the only choice we have...

Keywords

exploration
anime
vampire
magic
grinding
turn-based
death
hand-to-hand combat
crossover
multiple protagonists
multiple endings
dark humor

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Cross Edge is a traditional Japanese role-playing game complete with a world map, random battles, level grinding, item combining/creation using alchemy, etc. It also features heroes and villains from game franchises published by Gust, Capcom, Nippon Ichi, Namco Bandai and Idea Factory. As players set about freeing the trapped souls supporting the nightmare world that they are stuck in, they engage in turn-based team battles. Players must enlist characters from previous games to join in party-based battles.

Success in these battles is based on the ability to string together specific moves into chain attack sequences, which in turn unlock even stronger combinations when successful. Players can also increase their characters' stats and abilities by acquiring additional costumes called "forms" and redressing their characters in them. Female characters' physical appearances can also be changed based on the form they're wearing.

Reception

Cross Edge received mixed reviews. PlayStation Official Magazine US said that "From dialogue that loads one line at a time to the lack of PS3-level graphics (high-res static art aside), everything seems like a remnant from the early 2000s." IGN stated that "A game that could have been an entertaining compilation of iconic Japanese characters turned out to be a frustrating, awkward mess of menus, gameplay imbalances and annoying dialogue scenes." Sales of the game totalled just 44,246 units in the region by the end of 2008 according to Famitsu.