Game2014

Guilty Gear X2 #Reload

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Developer Arc System Works

Guilty Gear X2 (released as Guilty Gear XX: The Midnight Carnival in Japan) is a 2D fighting video game developed by Arc System Works, and published by Sammy Studios. It was first released on May 23, 2002 for Japanese arcades, and later ported to the PlayStation 2 for North America in 2003. The game received a series of updated revisions for several platforms, each containing various adjustments: Guilty Gear X2… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

187 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy) · newest Nov 2, 2026 · last updated Nov 4, 2026 · How this works

Audience score

77
LovedLoved

127 positive · 39 negative
95% range 70–82%

Source+−=
Steam reviews127390
Bluesky *3016
Lemmy *002

* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).

Steam's own rating
Very Positive
362 of 433 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)

What players are saying

77% recommend · 131 yes, 39 no

Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 170 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (791 of 913 positive).

Players praise the game as a peak of 2D fighting with deep combat and a killer soundtrack. [1][2][3] Some note it lacks modern features like controller support and proper resolution options. [4][5][6] Many recommend the updated Accent Core +R version instead for better online play. [7][8][5]

Liked
  • Deep and addictive combat with unique characters. [9][10]
  • Excellent soundtrack and classic art style. [3][11]
  • Runs well on Steam Deck with a controller. [12]
  • Nostalgic and holds up surprisingly well. [13][10]
Disliked
  • No controller support and broken key bindings. [14][5][6]
  • Low online population; better on Fightcade. [15][7]
  • Outdated resolution and lack of modern features. [4][6]
  • Accidental shutdown by pressing keyboard buttons. [16]
Representative posts
  • [7]Steam user Steam user …0463Steam review · Mar 25, 2023 · Not recommended

    buy xx accent core instead, its the final update/definitive edition of this game + this game maxes out at about 10 people online with or without the netplay mod. i was stupid when i bought this because i didnt realise how this series worked originally

  • [2]Steam user Steam user …4947Steam review · Apr 10, 2025 · Recommended

    Let’s cut straight to it: Guilty Gear X2 #Reload is the peak of 2D fighting games, no contest. Arc System Works took the already cracked formula of Guilty Gear X2 and somehow made it even more OD. This isn’t just a game—it’s a chaotic anime battle fever dream that slaps harder than a counter-hit Dust combo. If you’re looking for that sweet dopamine drip of high-skill ceiling fights with absolutely zero chill, …

  • [15]Steam user Steam user …7568Steam review · Dec 4, 2025 · Recommended

    You need to mod the game slightly for multiplayer to work, and as usual it's inferior to Fightcade's rendition for casual play. This is a discord fighter, so getting a sense of the multiplayer takes a fair amount of investment. This is the 2nd of 6 commercial versions of GGXX and one of the subseries's two high points, the other being Plus R, which is the bigger and better game. At the time of its release it was the …

  • [13]Steam user Steam user …5605Steam review · Jun 19, 2026 · Recommended

    A great snapshot of Guilty Gear before the series evolved into its later forms. The fast pace, killer soundtrack, and creative character designs still hold up surprisingly well. It feels a bit rough around the edges compared to newer entries, but there's a certain old-school charm that makes every match exciting. A solid recommendation for fighting game history buffs.

  • [1]Steam user Steam user …8353Steam review · May 25, 2025 · Recommended

    this game is peak and im NGL this is better than tekken 8

Summarised from 34 of the 194 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made

RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account

77% of the 170 Steam reviewers we collected recommend Guilty Gear X2 #Reload. The complaint that keeps coming up: no controller support and broken key bindings. Deal-breaker or nitpick?

Critics, per Wikipedia

Guilty Gear X2 #Reload's PS2 version sold 91,130 copies, and the PSP version sold 31,910 copies. Reviews for its Xbox version were generally positive, with aggregate scores of 85.02% from GameRankings, and 86/100 from Metacritic. Guilty Gear X2 #Reload was praised for its graphics; GamePro stated "The 2D-animation cel-like graphics are simply gorgeous and animate smoothly", while PALGN commented that its "[e]xcellent character design combined with some visually appealing backgrounds make GGX2:Reload one of the best looking 2D games ever." IGN said it "offers a solid framerate (even online), lush visuals, and an incredible amount of gameplay depth." G4 stated that "this is both a great…

From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.

Reactions

60 of 187 · most liked first
  • gramie @[email protected]Lemmy · Dec 26, 2024

    [CLOSED] [STEAM] Christmas Steam Key Giveaway -- Part 4. As before, please list up to 5 titles that you want, and I will do my best to make sure that everyone gets at least 1. Check [Part 1](https://lemmy.ca/post/35563409), [Part 2](https://lemmy.ca/post/35607838), and [Part 3](https://lemmy.ca/post/35685416) for previous giveaways (I'm going through the alphabet, if you couldn't tell). Occasionally keys may have already been redeemed, or be for the wrong game. Sorry about that, I've been…

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Fighting Game Anniversaries @fganniversaries.bsky.socialBluesky · Aug 13, 2026

    21 years ago today, Guilty Gear X2 #Reload was released on PC via Microsoft Windows in JP. It was developed by Arc System Works and published by Microsoft Game Studios.

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Daily Video Game Art @dailyvgart.bsky.socialBluesky · Sep 21, 2026

    Bridget Art - Guilty Gear X2 #Reload

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …0463Steam reviews · Mar 25, 2023 · 3 h played

    buy xx accent core instead, its the final update/definitive edition of this game + this game maxes out at about 10 people online with or without the netplay mod. i was stupid when i bought this because i didnt realise how this series worked originally

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Fighting Game Anniversaries @fganniversaries.bsky.socialBluesky · Mar 27, 2025

    22 years ago today, Guilty Gear X2 #Reload was originally released at arcades in JP. It was developed by Arc System Works and published by Sammy Studios.

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …5118Steam reviews · Dec 5, 2024 · 14 h played

    Bridget is in this one too.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …2335Steam reviews · Dec 19, 2021 · 12 h played

    not a single thing do i find "guilty" about these gears, or so they would have you believe. however, despite claiming being free from sin, this game refers to itself as "X2", the us navy bathyscaphe based on the trieste also known as the bathyscaphe trieste II. the original trieste design was heavily modified by the naval electronics laboratory in san diego, california and built at the mare island naval shipyard. this unique craft was listed only as "equipment" in the navy inventory until the…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Fighting Game Anniversaries @fganniversaries.bsky.socialBluesky · Sep 15, 2025

    21 years ago today, Guilty Gear X2 #Reload was released on Xbox in NA. It was developed by Arc System Works and published by Majesco Entertainment.

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Fighting Game Anniversaries @fganniversaries.bsky.socialBluesky · Nov 27, 2025

    21 years ago today, Guilty Gear X2 #Reload was released on the PlayStation 2 in EU. It was developed by Arc System Works and published by Zoo Digital Publishing.

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Nostalgia ICU @nostalgia.icuBluesky · May 23, 2026

    The backgrounds in Guilty Gear X2 #Reload move like they're alive—parallax layers shifting at different speeds, dust particles catching light that doesn't exist. I'd forgotten how aggressive the art direction is. #Retro #RetroGaming #BoxArt #PS2 #GuiltyGearX2

    positive · AI labelView post →
  • Fighting Game Anniversaries @fganniversaries.bsky.socialBluesky · Apr 30, 2026

    22 years ago today, Guilty Gear X2 #Reload was released on Xbox in JP. It was developed by Arc System Works and published by Microsoft Game Studios.

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Fighting Game Anniversaries @fganniversaries.bsky.socialBluesky · Aug 1, 2026

    23 years ago today, Guilty Gear X2 #Reload was released on the PlayStation 2 in JP. It was developed by Arc System Works and published by Sammy Studios.

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Daily Video Game Art @dailyvgart.bsky.socialBluesky · Jul 10, 2026

    Zappa Art - Guilty Gear X2 #Reload

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …8353Steam reviews · May 25, 2025 · 4 h played

    this game is peak and im NGL this is better than tekken 8

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Fighting Game Anniversaries @fganniversaries.bsky.socialBluesky · Sep 15, 2026

    22 years ago today, Guilty Gear X2 #Reload was released on Xbox in NA. It was developed by Arc System Works and published by Majesco Entertainment.

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …8068Steam reviews · Dec 18, 2025 · 65 h played

    Since the guilty gear won't ready the reviews, I just want to say... Merry christmas

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …7568Steam reviews · Dec 4, 2025 · 2 h played

    You need to mod the game slightly for multiplayer to work, and as usual it's inferior to Fightcade's rendition for casual play. This is a discord fighter, so getting a sense of the multiplayer takes a fair amount of investment. This is the 2nd of 6 commercial versions of GGXX and one of the subseries's two high points, the other being Plus R, which is the bigger and better game. At the time of its release it was the overall best traditional solo fighting game in history. It's easier to play…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …4947Steam reviews · Apr 10, 2025 · 2 h played

    Let’s cut straight to it: Guilty Gear X2 #Reload is the peak of 2D fighting games, no contest. Arc System Works took the already cracked formula of Guilty Gear X2 and somehow made it even more OD. This isn’t just a game—it’s a chaotic anime battle fever dream that slaps harder than a counter-hit Dust combo. If you’re looking for that sweet dopamine drip of high-skill ceiling fights with absolutely zero chill, welcome to Valhalla. This game is straight-up cracked. The roster is stacked with…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …1910Steam reviews · Oct 4, 2021 · 5 h played

    YANOGA REVIEW GRAPHICS - ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ The game aged very well. Really beautiful 2D-Sprites and fighting effects. All 20 characters and every stages has an unique and very clean/gorgeous style. MUSIC - ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ Some Badass Rock Riffs! STORY - ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ Every of the 20 charakters got his own little Storyline. Nothing to deep but interessting enough to hook me. GAMEPLAY - ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ Really addictive and deep combat. Every Character got his own Weapon, Fighting Style and Skills which…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …5605Steam reviews · Jun 19, 2026 · 5 h played

    A great snapshot of Guilty Gear before the series evolved into its later forms. The fast pace, killer soundtrack, and creative character designs still hold up surprisingly well. It feels a bit rough around the edges compared to newer entries, but there's a certain old-school charm that makes every match exciting. A solid recommendation for fighting game history buffs.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …5406Steam reviews · Oct 25, 2024 · 4 h played

    You can accidentally turn this game off by pressing like half the buttons on your keyboard, but it's still peak.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Fighting Game Anniversaries @fganniversaries.bsky.socialBluesky · Aug 1, 2025

    22 years ago today, Guilty Gear X2 #Reload was released on the PlayStation 2 in JP. It was developed by Arc System Works and published by Sammy Studios.

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …3154Steam reviews · May 8, 2023 · 6 h played

    I am a 45 yo father, probably one of the oldest people playing this game. I am a single father to my Son, who is 14 now. My son got this game from his uncle, so we installed it on his computer and he started playing. By the end of the week he had 24 hours on this game. This was horrible for me, as it was already hard for me to find ways to spend time with my son, as he is always out with his friends or just watching YouTube. So I decided to make a Steam account and get this game to see if I…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …5642Steam reviews · Jul 24, 2021 · 4 h played

    I'm only playing this because my laptop can't handle Strive.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Fighting Game Anniversaries @fganniversaries.bsky.socialBluesky · Jul 24, 2025

    21 years ago today, Guilty Gear X2 #Reload was released on PC via Steam worldwide. It was developed and published by Arc System Works.

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …1984Steam reviews · Jul 20, 2023

    It's better than strive.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Fighting Game Anniversaries @fganniversaries.bsky.socialBluesky · Jul 24, 2026

    22 years ago today, Guilty Gear X2 #Reload was released on PC via Steam worldwide. It was developed and published by Arc System Works.

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …9494Steam reviews · Mar 2, 2026 · 18 h played

    Timeless. Best music set of all fighting games! Nice controls and mechanics! Cool characters!

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …6745Steam reviews · Jan 15, 2026 · 16 h played

    does anyone play this anymore

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Fighting Game Anniversaries @fganniversaries.bsky.socialBluesky · Apr 30, 2025

    21 years ago today, Guilty Gear X2 #Reload was released on Xbox in JP. It was developed by Arc System Works and published by Microsoft Game Studios.

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …3395Steam reviews · Apr 19, 2025 · 1 h played

    The game is alright but they should've translated and put #Slash on Steam instead imo

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …0749Steam reviews · Sep 1, 2024 · 3 h played

    Arcade boss chip damage on block could atomize an adult elephant. Also I-no booba :0

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …4788Steam reviews · Jun 13, 2024 · 1 h played

    i bought the wrong version

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …5799Steam reviews · Dec 6, 2023 · 1 h played

    My adolescence. 2003 was a magical year for me. Among the animes, cartoons and games of that period, this one stood out. It had anime-like characters and an intriguing story. PROS: - Intriguing story arc; - Cool characters and diverse fighting styles; - Overwhelming nostalgic music; - I love games that let me configure the keyboard arrows; - Arcade, Mission, Story, Gallery, Training, Vs Player, Vs Computer, it literally has everything you want from a fighting game; - "Heaven or Hell"…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …9941Steam reviews · Feb 27, 2026 · 2 h played

    one of the best old school era guilty gear games hands down

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …2412Steam reviews · Feb 17, 2026

    the game doesnt really work well on keyboard since you cant rebind the direction keys, and you are probably better off playing the game on fightcade if you want to just play with people or play the +R version on steam

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …4973Steam reviews · Apr 8, 2023 · 1 h played

    Runs well on steamdeck, just use a controller guide for an xbox controller. this is hella fun.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …1609Steam reviews · Mar 1, 2023 · 22 h played

    Classic, but rather meaningless to buy nowadays unless there's specifically something about the Story mode tied to this game that you wanted to see. It might be worth if you can get it for dirt cheap and want to try out how an X2 generation game feels before buying Accent Core +R, but honestly I would just say save up for AC+R all the way since there is a lack of controller support here that AC+R doesn't have issues with and AC+R actually has players online currently.

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …6739Steam reviews · May 16, 2022

    The game is good, but the port is bad.

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …2121Steam reviews · Jun 30, 2021 · 2 h played

    ITS RELOAD BABY !!!

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …5983Steam reviews · May 28, 2025 · 1 h played

    Okay so X2 was the western name for XX. The XX series goes XX, XX #Reload, XX Slash, XX Accent Core, XX Accent Core Plus, XX Accent Core Plus R. You want the latter. This is a dated port which is only still on Steam to pad out the series bundle.

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …8015Steam reviews · Nov 18, 2023 · 5 h played

    -Classic art style -Classic fighting game -Great sound track -Works

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …4015Steam reviews · Sep 24, 2023 · 5 h played

    Guilty Gear X2 #Reload is an ancient Playstation console port from 2004. I mention that it's a Playstation port because those tend to be the worst of all console ports, and this is a great example. It's a whopping 19 years old at the time of this review. The game lacks support for any modern gaming display resolutions (or widescreen monitors), hasn't been modernised or updated to run smoothly on modern gaming PCs. Despite this lack of modernisation, it carries a pretty high price tag for…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …1881Steam reviews · Mar 9, 2023 · 6 h played

    ℍ𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕞𝕞... 𝔸 𝕔𝕒𝕤𝕖 𝕠𝕗 "ℙ𝕠𝕣𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕘𝕒𝕞𝕖 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 ℙ𝕊𝟙 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕟𝕠 𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕦𝕒𝕝 𝕤𝕦𝕡𝕡𝕠𝕣𝕥". I think you're better off just playing Accent Core, which has got rollback, support and is still alive to this day... "Guilty Gear X2 #Reload" is just whacky... It won't let you change your own controls, it's super tediously complex (I was stuck in the menu for over an hour trying to figure out which button is defaulted to the CONFIRM button... guess what, it was INSERT on my…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …2949Steam reviews · Dec 30, 2021 · 3 h played

    Inside of you are two wolves: -One hesitates to buy Guilty Gear X2 on Steam for $2 -The other impulsively buys the Guilty Gear XX OST on CD for $60

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …3518Steam reviews · Jun 15, 2021 · 5 h played

    Controller support seems very busted. Even if you force steam to disable any controller input on it's end (effectively telling steam to get out of the way and not hijack controllers), the mappings are still a mess and trying to map an Xbox One pad to this game manually is still not possible. The L2 and R2 triggers dont detect, nor does the d-pad. Playing with an analog stick is not good. This may all be fixable by using a third party input dll but I don't care. Besides that, the game is going…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Marisa 📷 @mrm-photo.comBluesky · Apr 23, 2026

    Thank you for drawing my favorite character from Guilty Gear X2 #Reload. The reason I bought the game in 2005 and has famously never appeared in another game and which the series has also never had a sequel since.

    positive · AI labelView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …2582Steam reviews · Apr 19, 2026

    No gamepad support worth using, no support for normal screen resolutions, no sound output. I'm not hand-configuring every input on a gamepad in Space Year 2026. No excuse for not taking five minutes to add native gamepad support.

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …5566Steam reviews · Dec 14, 2025 · 12 h played

    Ky Kiske and Testament are so ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ bad chat. I'm cracking.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …0803Steam reviews · Oct 22, 2025

    Bridget looks mashed in her profile picture.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …2750Steam reviews · Jul 1, 2025 · 3 h played

    I guess the fact that I play and really enjoy this game after all this years can tell you enough about how cool and high quality this game series is. I`ve known and bought because of Bridget at fisrt, but now I`m interested in every character story. And how is satisfying this fighting gameplay after most of the modern games> especially gacha games, where you have to spend hours to build and level up you characters just to have the opportunity to go through the main story or fight with new mobs…

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …1961Steam reviews · Jan 14, 2025

    I mean it’s alright but I think I wasted my money on this because I already have accent core plus on my psp also with a press of the button the game just closes and the controller I connected would just stop working sometimes and I blame the game for that because the controller works fine on any other game

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …6243Steam reviews · Jun 9, 2024 · 12 h played

    great game but outdated, play ggacr

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …3184Steam reviews · Aug 18, 2022 · 15 h played

    How to ragekit: - Set the difficulty to: Maniac - Play against Bridget

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …0980Steam reviews · Jan 25, 2022 · 33 h played

    Big titty witch in large heels playing on guitar brought me here.

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …5850Steam reviews · Mar 5, 2021 · 1 h played

    the best guilty gear, pre-Rev

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …3164Steam reviews · Jun 26, 2026

    Don't get this if you care about netplay and input lag. This version of Guilty Gear XX #Reload's netplay lobby (ggxxnet) is pretty barren. I briefly joined the #Reload discord too, not very active compared to the +R discord. You wouldn't want to play online anyway due to how bad this PC port is. In old PC port fashion, there is a config app which is like "alright fine, sucks but fine." But you're stuck at 480p and the process of scaling that resolution up to your modern, high definition…

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …9452Steam reviews · May 4, 2026 · 3 h played

    Do not work, can't get pass the 'PRESS START' screen. Edit: You do, but you need to disconnect the controller for whatever reason. Don't bother with the PC version for this and Isuka.

    negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …7003Steam reviews · Mar 21, 2026

    this game tuff but port old asl mudda sick

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
  • Steam user Steam user …5061Steam reviews · Nov 12, 2025 · 3 h played

    Classic! you tots should play it!

    positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →

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