Guilty Gear X2 is a fighting game developed by Arc System Works and published by Sammy Studios. The third main installment of the Guilty Gear series, Guilty Gear X2 furthered the plot of the series, as well as introduced new characters and gameplay mechanics.

The fighting system works around a four attack button configuration, consisting of punch, kick, slash, and heavy slash. Additional buttons allow the player to perform taunts, and throw enemies in the air. When a character causes damage or moves toward its adversary, a tension gauge charges. However, when a character moves backwards or uses defensive moves often, its tension gauge is reduced.[4] Once a character's gauge is filled super moves called Overdrive Attacks, or a variety of special techniques—"Instant Kill", "Faultless Defense," "Dead Angle Attacks" or "Roman Cancels"—can be performed.