XY Forces

XY Forces (XYフォース) is a 3D fighting game where the characters are inspired by superheroes. It was developed by Burst Arts and published by Namco Bandai for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in June 2007.

## **Gameplay**

The game's arenas are similar to those in Battle World: Fallen Dragons, but include new features such as stage transitions where when characters are knocked back in a certain area, they are sent to another part of the stage. The game also introduces the "Combo Canceller", a system which allows players to interrupt combos twice per round.

*XY Forces* introduces two minigames that use the game's characters. "XY-Shooters" is a minigame reminiscent to vertical shoot 'em ups, but uses player-selected characters as ships that fire projectiles at incoming enemies. Some Xcrafts have certain abilities, ranging from locking onto targets to instantly killing surrounding enemies. It also features "Sphere Battlers", a puzzle game similar to the *Puzzle Bobble/Bust-A-Move* video games which features super deformed versions of the game’s characters that attack each other once a player gains an advantage in the game.

The Happy Shop returns from Battle World and serves as an interface to access extra content hidden in chests. In Invasion, the size of the Happy Shop was reduced from 830 to 320. Some boxes also have locks that require keys which can only be found in the Venture mode.

Battle World 2’s RPG-esque story also returns in the form of *Venture* mode. This Venture mode explores the history of Gekkou, starting prior to his research on the mysterious Z-Gote organism and ending with the main story of *XY Forces*. Players seeking to unlock the majority of bonus content in *XY Forces* are required to play through the Venture mode.

## **Story**

XY Forces focuses on a depressed boy named Clovis Sadoul, who won a major tournament as a child, and Yvette Hennequin, a girl who dreams of becoming a Sky Fighter. Clovis has been forced out of hiding when two ancient beings destroyed his town. Soon, he meets up with a group called the Infernal Swords who tries to steal a family heirloom, a green pendant. Clovis, Yvette, and their companions, Shauna LeBeau, Fabien Clair, and Lou Noir have to try to escape the Infernal Swords by seeking a place where they can go in peace; the plan doesn't go like Clovis and his friends expect as they encounter several other items similar to Clovis' pendant. It was later revealed that these items grant the five unimaginable superpowers. Now the five must harness these new superpowers in order to defeat the two beings that destroyed their home, but not if a team of villains, the Vice Force, chases them.

## Characters

Clovis Sadoul: The main character of the series. Clovis is shy and reclusive, and initially, quite cowardly. He was dragged out of his old home by his friends Fabien, Lou, Yvette and Shauna, who were worried for his lifestyle and tried to have him open up. When the ancient beings invaded their home, Clovis and friends encountered a group of relics similar to Clovis' with the intent of defeating the titans. At that point he dons the Mega Suit and plans on avenging his home by defeating the Infernal Swords. Clovis' Alter-Ego is called Bond Knight.

Yvette Hennequin: The neighbour and closest friend of Clovis. She is the daughter of a famous Velo Racer and Sky Fighter, but she herself isn't overly ambitious. She cares more about helping out Clovis and training to be a model before walking in her parents' footsteps. She is a capable heroine but she only trains herself so she could be a good sparring partner for Clovis. When her home was destroyed, she found a Mega Suit and used it to become a superheroine to assit in the fight against the Infernal Swords. Yvette's Alter-Ego is Magia Princess.

Shauna LeBeau: The optimistic and cheerful member of Clovis' friend group. Unlike the others she has no clear goal in mind aside helping her friends out. She also agreed to donning one of the abandoned Mega Suits and finding the titans that attacked their home. Despite being ditzy, she is a capable heroine, and makes a good sparring partner for Clovis. She has feelings for both Yvette and Clovis, except the latter only sees her as a little sister. Shauna's Alter-Ego is Blade Kunoichi.

Lou Noir: One of Clovis' friends, who wants to be a researcher one day. To prepare for this, he has aced in more technical fields in his school. After the titans destroyed his town, Lou and his friends ran into the abandoned Mega Suits, which he chose to fight back. In addition to his combat skills, he can identify the weaknesses of his opponents. He is soft-spoken and gentle, and approaches things logically. Lou's Alter-Ego is Flora Crawler.

Fabien Clair: Another friend of Clovis, who prior to the incident wishes to be a future dance star in the making. When the Mega Suits appeared in front of him and his friends, he knew that there could be a way to avenge their home by wearing one. The eldest of the bunch, he is gentle, brotherly and despite his size quick on his feet. However, he feels there is one weakness that he should overcome if he should ever be as strong as his other friends. Fabien's Xcraft is the Blast Lobster.

Viola Dior: A professional photographer who was a member of a newspaper facility in France. When the incident caused her to lose her job, she sought to join the Vice Force to try and get revenge. In the force, she provides photos of events that have happened thanks to the titans since then. Viola is outgoing and determined with her work, but the thought of fighting in a war can cause her to feel frightened for a while. Her Alter-Ego is Vivid Bliss.

Grant Barnett: An expert athlete and a member of the Vice Force. He excels at a variety of sports, such as bike racing and mountain climbing. When the monstrous titans attacked, he was barely injured in a rock climbing event until the Vice Force arrived, who treated his injuries and allowed him to join the force by giving him a Mega Suit. Grant puts his athletic abilities to use in infiltration missions. Aside from that, he tends to be fashionable concerning his hair. Grant's Alter-Ego is Fossil Rider.

Corni Haillet: A young rollerskater who is a veteran of the Vice Force. Her late grandfather Zurki is in charge of the Master Labyrinth, where only the strongest warriors can escape, which she had passed before she joined the Vice Force. When she received news about the Master Labyrinth being destroyed by the titan, she became more determined to avenge her grandfather's handiwork. Corni's Alter-Ego is Lady Anubi.

Ramos D'Amboise: An elderly kendo master who serves as a teacher-figure for some of the Vice Force members. He originally lived a peaceful solitary life in his own garden, free from any troubles. This lazy life of his suddenly ended when the titans attacked him and his home, forcing him to reclaim his Mega Suit and fight back. The wisest member of the team, Ramos tends to be the tactician for their attacking strategy. His Alter-Ego is Bamboo Master.

Clint Walsh: The inventor of the Vice Force. Responsible for most of the Mega Suits the team uses, he has been a respected member since. Despite this, many of his other inventions apparently fail to work. When he noticed Lou Noir for the first time, he knew that there would be a rivalry of minds clashing together. Clint is mostly seen as a calm and cool-headed individual, but the sight of Lou can be enough for him to get flustered. His Alter-Ego is Electro Satel.

Valeria Makris: An alien girl who joined the Vice Force upon contact with Earth. She originates from the planet Choa, where a species of moth-like humanoids reside. Her race also suffered the fate of the titans, and she now seeks revenge for them. While she may seem delicate by appearance, on the inside, she is a ruthless warrior willing to risk her life to conquer both the Earth and Choa. Valeria's Alter-Ego is Illusio Witch.

Olympia Lara: A member of the Vice Force who serves as an esper. She actually challenged the titans in the past before they began attacking the world, but doing so caused a strain in her mental abilities. With her telekinesis in a temporary state of block, she decides to rely on her Mega Suit to challenge the monsters once again. Olympia is a strong and motherly figure for the team who usually motivates her team to fight on. Her Alter-Ego is Ion Phaser.

Ulrich Endresen: The captain of the Vice Force. A strong and admirable leader of the team, he sees to it that the world is free of any world-ending threats. He witnessed the rise of the ancient titans for himself and assembled his team to combat them. He also received news of five outdated Xcrafts being reclaimed by teenagers. Ulrich is a selfless man who will do whatever it takes to take the Earth (and Valeria's home, Choa) back from the monsters. His Alter-Ego is Polar Breaker.

Josef Fleur-de-lis: The final boss of the game. Josef is a seemingly respected philanthropist, at the head of the company that owns a news station. Behind this handsome appearance, he is in reality the leader of the villain team, Infernal Swords. He uses the Infernal Swords to gain the power of Xenicarus and Yardrogale, the two titans that have been attacking Earth and Choa lately, to power a weapon, planning on destroying the world, which he sees as corrupt and ugly, and rebuilding it more beautifully, as he believes mankind is beyond salvation. Josef's Alter-Ego is Infernal Lion.

Gekkou: An ancient warrior who was the inventor of the Annihilist Weapon years ago as a way to end a war. Since it required the lifeforce of humans, it costed many lives, as well as his. After reincarnating several years later he has been doing research on the Z-Gote under the request of someone named Joe. But the Infernal Swords kidnap him and forces him to reveal the location of the Annihilist Weapon, which he did. Now he desperately searches for a way to gather Z-Gote to prevent that. Gekkou's Alter-Ego is Ashen Fighter.

Xenicarus: One of the two mid-bosses of the game. Xenicarus is an ancient guardian designed by an ancient civilization thousands of years ago. It was created to battle against the destruction titan Yardrogale, but their battle has been halted by the Annihilist Weapon until thousands of years later. Its latest battle with Yardrogale was what set the plot of this game in motion, causing the five that resided in the destroyed village to fight back.

Yardrogale: One of the two mid-bosses of the game. Yardrogale is a destroyer titan created by an alien species sent to destroy the Earth thousands of years ago. It has clashed with Xenicarus, which was built to protect the Earth, until the Annihilist Weapon was used to stop their battle. Thousands of years later, Yardrogale and Xenicarus awaken and continue their battle, destroying anything in their path.

## Stages

* Chaos Rain
* Scorching Temples
* Hidden Chamber
* Vice Force Headquarters
* Concrete Battlefield
* Fellship
* Amber Oasis
* Ruined Village
* Mainframe
* Infernal Swords' Fortress
* Switch Resort