The fighting system works around a five attack button configuration, including a new Dust button.[1] Additional buttons allow the player to perform taunts, and throw enemies in the air.[2] When a character causes damage or moves toward its adversary, a tension gauge charges.[3] 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.[3][4][5]
Guilty Gear X2 adds a new feature to the series: a burst gauge, which is filled as the player causes or receives damage.[2] This allows access to the Psyche Burst, an attack that can be performed even while the character is reeling from the enemy's strikes.[6][7] It allows the player to break combinations and super moves in the middle of the opponent's offensive.[2][8] Also, when used under specific conditions, if the blast hits the adversary, the tension gauge is filled to its maximum capacity immediately.[5][6]
Guilty Gear X2 offers eight modes: Arcade, Survival, M.O.M. (an acronym for Medal of Millionaires),[9][10] Mission, Story, Training, Versus 2P and Versus CPU.[4][11] The Arcade Mode allows the player to fight against several enemies until reach the final fight against the boss.[12] On the Survival Mode, the player continuously battle against enemies until they reach the 500th and final level or die, whichever comes first.[2][12] Medal of Millionaires is a variation in which the player earn medals by performing combos.[1] In the Mission Mode, there are 50 challenges,[11][13] in which the player fights with and against a predetermined character; the player character has handicaps such as being prevented from jumping, being poisoned, or starting a fight with half of health.[1][12]
