When you have several game companies come together to make a game, magic happens. It’s occurred with Kingdom Hearts, King of Fighters, Marvel vs. Capcom, Smash Bros., and an obscure title called Project X Zone. This is one of those Japanese titles that didn’t get much advertisement because of how many uncommon characters are present. It’s also a lot of text to read because of all the dialogue between the characters.
It’s a strategic game similar to a board game where you move your players to battle enemies across a battlefield. You have to plan your moves carefully—especially around the end of the game—to win. Too many wrong moves or missed opportunities will grant you a game over. It can get addicting, though, as getting to see your team make references to their respective games is fun!
For me, just the fact that I get to play with Ryu from Street Fighter, Felicia from Darkstalkers, Kazuya from Tekken, Kite from .hack, and Dante from Devil May Cry all at the same time is a dream come true. There are several other personalities that I am not familiar with, including some from games I have never even heard of, so that made it more exciting to meet them. As you go through each chapter, new faces appear to support you on your quest to uncover an evil plot. What I found interesting is how easily they would join the party and fight together, putting aside their differences for a noble cause. In fact, some of your characters are actually sinister themselves, and they’re still willing to put aside their differences, even if only because of ego, not goodwill.
Uniting forces from various perspectives, cultures, countries, and even worlds is what makes Project X Zone interesting. The more I play (as of this writing, over 20 hours), the more I begin to compare the real world with how the characters interact. It’s a shame to see how we as people feel the need to not work together because our wants aren’t met. We choose to find what benefit we get from lending a hand. I have done this myself many times before, looking at what I can receive by helping out someone else.
But selfishness isn’t the only obstacle to unity, particularly in the church. As a Christian, I find it difficult to see fellow believers bash each other over foolishness. It could be a disagreement over how to interpret a verse or speaking in tongues, or something more personal, like saying someone isn’t very spiritual for not praying as much (or as long!) as someone else. Instead of embracing the many flavors of Christianity that are expressed through God’s grace on Earth, we want to be the best “representation” of it. But there is no perfect church or denomination. And the many imperfect groups—though they may have different traditions than you do—aren’t necessarily wrong, unless they’re hurting others or leading their followers to sin. The church has dealt with this issue since its inception—even the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church about this issue:
1 Corinthians 1:10
Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
The unity Paul spoke of is possible through love. This is the foundation of being known as disciples of Jesus Christ.
John 13:35
By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
Christians aren’t always great at walking in love, but I can confirm from experience that this love and peace is worth striving for. It has happened that people approach me and notice how peaceful I am in difficult situations. I respond to them that it’s not me, but Christ in me that calms me. This ties in with unification, since peace leads to everyone being in one accord even if they do not acknowledge every detail.
Project X Zone may not be a game that focuses on unity, yet it gave me a little hope. To bring unity is to have balance and harmony amongst that community, however big or small they are. It keeps arguments at bay and gives differing points of view a place at the table of discussion. Tension dissolves, and opinions are freely spoken without fear of reprisal. Take time today and think about where you are lacking unity in your life, then start making steps to fix it. Maybe you need to speak to someone you’ve been pushing aside, or confront that person who has been giving you a hard time. When there is open communication, we can come together and understand each better.
Let me know in the comment section if you have played Project X Zone and share what you thought about the game! God bless.
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