[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][8] Also, when used under specific conditions, if the blast hits the adversary, the tension gauge is filled to its maximum capacity immediately.

[12] On the Survival Mode, the player continuously battle against enemies until they reach the 500th and final level or die, whichever comes first.

[1][12] The Story Mode reveals the game's plot through battles interleaved with conversations between the player character and their enemies.

In the time following Dizzy's disappearance, the mysterious Post-War Administration Bureau begins secretly investigating the Gears and fighters from previous tournaments for their own needs and ambitions.

In addition, fighters find themselves in a reality beyond their control, most notably in the manipulative hands of the villainess I-No, who is revealed to be a servant of “That Man”, the creator of the Gears.

[15] In addition to the return of all Guilty Gear X's roster—Sol Badguy, Ky Kiske, Johnny, May, Chipp Zanuff, Potemkin, Baiken, Axl Low, Faust, Anji Mito, Jam Kuradoberi, Dizzy, Testament, Zato-1, Millia Rage, Venom—,[16] there are four new characters: Bridget, Zappa, Slayer, and the aforementioned I-No.

[19] Its porting to the PlayStation 2 was speculated in late August, with release date set to autumn in Japan,[20] which was later confirmed by Sammy in the same month.

[19] In October, the game North American release was set to happen in the first quarter of 2003; it was retitled Guilty Gear X2.

[8] Conversely, GamePro thought it "can be enjoyed by novices and veterans alike",[51] and Matt Keil of G4 said it "is surprisingly accessible" to all gamers.

[1] Dunham stated it has "incredibly attractive backgrounds, super slick animations, and the best character design on PlayStation 2.

"[1] Dunham deemed it as having "One of the best soundtracks to come along for quite some time", and praised Sammy for keeping the original voice actors,[8] as did Knutson, which felt it "gives it a 'cooler aura'.

"[51] EGM remarked "Depending on your tastes, GGX2's pervasive heavy-metal cheesiness might negatively influence your opinion of the game.

[58] In 2004 IGN's editors selected it as the ninth best "Hidden Gems"—fun video games with poor sales in America.

Don Kotowski of Square Enix Music Online rated it 9 out of 10, and said it is "a well executed album and it captures the spirit of the game amazingly.

"[70] Writing for the same site, a reviewer dubbed GoldfishX gave it a perfect score, and declared it "is no doubt a masterpiece".

[72] Two live albums containing some of the Guilty Gear XX Original Soundtrack's tracks were released by Team Entertainment.

[73][74] In that same year, Guilty Gear XX In N.Y. Vocal Edition[d], performed by Jason C. Miller, was released on September 23.

[76][77] Reviewing the album for Square Enix Music Online, GoldfishX wrote "Guilty Gear XX #Reload Korean Version lacks the raw power of the Ishiwatari-composed Guilty Gear scores, but more than makes up for it with character and creativity", and gave it a score 9 out of 10.

[91][92] A compilation DVD entitled The New Saint Glory with the highlights of a Guilty Gear X2 arcade national championship was released by Enterbrain on December 19, 2002.

Two CDs—Red and Black—were published on July 16, and August 20, 2003,[69][93][94] while a second series, Night of Knives, had its three volumes released on October 20, November 17, and December 22, 2004.