S-Ko, the ghost who possesses Zappa throughout the game, is a homage to the Japanese horror film "Ring," bearing a striking resemblance to the antagonist, Sadako Yamamura. Zappa's Destroy move also shows a "video tape" that bears resemblance to the one from the film.

The character Slayer has several moves named after songs by the rock band Queen. These include "It's Late", "Under Pressure", and his Instant Kill, "All Dead".

The Korean release of the revision "Guilty Gear XX #Reload" has a different soundtrack than the original Japanese release. The Korean soundtrack was composed by Shin Hae Chul, formerly of the band N.EX.T.