![]() ![]() "Defense Ministry" resembles a futuristic warehouse more than any government building I’ve ever seen, with samey space industrial tilesets giving way to samey moon craters and landing pads. Presentation is the real stumbling point for Gundam Evolution: it nails the shooting but there's no real sense of scale outside of some decorative construction equipment and military vehicles inside of spawn. These are the unwieldy contradictions that Gundam games have always tripped up on, and there’s no getting around the irony that comes from gleefully unloading Turn A’s unearthly weaponry for the noble cause of "Capture Point B." Most jarringly, the Turn A Gundam's godlike "send human civilization back to the neolithic period" Moonlight Butterfly ability from the show has been replaced with a laughably weak damage over time aura. It’s a little odd to play a Gundam game where you’re celebrating getting kills. Unsurprisingly, there are a few mobile suits don’t totally feel like accurate or soulful representations of their show counterparts (the TV series cannon fodder GM is a lot more durable than I think most fans would expect), and there’s a real tonal disconnect from the often somber source material. The Sazabi can shut down a whole lane by itself, exactly as I'd expect it to do. The Sazabi definitely feels closest to its on-screen counterpart in Char’s Counterattack, a deceptively fast technical tank with monstrous defense that specializes in area denial and objective holding. The RX-78-2 plays like McCree, plinking targets at mid-range and doling out close range stun attacks with a very '70’s mecha ball and chain. ![]() ![]() The lineup broadly mirrors Overwatch archetypes of DPS, tank, healer, etcetera: The Pale Rider is a half-and-half blend of Tracer & Soldier 76, with a crunchy short-range SMG that mulches enemy suits and easily clears objectives. My personal favorite so far is the Asshimar, a quirky little cyclopian hamburger-shaped transforming mobile suit that balances damage-over-time incendiary grenades with a punchy burst fire rifle, able to effectively dive in and out of battle by briefly transforming like a 40-ton McDonald’s toy. The bizarre, alien-looking Syd Mead-designed Mahiroo and Turn-A Gundam.Dozle Zabi’s Zaku II Praetorian Guard, who did as Praetorian Guard do by letting their boss die alone.The Pale Rider (a Gundam possessed by a psychic ghost).Gundam Barbatos, a cat-like, demonically inspired glass-cannon from the recent Iron-Blooded Oprhans.Gundam Unicorn (yes, another life-size statue in Japan.The iconic RX-78-2 from the 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam (which you may have seen walking around at the last olympics).A motley crew of giant robots pulled from different Gundam shows comprise the "hero" lineup. ![]() Gundam Evolution pulls from both Overwatch and Titanfall 2, with recharging dashes, abilities on cooldown, and familiar lane-based map design and objective game modes. Gundam Evolution's not the immersive, next-gen simulation fans have been holding out for for decades, but that it manages to channel even a bit of that frenetic energy on its own merits is a significant break from depressing tradition. Gundam’s deeply interpersonal, anti-establishment stories have always translated awkwardly to action games. If you’re unfamiliar with Gundam, think Heinlein’s Starship Troopers novel with giant robots and some Freudian political drama. I’ve seen almost every Gundam show, read most of the spin-off manga and novelizations, and if you showed me a random mobile suit, I’d probably be able to tell you what show it's from, if not the specific episode. My experience with Gundam goes back decades. After a few days of playtime, I can glibly report that Gundam Evolution doesn’t make you feel like you’re piloting a Gundam (if you’re looking for a nauseatingly faithful Gundam game, you’re better holding out for Gundam: Battle Operation 2 dropping later this year), but it nonetheless excels as a hero shooter, even if some of the series’ identity has been lost in the translation from anime to live service game. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |