While there isn’t a dedicated multiplayer mode, a second player can jump in during the mission select screen of Official and Ultimate Modes. As before, the first player is still locked into playing as whoever Official Mode dictates, but as the second player isn’t exactly considered part of the story, they have complete freedom in their choice of pilot and vehicle. Additionally, there is a small bit of online co-op during Ultimate Mode in the form of sending out an SOS. Players online can pick up these SOS signals and jump in to help. At least, that’s the concept, but unfortunately, it didn’t really pan out. On several occasions, I tried to find players with whom to work — both sending and seeking out SOS messages — but I never found even a single connection. It seems as though the only way you’re going to be able to take advantage of the online features is if you have a friend playing whom you can invite directly.
Gundam Reborn also features a ridiculous amount of playable vehicles – be they Gundams, mass-produced mobile suits or oversized mobile armors. That’s right; you can now play as Big Zam! Almost every (if not every) series is represented with at least one vehicle in the roster. There are plenty of series here that I’ve never even heard of, but, given my admittedly limited knowledge of the Gundam franchise, that doesn’t mean much. The selection is by no means comprehensive (e.g. no Quatre or Wufei from Wing), but with over 120 from which to choose, there’s sure to be a suit for any fan of the franchise, even if your favorite series is something like Turn-A Gundam, whatever the heck that is.
In terms of looks, this is some of the best giant robot action you’re going to find this side of Pacific Rim. Every in-game vehicle has been painstakingly designed, bringing the original 2D models to life in 3D in a way never seen before. Omega Force dropped the cel-shaded look from previous game and went all out on the detail this time. From the fiery explosion effects to realistic lighting and shadows down to the wonderfully textured scratches in the paint, I was constantly impressed by what the game was showing me. Official Mode also features a large number of CGI cutscenes that, while not overly remarkable by today’s standards, still highlights some great combat and cool effects that you just don’t see during regular gameplay. What I found most striking, however, was the collection of digitally-remastered stills from the old anime episodes that showed during Official Mode’s cutscenes. Best of all is that, despite the sheer numbers of enemies that populate each battlefield, the frame rate almost always stays perfectly smooth. It takes quite a lot to get a noticeable drop in performance – something like huge explosions coupled with massive numbers of enemies on screen – but, even then, the change is as brief as it is negligible.
Environments are well-designed and enormous, having players battle in large cities, military bases, maze-like tunnels and even outer space. Sadly, free movement in space stages is an illusion, as you’re still tied to the X-axis and unable to move below it. Even jumping will still eventually pull you back down to the invisible “ground.” It would have been interesting to be able to fight from any level of the Y-axis, but in a game with such specific capture points, I suppose it can’t be helped.
Nostalgia is the order of the day when it comes to Gundam Reborn’s audio. Many of the sound effects – from firing your guns to the blasts from your jets to the sounds your Gundam makes as it walks – are all taken straight from the source material, which only adds to the immersion. My favorite, however, was the objective alert sound which is a perfect recreation of the alarm heard in the anime. It does a great job of drawing your attention to your objectives with the same urgency as was seen in the anime. Each storyline in Official Mode also has voice acting to go along with the written dialogue. Purists will be happy to know that these voices are only in the original Japanese, though, given that some of these series never made it to the West, that isn’t really a surprise. While I normally didn’t have a problem with the voices, there were a few instances when picking a pilot or navigating menus where characters would speak, but there were no accompanying subtitles. It wasn’t a huge deal, but it was still annoying to not know what they were saying in these short clips.
It took a couple sittings with the Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn before I realized that I was really digging this experience. While it may not feature the most compelling story in video gaming, the gameplay, graphics and sound are top notch. It’s a fantastic love letter to the Gundam franchise and, with such a massive roster, there are plenty of “what if” scenarios for fans to explore, and settle those arguments of who would really win in a fight. If you really work at it, you could probably finish both Official Mode and Ultimate Mode in about 30 hours, but, if you want to unlock all the pilots, partners and vehicles, you’re going to be spending a lot more time than that with this game. If nothing else, after playing through Official Mode, I actually feel compelled to go back and watch some of those old series that I missed out on so many years ago. Not only that, but playing Gundam Reborn has certainly piqued my interest for another game coming out in the not-too-distant future…
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Review copy provided by the publisher, and is based on the PS3 version of the game.
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn is available on Amazon:
