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Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Review (X360)

About.com Rating 3.5

By , About.com Guide

Namco Bandai, Koei
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Dynasty Warriors: Gundam is exactly what the title implies. It is a Dynasty Warriors game with giant robots rather than ancient Chinese warlords. This combination works surprisingly well, and even though the gameplay is basically unchanged, hacking up hundreds of robots is just plain more fun than hacking up hundreds of enemy Chinese soldiers. For Dynasty Warriors and Gundam fans alike, Dynasty Warriors: Gundam is a fun game that is worth checking out.
Quick Hits

  • Title: Dynasty Warriors: Gundam
  • Platform:Xbox 360
  • Publisher: Namco Bandai, Koei
  • Developer: Omega Force
  • ESRB Rating: “T” for Teen
  • Genre: Hack n’ slash
  • Pros: Mobile suits look slick; lots of content; fun gameplay; co-op
  • Cons: Gets repetitive; environments look pretty bad; you have to be a hardcore Gundam fan to get the most out of it

Features

As far as modes go, DW: Gundam has plenty to do. Official mode follows storylines taken from the series where you get to relive famous battles and scenarios. Original mode features a new story created just for the game. You get to choose from multiple characters and mobile suits in these modes, so fans will really enjoy themselves. You can also play in splitscreen co-op, which is very fun and highly recommended. There is a deathmatch mode as well, but it isn’t nearly as fun or interesting as co-op. In addition to these gameplay modes, there is also a gallery filled with artwork and sound files as well as a 3D model viewer so you can see the mobile suits up close.

One thing that needs to be mentioned is that you need to be a hardcore Gundam fan to really get the most out of Dynasty Warriors: Gundam. The gameplay is fun on its own, sure, but to get the most out of the story and characters and everything that happens you need to be a true fan. It also should be noted that, for the most part, the characters and scenarios in the game are taken from older Gundam series, so fans that started with Wing might feel left out.

Gameplay

Namco Bandai, Koei
The gameplay in Dynasty Warriors: Gundam is where the real attraction as well as core problems lie. Like I said, slicing your way through hundreds of robots with a laser sword is just plain awesome. But the thrill can only last so long before it all starts to get pretty repetitive. You can do melee attacks with X, shoot with Y, and perform combos using both. B is a special attack and A lets you do a speed dash. And that is pretty much it. The game consists only of mashing buttons and killing enemy robots. The only time the enemies really put up a fight is when a higher ranking command unit shows up, but even then you can slice them up pretty quickly. The different mobile suits you can choose from offer slightly different special attacks, but they all play pretty much the same. One nice touch is that your pilot and mobile suit earn experience separately, and you are allowed to assign new skills and add new parts as you level up. This aspect makes the game a bit more interesting, but it all still boils down to starting up the next level to see what your new skills do before you get back into the monotony of killing mindless enemies. It all still manages to be fun, don’t get me wrong, but it is repetitive.

Graphics and Sound

Graphically, Dynasty Warriors: Gundam isn’t too spectacular, but it gets the job done. The mobile suits are detailed and look great. They have kind of a plastic, toy/model look, but it works. The environments, on the other hand, don’t look so good. Missions on the ground just look bland and lack detail. The graphics look a little better in space-based missions, but the fact that the battles take place on a 2D plane rather than in 3D space is a letdown.

The sound is fairly decent and features some solid music paired with flat sound effects. The voice acting isn’t terrible, but you have the option to switch to Japanese voices if you want.

Bottom Line

Namco Bandai, Koei
Overall, Dynasty Warriors: Gundam is a decent game that fans of both Dynasty Warriors and Gundam will enjoy. The gameplay isn’t really any different than a normal DW game, but the change of scenery and characters makes DW: Gundam just a bit more appealing. It still suffers from being terribly repetitive, but it isn’t a bad game. I suggest giving it a rental or trying the Xbox Live Marketplace demo before deciding on a purchase.
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