Gundam Games Online
In the past, the Gundam Versus games tended to come Westward, such as during the PS2 era. However, with the release of Gundam Extreme Versus on PS3 that didn’t happen. While the host console was region free and it didn’t stop importers getting the game, it did still limit the game's wider Western audience.
This was then followed up a few years later with Gundam Extreme Versus Full Boost in the Japanese arcades and again later on PS3. This too was Japan only and then Bandai Namco did something weird.
It was clear that there was some Western demand for this series and that in turn birthed Rise of Incarnates on PC. This was effectively the same 2 vs 2 multiplayer setup from Gundam Extreme Versus, just minus any Gundams and also free-to-play. It obviously died very quickly and many wondered when Bandai Namco would release the Gundam Extreme Versus games abroad.
After Full Boost, Byking left the series to Bandai Namco and it produced Gundam Extreme Versus Maxiboost in the arcades with the same engine and assets. This was then quickly followed up by Gundam Extreme Versus Maxiboost ON, which featured online multiplayer in the arcades. Neither of these versions saw a console release.
However, we did receive a strange Vita game called Gundam Extreme Versus Force but that was not exactly what Western fans of the series had hoped for.
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So now, we come to this all-new Gundam Versus game on PS4. Byking’s involvement is but a distant memory at this point but it is very much in the spirit of the Gundam Extreme Versus games they made and it is finally coming Westward.
Before that though, the game has been released in Japan and I have been playing the Premium G Sound Edition quite a lot and for the most part, this is the game Western fans have been waiting for but with a few caveats.
To understand what Gundam Versus is all about, you first need to go back to the previous games. In that, what changed up the Gundam Extreme Versus games over its precursors was how it broke down movement and allowed players to enact feints.
Previously, you had a boost gauge and you could simply fly around and orbit a selected enemy. Up close, things got a bit tedious as whoever charged first would likely get slammed as their opponent would dodge and counterattack. What’s more, there was no real penalty attached to boosting around. Except that when you ran out of boost energy, you would have to wait for it to recharge.
'Gundam Versus' often has you face multiple opponents at once now, rather than just two.
Credit: Ollie BarderThe games were fun though and had quite a following but what Byking did was to go back to games like Virtual On and structured how the game allowed the player to move around.
This is because in Virtual On you can misstep an opponent. Each dash you do has a fixed length and vector but what makes each dash a risk is that there is a movement freeze upon its completion. This means you have a dance of players trying to get a clear shot when their enemy is frozen at the end of their dash.
Byking took this end of dash movement freeze and used it in the Gundam Extreme Versus games and that gave the combat more structure. Admittedly, it was not as stringent as the dash freeze in Virtual On but it was still present and it had a similar though reduced effect.
As for close combat, Byking did something new by allowing players to cancel out of the way of incoming attacks. This feint could also be used at range but had less of an effect.
The feint massively reinvigorated the close combat setup and kept players on their toes. This was because if you closed in for an attack your enemy could take the bait and try to dodge as well as counterattack. With the feint in place, this meant you could dodge out of the way of that counterattack and return one of your own. The result of this is that it produced a more aggressive set of tactics and forced players to openly engage more.
What tied these two systems together was the player’s boost gauge. Used for dashing and enacting feints, it was the lifeblood of the game as it rationed out movement. Maxing out your boost gauge would also have the player drop to the ground and recharge, leaving you again prone to attack.
G Gundam Games Online
The additional switch up mechanic to again keep opponents second guessing their targets was that you could initiate Extreme mode. This refilled your boost and weapons gauges as well as gave you a speed and attack boost. This meant you could turn the tables in the heat of the fight by activating Extreme mode and letting loose on your attacker.
The results of all these changes turned a solid arcade multiplayer game into a thoroughbred versus juggernaut and produced a sizeable community in the Japanese arcades.
When it comes to this new Gundam Versus game, it may not have an arcade version anymore, as it is currently exclusive to the PS4, but it is definitely following on from the earlier releases from Byking.
Knowing all of above is important in lieu of this new Gundam Versus game, as you need to understand where this game is coming from and what it is trying to imitate.
Vedas english pdf download. Essentially, this Gundam Versus plays like the previous Gundam Extreme Versus games with all of the above present and correct. Even the basic moves lists of each of the game’s mobile suits are very similar. The only real major changes, if you can call them that, are a new downward dash and updated support units called Strikers.
The Trial Battle mode is similar to the Arcade 'routes' and the old Mission mode from 'Gundam Extreme Versus'.
Credit: Ollie BarderThe downward dash is done by flicking a direction on the right analog stick. The reason this move now exists is that the game speed is slightly slower across the board and that means the drop down to the ground leaves you more prone. The downward dash shortcuts this and allows you to refill your boost gauge.
The second update is more of an old feature given a facelift. In that, in previous games, some mobile suits had support units. Now called Strikers, these support units can be customized and selected for every mobile suit. Initially, you start out with not many Strikers to choose from but over time and as you unlock more, the repertoire at your disposal is impressive and useful.
The unlocking setup is tied into two systems, experience and GP. The more you play with each mobile suit; it will gain experience and eventually level up. At certain levels, you can choose to buy certain upgrades, such as additional pilots and Strikers. The currency in the game is GP and is awarded from almost everything.
However, for most people, the initial experience and GP gathering will come from the game’s singleplayer modes. These are Ultimate Battle, a horde type mode with waves of enemies, and Trial Battle mode, similar to the Arcade and Mission modes from the previous games where you do routes of stages.
The Trial Battle stages range from very easy to extremely difficult, with experience and GP rewards to match. You often get all manner of bosses from across the pantheon of Gundam and these can be a lot of fun to go up against.
When it comes to online, you can play things like Ultimate Battle co-operatively, but the main online setup is currently Casual and Player matches, with Ranked matches coming later in an update. I have played a bit of these and for the most part, the lag seems manageable. That said there is a massive caveat attached to this; I am playing the game in Japan against Japanese opponents over an incredibly fast broadband connection. While Bandai Namco did an open beta for the game, to load test the online component, this was all done in Japan.
My concern here is that once released in the West, the game may seriously struggle with the networking side of things unless Bandai Namco does a similar open beta in the U.S. and Europe as well as ensure the game has solid servers. Western fans have waited a long time to play this game and it would be awful to see that opportunity ruined by a shoddy online multiplayer setup that hadn’t had sufficient testing and debugging for an international release.
That aside, the game is pretty much spot on to the Gundam Extreme Versus games. Admittedly, the use of the Yebis engine makes the game look a bit flat compared to Byking’s shinier and more stylized approach but it runs very smoothly throughout, so there is that at least.
The music is also done very well but some of the choices are a bit odd and the Zeta Gundam songs are absent as well. Not to mention that when the freeform jazz from Gundam Thunderbolt kicks in it does feel rather strange in a gaming context.
Overall, this is a very solid game and one that is for the most part as good as the already excellent Gundam Extreme Versus games. While there are issues with this reboot, they are minor and don’t detract from a very well executed multiplayer setup. The only real concern here is whether Bandai Namco can manage to pull off the game’s Western release, as ensuring it has a stable online component at launch is something that cannot be emphasized enough.
Even if you are not a fan of Gundam or even mecha games, Gundam Versus is a unique and complex multiplayer game that stands up on its own merits and if you play it enough, you may even end up a Newtype.
Gundam Versus is currently available on PS4 in Japan and will be released in the West on September 29.
Update: I have since played through the U.S. version of Gundam Versus and the above review still stands. In addition, the online component is more stable than I was expecting, as I have had to connect to matches internationally as well.
Gundam Games Online Pc
Platform: PlayStation 4
Developer: Bandai Namco
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Released: July 6th 2017 (Japan)
Price: 8,200 yen
Score: 9/10
Disclosure: I purchased the game with my own money. The version reviewed is also the Premium G Sound Edition, which has a greater array of music tracks from classic Gundam series but the game itself remains functionally identical to the standard release.
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Over the years there have been some great (and terrible) Gundam games. But while many games let you pilot a Gundam, Gundam Breaker takes it one step further and lets you build your own dream Gundam as well.
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Read more ReadGood – Build Your Dream Gundam
Gundam Breaker is centered around building “Gunpla” Gundam models and then piloting them in a special VR simulator.
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You start the game with the most basic of mobile suits, the GM. Then by defeating ace pilots and winning boss battles, you gain some of the parts from your fallen foes’ Gundams. When fighting normal enemies you still have a chance to get some of their parts as well. In battle, you can temporarily blow pieces off of enemy Gundams. Then if these enemies are killed before they reclaim these pieces, there is a good chance you will be able to pick them up.
Moreover, the enemies you fight—and thus the Gundams you can build—come from a wide breath of Gundam anime: from the U.C. Gundams and Gundam Seed to Gundam Wing and others.
But it's not just about gathering all the pieces and re-creating your favorite Gundams from the franchise. Rather, you can mix and match any of the pieces with any others. Thus, you could begin with a Freedom Gundam and add the head of the original Gundam, the fin funnels from ν Gundam, and a pair of Zaku legs—and that's just for starters. You can build any Gundam you can dream up. The combinations are practically endless.
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Good – Gotta Collect 'Em All
And just when you think the possibilities have been maxed out, you discover that even two of the exact same part can have different stats. After getting the parts you are looking for, finding and building those parts a second time will likely increase their stats in battle as your model building skill levels up the more you build. This adds a lot of replay value to the game.
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And if you can’t seem to get that one piece you really want to drop, there is always another option. By performing well in any given level, you often unlock a full Gundam model or two. Then you can use the money you have gathered in battle to buy this model kit from the in-game shop.
Mixed – Fun to Build, Not as Fun to Play
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Gundam Breaker is dead set on making the Gundam of your dreams exactly as you'd imagine it. Parts are never “just for show.” If you have a giant beam rifle backpack or machine guns on your head, these are most certainly usable in battle.
But this, of course, serves to unbalance the game more and more as you go on—despite the ever growing power and variety of the enemies you come up against. More than that, though, the AI is generally dumber than a box of rocks and will gladly line up to run at your super beam attack head on.
Moreover, the game really becomes repetitive and monotonous as you continue to play. You see the same battlefields again and again—especially as you farm for that one part you're dying to find—and even the really creative level layouts lose their charm.
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Read more ReadAnd while Gundam Breaker certainly has a decent control setup, it is not nearly as tight as one found in something like Gundam Extreme VS.
Bad – No Plot
Other than a few short scenes where the game within the game compliments your piloting ability, there really isn't anything you can call a plot. Really, Gundam Breaker is little more than an open-ended setting. You are you, going to an arcade where you can pilot the Gundam models you have built and win more pieces to make your Gundam better. That is the long and short of it.
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Any kind of plot would have been useful in breaking up the repetitive level objectives and/or the endless grind of replaying the same level again and again when you were seeking a particular part. A clash with a rival builder, a build-your-own-Gundam tournament, a common group of teammates that fight alongside you—even these cliché plots are better than the total absence of a story.
Bad – Useless Stats
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The game has a big focus on stats, especially if you are trying to build the strongest Gundam you can with the parts you have. The problem is that often the stats tell you nothing at all, especially when it comes to the weapons. Sure, a giant cannon will do more damage than a machine gun bullet-for-bullet, but without knowing the rate of fire and/or damage per second for each weapon, this information is largely useless. In the end, the only way to answer this questions is trial and error
Final Thoughts
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All in all, Gundam Breaker is a game focused at a very specific type of gamer. If you are a Gundam fan anxious to build your own Gundam, a gamer who loves grinding for loot, or someone who just loves building things, you'll probably find yourself happy with Gundam Breaker. If you aren't, you'll find little to like in this game filled with repetitive, monotonous gameplay and a total absence of plot.
Gundam Breaker was released on June 27, 2013, for the PlayStation 3 in Japan. There is currently no word on a Western release.
Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.
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To contact the author of this post, write to BiggestinJapan@gmail.com or find him on Twitter @BiggestinJapan.