QJ Demo Impressions for Dynasty Warriors: Gundam

When North America’s PlayStation Network uploaded the demo for Dynasty Warriors: Gundam, we could barely keep ourselves from squealing like Japanese school girls. We played the demo, and a few hours (and 20 Dr. Peppers) later, we decided to write up this first-impression review for the benefit of the other fans who’re wondering how it all went.

The demo starts us off in original story mode, the backdrop being a mysterious, lava-encrusted planet that’s been spotted drifting closer and closer to the earth. This prompts the attention of several of the world’s top MS pilots, who see the marauding lump of space rock as a threat that must be destroyed. Plus points to guys who see parallelisms between this and Char’s Counterattack (or Unicron…).
 
You’re then asked to select a playable character – you’re limited to Heero Yui and the Wing Zero Gundam – after which the pre-mission dialogue begins. Mission 1 partners you with Master Asia (G Gundam), and Jerrid Messa (Zeta Gundam), along with a ragtag squad of Goufs and Zaku-tanks. As Heero would say, “Commencing mission,” which would be our cue to give you our impressions.

Our impressions of Dynasty Warriors: Gundam after the jump!

When North America’s PlayStation Network uploaded the demo for Dynasty Warriors: Gundam, we could barely keep ourselves from squealing like Japanese school girls. We played the demo, and a few hours (and 20 Dr. Peppers) later, we decided to write up this first-impression review for the benefit of the other fans who’re wondering how it all went.

The demo starts us off in original story mode, the backdrop being a mysterious, lava-encrusted planet that’s been spotted drifting closer and closer to the earth. This prompts the attention of several of the world’s top MS pilots, who see the marauding lump of space rock as a threat that must be destroyed. Plus points to guys who see parallelisms between this and Char’s Counterattack (or Unicron…).
 
You’re then asked to select a playable character – you’re limited to Heero Yui and the Wing Zero Gundam – after which the pre-mission dialogue begins. Mission 1 partners you with Master Asia (G Gundam), and Jerrid Messa (Zeta Gundam), along with a ragtag squad of Goufs and Zaku-tanks. As Heero would say, “Commencing mission,” which would be our cue to give you our impressions.

Controls

Control-wise, players will be happy to know that Koei‘s decided to stick with Dynasty Warriors‘ button setup (in default at least), although the “dash” button (X) is a most welcome feature. And from what we gather, certain mobile suits can pull off special moves depending on who they are. In the Wing Zero’s case, dashing forward while you’re mid-air transforms you into “Bird Mode” for extra-long glides.

One gripe we do have with the controls is camera rotation (R3). It’s set on a reversed format, which can lead to some disorientation. Not a big problem if you’re fighting the red-shirt GMs and Zakus, but it will get ugly when something the likes of the Gundam Epyon and Quebeley start whaling on you.

Graphics

Koei’s also done a good job rendering most of the mobile suits. Even the Wing Zero – for all its loud, cartoony colors – has been textured with wear marks, scratches and dulled tones to make it look grittier and battle-hardened. And here we thought only Katoki-san could get away with making the Wing look realistic.

This being a Koei title, there were plenty of other visually pleasing effects to see on the battlefield. Bright explosions, flying (mecha) body parts, and assorted flashy cues for the game’s attacks and items are fun, but we definitely enjoyed the Musou effects the most. There’s nothing quite as foreboding as watching your entire screen blur as your MS pulls out a Buster Rifle and starts obliterating everything in front of you with a solid beam of hot death. “Omae wa Korosu (I will kill you)” couldn’t describe it any better…which brings us to the game sounds.

Sounds

We tried the demo out in Japanese (subbed, of course), and from what we can hear, it seems that Koei’s decided to keep the original Gundam voice cast – Heero’s tones imply Midorikawa Hikaru’s been drafted for the role, while Milliardo (aka Zechs Merquise) appears to be voiced once again by Koyasu Takehito. We’ll just have to wait until the end credits (in the full release) to verify this.

Music-wise, players are definitely going to enjoy the rock tracks that have become a staple. DW‘s choice of music has never been a problem, although the fact we’re now using uber high-tech machines instead of some ancient Chinese leather-clad pretty boys on horseback getting medieval on somebody’s posterior makes those hard-hitting, upbeat tracks all the more appropriate.

Summing it up

Admittedly, we enjoyed this demo release for Dynasty Warriors: Gundam. For fans of either the Dynasty Warriors or Gundam franchises, the game will be easy to pick up. The relatively easy gameplay should leave plenty of fun available even for newcomers. The game’s lovely graphics also go a long way in ensuring your favorite MS looks their best, even as they blow up or are hacked to bits.

Problems we do see include the rather clunky response time (but maybe that’s just the Wing Zero), and the disagreeable camera controls we mentioned earlier – we’re sure these can be tweaked in the full game’s options menu. That’s the gist of our first impression of Namco Bandai‘s latest Gundam game – wait for the full version when it gets launched.