31 Jul, 2011
Developer: Koei & Omega Force
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Platforms: 360 & PS3 (360 version used for review)
Release Date: Japan: December 16th, 2010; North America: June 28th, 2011; Europe: July 1st, 2011; Australia: July 12th, 2011.
In Ten Words Or Less: Cell-shaded hack’n'slash with depth. Repetitive, but excellent.
Family Friendly? Not entirely. Click here for our explanation.
The Dynasty Warriors series is a bit of a running joke among both gamers and critics alike. Repetitive, irrelevant and outdated are but three of the buzz words used when describing Koei’s long running hack and slash series, and with good reason. Since the first foray into the Three Kingdoms era of China, the franchise has pretty much disregarded any notion of innovation, in favour of refining their formula to the nth degree.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. It’s a cliched approach, but it works. Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3 stands as testament to this, with fast paced action, intuitive controls and enough depth beyond the basic exterior to keep gamers busy beyond the hundred hour mark. It’s easily the best of the Gundam games Koei has recently produced, and sits as one of the most enjoyable hack and slash games out there at the moment. Sure, it never delves beyond the known modus operandi, but with well over 100 mobile suits to choose from and customise, along with 52 playable pilots, the game offers plenty of diversity for those willing to invest the time necessary to truly enjoy DWG3.
Upon the face of it though, the game remains the same. Combos are generated with particular inputs of both light and heavy attacks, with a special attack being used upon the charging of the required bar. Between you and the end of the scenario lies untold amounts of enemies, all prepared to do what is necessary to prevent you from completing your objectives. These objectives essentially remain the same – demoralise the enemy, capture strategic locations on the map and defeat the opposing commander. This procedure takes rarely more than five minutes, courtesy of the speed of the mobile suits on offer and the streamlining of the scenarios themselves. Compared to the duration of scenarios in other titles in the Dynasty Warriors series, DWG3 allows for a quick-fire, pick-up-and-play approach that suits the game well.
The art direction in this installment is a vast improvement on the other games in the series so far. Mobile suits are now cel-shaded, which complements the styling of the anime seamlessly. The bold, linear design of each mech shines throughout gameplay, with even enemy mobile suits offering a huge level of detail in their architecture. As a result, the game never ceases to be attractive, even with enough disintegrating robots and giant explosions to rival the works of Michael Bay. The backgrounds are familiar and adequately detailed, but they are often obscured by the combat, and still offer galactic vistas of a high standard. All this plays out in the smoothest of ways, never dropping a frame whilst you carve your own path through oncoming armies.
Koei are known for their level of fan service, and those of a Gundam-loving persuasion are treated to just about the most complete compliment to the universe available. The game now encompasses a huge portion of the mythology and universe, with both mobile suits and pilots being drafted from almost all series of the popular anime. 00, Unicorn, Stardust Memory and After War Gundam X are just some of the new volumes included in the game, with more to follow via premium downloadable content.
Herein lies a problem; with such a large cast – none of whom are afforded any level of character development – only the true fans will understand, let alone appreciate the underlying story and dialogue of DWG3. Considering the nature of the game, with the story only providing a setting to the action on offer, this isn’t a serious flaw so much as it is a small annoyance.
Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3 requires some degree of strategic thinking, thanks to the inclusion of propertied zones. Each strategic location now offers certain benefits for its owner – whether this is an improved AI, a teleport mechanism or what is essentially a health restore point. This leads to split second decisions, made all the more crucial when the enemy is bearing down upon you. Do you disrupt the enemies communications first? Do you disable their catapults, in an attempt to slow their advance? Or do you capture positions that allow for a stronger point from which to proceed? It’s a welcome addition, and one that means the game requires more thought and forward planning than any of the other Musou titles offered by Koei.
This refinement continues across the game, with subtle changes being made to the way the game handles itself. Interfaces are now clearer and more minimalist in nature. The HUD is devoid of clutter, and positioned in a way that never feels intrusive to the action. The ability to dash during attacks will save your life more times than you realise, as will the inclusion of Partner Strikes, available after the charging of a separate gauge. Even the mechs themselves feel more mobile, with the upgrades possible only furthering the sense that the game is superior to any other entry in the series.
Where DWG3 truly stands apart from other games of its kind is the level of customisation on offer. The cast of over a hundred mobile suits can all be upgraded with increased attributes and additional abilities, as can each pilot. Each of these promotes its own style of play, whether it’s to sit back and constantly fire pot shots at distant enemies, or to juggle consistently. Upgrades and blueprints for these can be unlocked through the completion of various objectives and scenarios, of which there are over 300. With additional downloadable content promising even further levels of personalisation, the depth offered by this game is nigh on unparalleled.
The short comings here are similar to those shared across all of the Dynasty Warriors series. Only some players will persevere through the games one style of play, and although the game does this particular style incredibly well, it does lack end game variety. The lack of a penalty for opting to lower the difficulty means many will approach this mindlessly, missing out on the true buzz that comes from being challenged by the game. There is also very little stopping a player go through a good nine-tenths of the game with the same mech and pilot combination, so with the correct upgrades, there ends up being little incentive to develop and improve other mobile suits and characters. These are all minute criticisms for players who enjoy games of this ilk, but newcomers to the series may be put off by these. Having said that, this is arguably the best game in the series, and the perfect start point for those willing to invest the required hours into it.
The truth is that this game offers sheer enjoyment across its lifespan. The initial buzz of controlling your own mobile suit never wears off, thanks to the games beautiful cel-shading. The “gotta catch ‘em all” mentality that pushes the Pokemon games into the realm of the never-ending is used to great effect here, rewarding those who stick with DWG3 right to the very end. It’s a shame that this game will be overlooked by so many, purely because of the series that it hails from, but for those of you this way inclined, you won’t find a better way to spend the next couple of hundred hours.
With isolated examples of bad language and mild sci-fi violence, Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3 is almost a perfect game for the typical teen. It holds a PEGI rating of 12+, which I feel is spot on. Younger children won’t be disturbed or phased by the gameplay, but never the less, it isn’t exactly appropriate for a family setting.
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