Official Japanese Website

Platform: PlayStation 3

Genre: Strategy / Action

Number of Players: 1 - 2

Support: HD 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p

I’ve been a longtime supporter and fan of the games that Namco has released, rarely finding one that I don’t like too much. This is the same company that has given us franchises like Tekken as well as addictive games like Katamari Damacy and Taiko Drum Master. Their union with Bandai games has been a bit of a blessing and curse though, and while I’m a huge anime fan, I’ve often found that the anime games that are getting released really haven’t been that outstanding. Gundam has been one of the titles that, on the PlayStation 2, I never cared much for, and as a matter of fact, I once loved the franchise, at least until it became a huge hit here in the United States.

I was a bit surprised to find that with the PlayStation 3 selection of launch titles, Namco-Bandai planned to release another Gundam title, Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire. Despite my past dealings with the game, the initial teaser screens and videos made the game look much more appealing, but then again, the power of the PlayStation 3 can work wonders with just about anything. If reviewing and playing video games for years has taught me one thing however, it’s that pretty pictures don’t always make a good game.

Crossfire is set at the end of the One Year War, October 4th, U.C. 0079 to be exact (and there are plenty of websites out there that have the complete Gundam timeline, so I’m not about to go into that.) However, players have the option to make a tough decision with this game; will you assume the role Earth Federation Forces or the Zeon Army. And yes, being bad does have an advantage, but only because the Zeon mecha look a heck of a lot cooler, though the Earth Federation does have the “classic” Gundam in its arsenal. No matter which side you choose however, the game is going to play the same, just with some different options.

Though this is an action title, it is also somewhat of a strategy game as well. Your goal simply enough is to reach the end of the war on December 31st, but it’s not going to be an easy task to accomplish. You will be presented with missions that you can accept which will help shape the balance of power in the war. You will always have the means to see this in each of the turns. The missions may be something easy, such as escorting a supply convoy, but they can become extremely difficult as well when you’re taking on a full scale assault or trying to protect your based. Missions though won’t be available forever, and because you may see it presented one turn doesn’t mean that it will be an option the next. In these events, you will be notified as to what the results were if it’s taken on by someone else.

In your preparations screen, you have the option to do a number of different things. One of the most important is repairing your mecha and other war time vehicles. You can fight all you want, but you will take damage, and unless this is repaired, you’re going to be in for a tougher battle. You can use your reward points gained in missions to upgrade your mecha, order new ones, or even have more pilots sent to the base, but this takes time. It’s a good idea to start getting a supply mecha and pilots shipped over as soon as possible. Having to sit out a turn or two while damaged units are repaired and pilots recover from fatigue isn’t a good way to win the war, and everything that you do, upgrade, order, and so on will take a given number of turns before it’s completed. The prep menu also will allow you to determine which pilot will be assigned to what machine.

When you’ve selected a mission, you will see not only the objective, but what you can assign in hopes of completing it. You have both mecha and support vehicles that can be sent out, and the number that can be used will change at times depending of course on what the goal is. One other major concern that you should have isn’t just who to bring into battle and how to complete your mission, but also your available ammunition. While this can be increased later by upgrading, it’s not going to be easy going at the start, and Crossfire isn’t the type of game that simply allows you to shoot at random without suffering some consequences. You main gun is limited as far as how many rounds you have, though some mecha have a special weapon to counterbalance this as well as a sub-gun, but this isn’t true of all mecha. There is also a melee attack and shield attack that you can use, but if it comes right down to it, defend yourself. There’s a shield included with your mecha for a reason, not just a fancy decoration.

Crossfire also isn’t a one-shot style of mission. It may take several hits to bring down a mecha but don’t focusing on their damage isn’t always advisable. You have yourself to worry about, and more damage can mean more repairs or the end of the mission completely. Remember that you have a team there for a reason, and you can issue them orders to help make the missions a success. There is also structural damage that can be found in some objectives, something important, especially if you’re on the defensive end. When your job is complete, you will be given reward points based on your performance as well as experience points and as you and your pilot’s level up, your skills with mecha and support vehicles will improve.

The game can also be played in a two-player mode, but it’s not quite the same style. Instead of having a mission-based cooperative mode, you simply will go head-to-head in a battle to the death. It’s quite a simple idea, but I suppose fun for some. I’m a bit surprised however that there wasn’t an online option included where you could have four (or even more) players competing against one another in missions. Many of the first person shooters online games would actually translate quite well for this mecha scenario.

The game looks good; I will certainly give it that. I really love seeing the mecha with chips taken out of the shields and paint, and obvious sign of heavy combat usage, and something seen usually with many of the better thought out models (check out some of the Japanese hobby magazines and you’ll find some amazingly detailed Gundam models that look similar and even go to the extreme of including charred portions and bullet damage.) I have read a few people complaining in different forums about the slow movement of the mecha, but let’s think about it for a minute. These are huge, hulking machines that tower over trees and most buildings. I’m not sure why people have drawn the conclusion that mecha should be fast moving, but it’s just not a reality (no matter how fictions they may be.) The Gundam seen in the series are brilliantly depicted here, though often the surroundings tend to be a bit unimpressive.

The problem that I found with Crossfire really is that it gets rather stale and repetitious very quickly. Much of the emphasis is on strategy and preparation; the action really, to me at least, seemed to be a secondary portion of the game. Often, the missions can be completed rather quickly, thus putting you right back at setting up for the next mission, assigning repairs and so on. With this being the dawning of the PlayStation 3, the concern really is playing games that are fun and keep your attention, not spending time setting up the next phase. I will give Namco-Bandai some credit however for including one thing that is often lacking in anime inspired games, and that is the option of including the original Japanese audio. While some players may be familiar with the anime in English, having the original audio as an option really helps set the mood for those of us that are morally opposed to English only.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire might look amazing, but don’t let it fool you. Again, good looks don’t always make the game, and this certainly is a textbook case if ever there was one. More strategy than action is what really drags the game down, but if that’s something that you’re really a fan of; this is probably just the thing to keep you busy on the PlayStation 3. Otherwise, this might be one of the titles that is better left on your rental list rather that your purchase list.

-mike-