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Bandai Namco’s new action game for fans of giant robots Gundam Rogue Orbit It’s generating a lot of buzz. PC Gamer Senior Editor Wes Fenlon played a preview, and his experience was mixed. He liked the game’s action, but one missing element left him a little annoyed.
image credit: bandai namcorp
Just 30 minutes, but full of action
Wes got a 30-minute demo to play, consisting solely of combat. Interspersed with anime-style voiceovers about enemies called “The Apocalypse,” Wes honestly admits he probably won’t pay much attention to the story. The serious approach to combat seen in the best Gundam series isn’t present here. Still, he felt the game was trying something different, and the combo-driven action was immediately impressive.
The whip-sword that surprised everyone
The most memorable weapon from the demo was Whip-Sword, that is, a sword that swings like a whip when needed. Wes was reminded of Bloodborne when he saw it, although he himself reminds us that such a weapon had already appeared in Gundam in the mid-90s. By holding down the trigger and pressing the Square button on the PlayStation pad, the robot spins the sword 360 degrees, and all nearby enemies are caught in a barrage of powerful blows. According to Wes, this is exactly the kind of unique weapon that shows that melee combat can be truly fun in games.
Simple combos, big skills
Rogue Orbit’s system leans more towards an action RPG than Devil May Cry. Combos simply involve pressing a few buttons repeatedly, while most of the damage comes from active skills, which have their own cooldowns. Damage numbers are visible by default, so Wes believes you’ll be keeping an eye on cooldowns, timing your attacks, and perfecting dodges throughout the game. This style reminds him of Granblue Fantasy: Relink.
Second weapon Sword LanceThey were inspired by Monster Hunter. Performing a heavy lunge attack during a dodge fills a special meter, which can be spent to summon “Beam Phalanx,” a barrage of laser projectiles.
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Armored Core 6 Review
Wes says that of all the Gundam games he’s played, this one feels closest to FromSoftware’s excellent Armored Core 6. In his words, it’s a slightly softer, “just press the button and enjoy the glowing particles” cousin. It also has an interesting twist. Before Dark Souls, FromSoftware itself made several Gundam games for Bandai Namco, and the current Gundam team is likely drawing inspiration from AC6. Wes feels that making a game for a less hardcore audience was a wise decision, and from an early glance, the team seems to be succeeding.
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Complaint: Where is the customization screen?
This is where Wes’s frustration comes in. According to him, the biggest fun of any real mech game is creating your build before a mission, balancing speed and strength, damage and ammunition, range and close-range power. The game’s customization is no secret, as there’s a screenshot of that menu on the Steam page. Yet, the demo had no customization screen, nor a short list of weapons from which he could say, “Whip-sword? Yeah, that’s what I want!” He didn’t get a chance to look at stats like “close-range power” and “output” and think about it.
Wes also believes that demos always involve a balance: showing too much can be confusing, and showing too little can lead to a loss of flavor.
What in the end?
Wes’ conclusion is clear: until he personally puts a whip-sword in his Gundam’s hand, he can’t say for sure if this is the next big mech action game. The game is due out in March. Until then, the bottom line is that the combat experience is solid, but the real test will be the depth of customization.
