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Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3 (Xbox 360)
So here we are a few years later and the third game in the growing series of Dynasty Warrior Gundam Games. Like the last game, I was caught a bit off guard but I guess as long as there are suckers like me, then the game makers will keep churning them out.
The Game
For those who are not familiar, I’ll cut to the basics – it’s you taking on an army and the map (which can be rather large) is broken into sections/fields that you have to take over. One addition this time around is that certain areas have a strategic value, which is monitored by the bar at the top right, along with some areas having a different effect on the map in general. For instance there’s a catapult that will let you move to certain areas of the map in an instant once controls, a repair hanger that allows you to recover health quicker and so forth.
As mentioned above the biggest difference is the addition of a gauge at the top right of the game screen that shows the level of your forces in the battle. As you lose troops, allies, fields and strategic locations, the bar drops. If you get killed, it drops a lot. Flip side is the same thing happens to your foe and you need to drop that bar in order to attack their “HQ” field along with drawing out the enemy commander.
As with the other games you’ll be doing lots of hacking and slashing and getting a good workout with your x button. When you and a named “ace” lock sabers you’re taken to a quicktime event where you have to punch in the correct buttons in the time provided. The number of buttons range from 3 to 7 depending on the mission, the character etc. When you do it correctly you get the advantage and knock your foe down and then get to attack then in a powered down state. You make a mistake or not hit all the buttons in time and you’re the one in trouble.
We’ll focus on the single player experience for this review since I haven’t found many people on xbox live to give the multiplayer a go. Once I do find folks, I’ll edit/update this.
There is just one single “story” this time around in which all of the characters are involved in at various points and positions and are a part of 3-4 groups. Each group has its own path that it follows and it’s during this that you unlock other characters and units. However, each character has their own set of separate missions and that’s where the meat of the game lies as you’ll be grinding through lots and lots of missions if you’re aiming at completely and unlocking everything.
Once again a slight change is how units are acquired as you get “blueprints” of MS units. You use the points you acquire during missions to build said unit along with adding upgrades and special parts to them.
Also, the MA’s are back but fighting them is slightly different and a bit tougher. This time instead of straight out attacking you have to build up the “chance hit” to get the giants to expose their weak points in which you get the most damage.
Of course the other big selling point is the sheer number of units and characters in the game as everyone from the previous two games are back along with the additions of Gundam 00, Gundam unicorn, Gundam 0083, Gundam X and a few add ons from Turn-A and other series.
The Graphics
This time around it’s gone for the “cel-shaded” look and while it looks nice in general there’s nothing to indicate they’re making the “next step” in the game. Don’t get me wrong, the cut scene movies are nice and it’s not terrible but it’s not the leap you expect from the third game of a series.
The Audio
The music is pretty much the exact same tracks from the first and second game so if you liked them then you’ll be happy here. There are a few new tracks to reflect the addition of the Gundam 00 and Gundam Unicorn units but that’s about it.
The sound effects are once again very well done and the units, guns and beam slashes and explosions sound like they’re directly from each respective units show.
Bandai must have read my review as I’m happy the Japanese language track is back in and you are given the choice.
Replay and Fun Factor
Much like the other games this one is a grind and even more so now. You will need to play through a couple of times with different characters to unlock other characters so be ready for a long game play if you want everyone. As of this writing I’ve only managed to play through a pair of characters story paths (Garrod’s and I just finished Full Frontal’s) and I’ve had the game for about a week now.
The question now, is it fun? If you liked the other games then yes, you’ll enjoy it. If you didn’t like them then you’ll easily pass on it. There’s plenty of hacking and slashing so one can get tired of hitting the x-button endlessly.
The one sad part is most of the maps are very similar so chances are once you figure out one you’ll have it beat. On the flip side the AI is a bit better this time around so be ready as at times it can get a bit tricky on you.
Final thoughts
This game is definitely for fans of the previous Dynasty Warrior Gundam series. As noted before, if you didn’t like them then odds are this game isn’t for you.
That said it’s still a neat game as the additional characters give you at least something to do in the game instead of whipping through it in an evening and calling it “done”.
I would say don’t pay any more then $40 for it and you’ll get your money’s worth.
