Dynasty Warriors Gundam 2

Dynasty Warriors Gundam 2

This Mosh Pit for Japanese robots will daze and confuse just enough to keep you hypnotised but ultimately emerge feeling low on fuel.

There have been eleven, count ’em, Dynasty Warriors games for Xbox to date. After 10 you can’t blame publisher KOEI for cranking it up another notch to see what flies. Therefore here comes Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2. You’re forgiven for not realising there had been a Dynasty Warriors: Gundam part one (it was released in 2007).

Now first of all we want to make it clear that the Gundam universe is ideal for videogames. If there had never been a Gundam brawl on this scale available, we’d wish that there was. And if you’re looking for the ultimate in battle stages well the Dynasty Warriors series has it nailed. The DW series cut its teeth on historic battles from ancient Japanese and Chinese history. Gundam breaks loose into the far future where intergalactic settings combine with high-tech weapons and armour upgrades. Purely in terms of visuals this sets the stage for thrilling action, but the Gundam series is also beloved for its whimsical storyline that’s interwoven here.

Your strategies in DWG2 are built around the various ‘mobile-suits’ (sorry they’re not robots, that was misleading) and their combined capabilities. Ample background is given in the Official (story) Mode via manga-style cut scenes and lengthy dialogue between characters. But when the game gets going you’ll mainly be thinking about mixing up strong, weak and special attacks best suited to mowing down swathes of enemy mobile-suited pilots. And fundamentally this is what Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2 involves – button mashing for hours on end, gradually figuring out how to blindside larger crowds of minions before confronting the enemy commander.

As with previous games in the DW series the chaotic scenes are mesmerising with so much tiny detail and overblown special effects. Success is ranked in terms of bodycount and time taken to achieve particular goals. But all missions involve this melee madness on a colossal scale, sometimes lasting over an hour. It’s the core appeal of DW but now Gundam flavoured, and the only ‘radical’ difference is that mobile-suits have flying capabilities but you're still plasma-sword wielding and launching missiles. Kaboom!

We’ve wondered about this too long and hard before now – the reason why DW fans continue to flock toward each new instalment. And we’ve reached the conclusion that KOEI has hit on a formula that works terrifically well. Evidently Gundam is a neat fit, and the lore is treated with maximum respect for Gundam and DW fans alike. For those of you who already know this is the shizzle you won’t be disappointed. But if you’re among the bewildered then Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2 is no go area.

3 out of 5