Bandai's involvement in this had me worried, don't like seeing toy manufacturers names on videogames as it usually raises the cheap cash-in flag... however I'm a sucker for games based on my favourite shows so if there's a GITS, Zoids or Naruto title I'm buying it.
First thing to be said about this - loading screens. There's a ton of them. Before cutscenes, after cutscenes, between missions, catching elevators...
The cutscenes feature 3D modelled versions of Section 9 (Aramaki, the Major, Batou, Togusa and Saitou so far) all voiced by the original (english dub) voice actors from the show. I suppose the dub would annoy some people but I'm a big fan of this cast, so personally I see it as a positive. Seeing the characters in 3D is a bit weird, but the Tachikomas look great.
The game itself takes the form of a FPS. Controls were a little unnatural for me at first, with the shoulder buttons being used to fire and the face buttons used for looking around. The analogue pad controls actual movement. I think this might be a typical FPS set-up but I don't play many, so it felt weird. I tried a different control set-up but by that point I was starting to get used to the previous one, so was equally confused by it.
The Tachikomas steal the show when you start playing. They behave exactly as you'd expect, running around chattering away.. sometimes following orders and sometimes not. There are four to choose from: balanced/aggressive/intelligent/humorous, and they can each be customised with weapon parts etc. On my first go I took the aggressive Tachikoma with me and ordered it to save ammo, but despite this it managed to kill every enemy in the level before I could take aim (so I was being literal when I said they steal the show)
I also discovered last night that you can get inside the Tachikoma pod, and once you've done that it's like being in control of the PS1 original game. It never occurred to me to try climbing the walls the same way the Fujikoma could... I suspect it's not possible but I will try later. You can also activate optical camouflage for a brief period of time.
So far then, it's certainly enough to make it worth a shot for any fans out there. For people just looking for a great game I suspect it would be a little too derivative and the loading screens would get in the way.
First thing to be said about this - loading screens. There's a ton of them. Before cutscenes, after cutscenes, between missions, catching elevators...
The cutscenes feature 3D modelled versions of Section 9 (Aramaki, the Major, Batou, Togusa and Saitou so far) all voiced by the original (english dub) voice actors from the show. I suppose the dub would annoy some people but I'm a big fan of this cast, so personally I see it as a positive. Seeing the characters in 3D is a bit weird, but the Tachikomas look great.
The game itself takes the form of a FPS. Controls were a little unnatural for me at first, with the shoulder buttons being used to fire and the face buttons used for looking around. The analogue pad controls actual movement. I think this might be a typical FPS set-up but I don't play many, so it felt weird. I tried a different control set-up but by that point I was starting to get used to the previous one, so was equally confused by it.
The Tachikomas steal the show when you start playing. They behave exactly as you'd expect, running around chattering away.. sometimes following orders and sometimes not. There are four to choose from: balanced/aggressive/intelligent/humorous, and they can each be customised with weapon parts etc. On my first go I took the aggressive Tachikoma with me and ordered it to save ammo, but despite this it managed to kill every enemy in the level before I could take aim (so I was being literal when I said they steal the show)
I also discovered last night that you can get inside the Tachikoma pod, and once you've done that it's like being in control of the PS1 original game. It never occurred to me to try climbing the walls the same way the Fujikoma could... I suspect it's not possible but I will try later. You can also activate optical camouflage for a brief period of time.
So far then, it's certainly enough to make it worth a shot for any fans out there. For people just looking for a great game I suspect it would be a little too derivative and the loading screens would get in the way.
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