[PS3 version tested]
For those unaware, This is a Lost Planet spinoff where you assume the role of Bren Turner, who's a fresh face of the NEVEC academy. Going through his trials and tribulations as a teen-something, fighting Akrid, making friends and trying to get the girl. Liken it to 'EDN 3rd 90210'
Something like that.
I'm nearly at endgame and on my way to New Game +, so I'll chime in with what's what.
I would say you can liken E.X. Troopers to something like a fast paced arena shooter. I'm not quite sure how much of a influence the 3DS version had over this, but you can tell from the mission structure, that everything is very bite size. Similar to Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, where most missions can be completed around the 8-10 minute mark, with a few (being multiple Akrid boss battles) taking a little longer. There's not a lot of freedom in terms of how you progress through the stages as you move to one killzone, area becomes locked off and you then kill designated enemies. Once they're clear, it's off to the next room until you reach the goal. You repeat that formula pretty much through the whole game. Of course, it's interspersed with loads (and I do mean loads) of cut-scenes/ picture box chatter. Speaking of which, they're handled pretty great. Very much like a moving comic strip. I have no idea what the story is, only a rough guess of what's happening. I'm sure Kryss will be able to extrapolate more than I can with my very basic grasp of Japanese.
The game is split between two styles. Hub based and shooty-action-kill-kill. Within the hubs, you speak to people. Though you mainly want to speak to the ones with '...' thought bubbles . You mainly just get presents. Also missions and VR missions are doled out this way. And well, I don't think I need to explain too much about the shooty kill aspect. Although the Vital Suits that made their name in Lost Planet are kind of redundant, as it's only during certain missions you can you them. You can only use Bren Turners signature one only, as you cannot hop in, or out of V.S's
Now the mechanics for how the game plays:
Your loadout for every mission is one main weapon (usually an assault/ beam rifle) and a special (these are heavy weaponary, usually grenade launchers) and you have infinite ammunition. They are governed by reload time for main weapons, and cooldowns for special weapons. Along with that, the special weapons belong to either three categories of elements, ice/ fire/ electric.
With a good roster of weapons, you want to trick them out right?
you can upgrade them in three attributes: Shot power/ magazine capacity/ shot distance. Though with some special weapons all you can upgrade is just shot damage. Along with your main arsenal, you also have melee moves. A standard press of the button and you throw out a chuck-norris roundhouse. tap-dashing forward and melee and you'll throw out an uppercut for juggles. Finally if you jet-pack dash and melee you will do a thrusting kick.
Like Monster Hunter, multiplayer (called VR missions) is not available from the get-go. You unlock that option about halfway through EP1. which took me about 2 hours 25 minutes. First you got to do the usual training missions and what not. I've only tried a few games of the Co-op, which is a nice diversion, although when searching for games, it was pretty barren, with only a couple of lobbies. Looking for versus matches didn't bring up hardly any lobbies as well. Though it could just be the time difference. VR mission can be tackled offline, or online with x2 other people. Multiplayer is a 3 vs. 3 affair. No local split screen co-op I'm afraid.
It's a shame it's not coming over the west, but I can see why. No one will buy it, and the fact that is has various callaborations with specified Japanese retailers such as Zoff eyewear, Joysound, the use of Rathalos armour from the Monster Hunter franchise. And of course the main title track by May'n, will make licenses for the west tricky.
It still doesn't excuse Capcoms braindead decisions over the past few years about not localizing titles. Mainly the recent Monster Hunter franchise. Though Tri G HD saves them off the hook (just slightly) but still, freakin' March... It's been nearly a year since Tri G. But that's another topic.
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