Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation v. Zeon |
PS2 |
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Review by Don Evanoff |
Bandai |
Mech Sim |
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Graphics: 8 |
Sound: 6 |
Gameplay: 8 |
Overall: 8 |
![]() In Gundam: F v. Z, you can play as the Earth Federation, defending Earth against the evil forces of the Duchy of Zeon, or you can take on the role of the Zeon forces, fighting for your indeopendence, and the independence of space colony Side 3. There are three modes of gameplay; Arcade, Campaign, and Story. Arcade mode allows you to face the computer or another human opponent in face-to-face combat in the Gundam of your choice. Campaign gives you the opportunity to choose a Gundam for ground combat and one for space, then fight your way through a steady stream of land, sea, and space battles, constantly pitting yourself against a changing onslaught of Federation or Zeon opponents. In Story mode, you take on the roll of a Federation or Zeon Gundam pilot and fight your way through the final months of the 0079 war between the Federation and Zeon forces.
Control could be a little tighter. Gundam: F v. Z is best suited to using the D-pad for directional control, and you'd be better off still with a real joystick, as this would closer mimick the arcade controls. Using the D-pad could be the reason why directional control seemed sluggish at times. And close combat can be frustrating in a frantic situation. But, the game provides a good mix of both ranged weapons combat and melee fighting. Land, sea, and space battles require you to fight according to the environment and the Gundam's limitations, not just the bigger gun getting the win.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation v. Zeon may appeal more to fans of the show than the casual gamer. However, this shouldn't deter you from picking it up to satiate that hunger for an action game. Froma collector's point of view, the Gundam games in this country seem to hold their value extremely well. This isn't always due to excellent gameplay, but more to low sales volume and a dedicated fan base. But Gundam: F v. Z is an engaging game, and the large battles will get you reciting four letter words other than Zeon when things get tough. Playing as both the good guys and bad is always fun, and there is enough in this game to make the fan and newcomer to Gundam happy.
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