Dynasty Warriors Gundam Reborn has no pretense as to what it is: a niche beat-em-up. In fact the entire game embraces its fan service and delivers a fun arcade-style ride that fans of the franchise and of the Gundam universe can enjoy.
There are two main facets of the game: story mode and ultimate mode. The story mode lets you play through 6 of the Gundam universe story lines and is set up just like an anime including Japanese voice acting and over-the-top character reactions and poses. You feel a part of the story. Ultimate mode consists of individual story arcs that are broken down into missions, each having its own requirements and rule sets. What I love about the Ultimate mode is it’s a commingling of all the Gundam stories into a What-If scenario to see who the ultimate pilot is.
The environments are beautiful. This is especially true in the space battles with hand drawn backgrounds that give an amazing feeling of draw distance and the expansiveness of space. The characters themselves have plenty of detail. While the game has that anime drawing aspect to it, you can see they put the PS3 through its paces to make this a good looking game.
One of the most disappointing aspects of the game is the combat. After playing Dynasty Warriors 8 Xtreme Legends Complete Edition on the PlayStation 4, I felt Omega Force had upped their game in regards to diversity in combat. In the same vein, Gundam Reborn feels like a step backward from that. That is not to say the combat does not feel satisfying. As a “newtype pilot,” you can pilot Gundams, which are stronger than regular, mass produced mobile suits, and the game makes sure you feel like you are powerful on the battlefield. I only wish I felt like I had to employ more strategy in the game rather than simply mash buttons.
Speaking of buttons, I utilized the newest patch to the PlayStation 3 and was able to wirelessly connect my DualShock 4 controller and play Gundam Reborn. After having been using the DualShock 4 for the last few months, going back to the DualShock 3 was difficult, so I was happy to play Gundam Reborn comfortably using the DualShock 4.
Overall, Dynasty Warriors Gundam Reborn is a fun game that will sadly only be seen by a small audience. The game really will only appeal to fans of Dynasty Warriors or the Gundam anime. As a fan of both, this game was right in my wheel house. Unfortunately, the game’s mechanics and story will not hold up for individuals not invested in either of these universes.
Dynasty Warriors Gundam Reborn is out now on the Sony PlayStation 3 for $39.99.
Dynasty Warriors Gundam Reborn Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6A8d3q76J8