Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire is a text-book example of a game rushed out for console deployment. It lacks every conceivable element necessary to make it worth playing: ease of control, STORY, and soundtrack. While I've been one to tout the greatness of PS3 graphics in the past (it's still true) this is a scenario where the greatest graphics in the world can't fix the shortcomings. The shortcomings are of Wile E. Coyote proportions.
Coyote: Hehe, let's just push this game into the market real fast.
(Pushes game into PS3 market)
Coyote: Uh oh...there's no real substance in the game or on the ground it stands upon.
(Coyote falls down into the cavern all the while tumbling over jagged rocks and unfortunately placed cacti)
Roadrunner: Beep Beep.
Once again the essence of a fine game has eluded the Coyote. Like always, games of this type only have themselves to blame (and their creators). In the haste to produce a launch game for the new console they overlooked many, many, many things. However, unlike Coyote, their problem wasn't neglect for gravity. Rather MSG: Crossfire overlooks the necessity to explain the game premise and controls. You're thrust into the game with no instruction for shooting, movement, nada. I died about 10 times before I found a strategy that would allow me to live longer than 10 minutes. Not a good way to start a gaming experience.
Then we have the story, and just like in the control scenario, we're thrust into the action without enough background to know why we want to help or care for any particular side. Once again we have the Wile E. Coyote situation where we have no back story, just enough to watch the game play out as the characters (including you) struggle to stay alive. Wile E. Coyote is officially my favorite analogy.
Why do I care if one side kicks the others' butts with big machines? I don't really care. You haven't told me why I should. So, boo on the story. At least in Looney Tunes I cared, Wile E. Coyote was the every man getting pummeled by the rapid changes of reality....or so I like to think.
Was the game rushed? Yeah we covered that already. And guess what? Once again we can use the Wile E. Coyote theme. More work was put into the music for Wile E. Coyote shorts than was put into this game's soundtrack. Depressing? Then we agree. This isn't to say that the Looney Tunes aren't cartoon brilliance...just that the effort put into this game is appallingly little.
Now, to gameplay. The weapons are cool. Wielding a gigantic burning pink plasma sword is a great amount of fun...if you still have an arm. The ability to blow up the limbs of your adversaries becomes a crucial strategy...and the only one I found that helped me live long enough to learn how to use controls. Switching between guns is confusing and as for the shield? Don't bother. 90% of the time you don't have the shield pointed in the right direction and you get shot anyways. Oh yeah, keeping yourself oriented is another quality the game shares with our ill-fated coyote friend. For all the maneuvering and planning you do to kill your enemies, you'll probably be doomed, one way or another, by your inability to keep your self in line with the people that want to hurt you. Consequently, the enemies run circles around you as you blindly flail trying to figure out what the darned ‘X' button is for. Granted, the coyote didn't have these problems, but he was considerably worse for wear anyways. Usually when he pressed a button he just exploded...he didn't have to sit in anticipation.
Why do bad games happen to good systems? Well, Timmy, that's because schmucks at gaming companies become so obsessed with the profit guaranteed by a new system's debut that they'll put any hocked piece of drivel onto the market if they think they'll make a few bucks.
Golly, thanks Mr. JPP.
You see? We do good things here.
You know, it's odd. I usually can't get enough MSG, but when not in chemical form...it's just frustrating to ingest.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire is a classic Mech-shooter gone horribly, horribly wrong. I blame global warming, but you're welcome to your own opinions. They'll be wrong, but you're welcome.
"Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire (PS3)" is on sale November 17, 2006 and is rated T. Action. Developed by Namco Bandai Games. Published by Namco.
