The amount of Mobile Suit Gundam video games is just crazy and the one I am looking at today is Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space. This was released on the PlayStation 2 back in 2003 and is one of the more interesting games in the series due to its setting and time that it takes place.
Gundam RTS is a free RTS game. It uses the Spring game engine and is currently in production. I make periodic releases and the game is very playable. It focuses on the one year war story which means no super mechs or effeminate boys. Just anime style. Gundam has spawned over 80 video games for arcade, computer and console platforms, some with characters not found in other Gundam media. Some of the games, in turn inspired spinoff novels and manga. Most Gundam video games, except Dynasty Warriors: Gundam, were released only in Japan.
One Year War
In terms of the story and the premise of the game, I will say that if you are familiar with the world of Gundam you will love this. There is no hand-holding here in terms of the story, Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space is the kind of game that demands you are familiar with the franchise before you jump in. Most of the story takes place during the One Year War which is cool.
The game is very cinematic and has some serious style to it. Back in 2003, this was a fantastic looking game and while it may lack that wow factor the more recent games in the series have. I still feel that this is a very polished and impressive looking game for the PS2.
Zone of the Gundam
The easiest comparison in terms of the gameplay is Zone of the Enders. The game mostly takes place in space (hence the name) and you are free to move your Gundam around in a three-dimensional space. There is a handy lock-on button that you have to make use of and the controls can take around 30 minutes or so to get the hang of, but once you do you will feel unstoppable. The gameplay is a tad shallow, but when it is this much fun you will not care at all.
More Ways To Play
The main single-player mode follows the One Year War storyline quite closely and that is great, but there is more to do in Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space than just that. The main story will take just a few hours to get through, but you have many other modes to enjoy. These are Ace Pilot Mode, Side Story Mode, Mission Move and Versus. I really like how you can create your own character and then level them up and make them awesome all with a bit of story to drive you along.
So, while the main single-player mode is short, I feel that there is more than enough here to keep you busy for a very long time.
There are so many games from this franchise that it can be hard to keep track. However, I would certainly say that Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space is one of if not the best from the PlayStation 2 era. I know that some say that this is actually their favorite Gundam game of all time and I can see why! If you are a fan of the series, you have to play this game!
Pros:
- It has that Gundam style
- The story feels very authentic
- Tons of awesome things to fight with!
- Multiple game modes will give you tons of reasons to keep coming back
- Fans of Gundam will love this!
Gundam Games On Switch
Cons:
- It does demand that you are familiar with the series
- While it looks good for a PS2 game…. it is still a PS2 game