Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2 (or Gundam Musou 2 for you Japanese folks) is a “hack and slash” “button-mashing” extravaganza of a video game based on the Gundam anime series, and is the sequel to 2007’s Dynasty Warriors: Gundam. The game is developed by Koei/Omega Force and is published by Namco Bandai. It was released in Japan on December 18, 2008, in North America on April 21, 2009, and in Europe on April 24, 2009.

   As the saga continues from the original Dynasty Warriors: Gundam, so does the gameplay… DW: Gundam 2 combines the mechanics of the Dynasty/Samurai Warriors series with the awe-inspiring titanic robots and futuristic/post-apocalyptic set environments of the Gundam universe (Specifically the Gundam Universal Century genre). For fans of both the Dynasty Warriors series and Gundam universe, this game is digital ecstasy! Unfortunately, gamers looking for some actual substance will be sorely disappointed.

   Gundam 2 thrusts you into the pilot seats of mechanical mobile suits of armor, known as Gundam. Set in the future, where man has separated from a chaotic war-torn Earth and has taken to the stars. Rebel space colonies fight for independence from the remaining Earth factions. With new technology, the face of warfare has been forever changed due to the introduction of “Mobile Suits”.

   A new feature to the series, DW: Gundam 2 lets players engage in battle against giant boss-like Gundam known as “Mobile Armor”. These massive Gundam definitely add a little spice to the typically repetitive gameplay. Including new story modes (known as Official Mode), the player can now play as characters not seen in it’s predecessor Dynasty Warrior: Gundam as well. Another interesting feature was the new customizable parts system. You can now find and create parts for your Gundam to personalize your fighting style against the ridiculous mob of bots.

   You can now choose from a set of different game modes in Which you are then given a series of tasks varying from fulfilling specific objectives to annihilating hordes upoun hordes of mindless drones. Just like every Dynasty Warriors game preceding it, Gundam 2 is ridiculously easy to get acquainted with. The predictable AI of the enemy Gundam are as readable as ABC book and obliterating them is just as well. Mashing on buttons is the signature formula of the Dynasty Warrior series, so Koei has yet to disappoint its large occult fan-base.

Overall Standings!

First Glance: Interesting enough, but if you’re not a Gundam enthusiast, you’ll be lost in a metaphorical sea of nonsensical gibberish.

Graphics: “Meh…” is the word I’m looking for? The game does not push the system at all. It almost seems as if it were originally planned for only the PS2 and was later graphically refurbished to be marketed for the “Next-Gen” systems.

Music & Sound: The soundtrack is exactly what you would expect from the title, a melodic collaboration of both the Dynasty Warrior series and the Gundam universe. As for sound, the quality is pretty decent. The voice acting is much better than Dynasty Warrior’s usual standards, but only because of the excellent ensemble of “actual” voice actors (excluding the terrible rendition of Domon Kashuu if you know what I mean).

Gameplay: Ha! What?! Just kidding, in all seriousness… You can literally beat the game with ONE BUTTON. Although it does occasionally require some minor strategical thought, its no brain-buster.

Replayability: You’ll definitely be playing this game for the next couple of years of your life if you’re an objective perfectionist such as myself or if you’re a fan of the either series. But if you’re not, this game will entertain you for about 30 minutes or so and then make you wish you had not spent the full price for it. There’s a good amount of “fun” objectives to do in order to fully complete the game; such as, story missions, free missions, leveling up pilots, and customizing your favorite Gundam.

Overall Rating: Out of 10. If you’re a fan, I’d give it a 7 or 8ish. However if you’re not a fan, it would generally be a 5 and 1/2.

***Review By: Beau Taphanel***