Depending on your level of tolerance for running around the landscape for the next regiment of mech soldiers and giving your thumb a damn good work out will relate directly to how much enjoyment you get from the game. Regardless of your level of Brotherhood membership, there’s no getting around the fact that much of Gundam 2 boils down to button mashing. Not to suggest this is in any way an RTS, or the kind of tactical statistics gathering that’s going to repel arcade gamers, but adds just enough intrigue to add weight to the battles. What differentiates the Dynasty Warriors titles from other fighting games is the thick layer of basic strategy that plasters over the superficiality of the brawler aspects. The weaponry and characters borrow heavily from manga and anime culture, and while the game plays out almost identically, it’s clear to see that little extra freedom has been enjoyed by the game’s designers. The majority of the other games in the extensive series are – very loosely – historical in nature, so it’s this one aspect that gives Gundam 2 its edge. In the case of the Gundam branch of the series, this army is built of the robotic ‘mech’ warrior, which gives the game a technological, futuristic slant. Not that this is particularly a problem – a cult following is far more valuable than a half-interested casual following, as it buys up every single game without question – but it’s still difficult to consider the game to be particularly mainstream.įrom the point of view of an elitist, comic shop-creeping, J-pop fan boy like myself, this is also no bad thing, as playing each and every addition to the Warriors franchise (and understanding the core gameplay with a smug look on my face since I didn’t have to play any tutorials or read an instruction books) is like being in a kind of discriminatory secret alliance, so a sequel to the mech-based variation of Dynasty Warriors is very exciting stuff.įor those who’ve not yet earned membership to the Secret Brotherhood of Warriors (that’s the unofficial name I’ve given to our elite club), the concept of the entire range of Samurai and Dynasty Warriors is pretty much uniform, as is the gameplay, and can be explained quite quickly and easily.Īs a rule there are a few opposing armies, usually fighting to conquer/unite Japan/China, and you take command of one of the generals in a particular military might. What’s a little strange about Koei’s prolific Dynasty and Samurai Warriors franchises is that, despite the sheer weight of additions to the catalogue, they’ve only ever really achieved a cult status in the West.