Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front

"*Gasp* Squad based gundam!"

I never thought I would see the day when a Gundam game met Rainbow 6. But, Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front does a good job. The game has some classic gundam style combat, with your weapon selection and MS selection. But, unfortunately, you cannot use thrusters (except when moving backward), which I think would add to the fun. The controls are a little clumsy at times, but overall, they are easy to use.

The basic plot behind it is that in this game, you finally get to be Zeon (and only Zeon). You start on a plan called "midnight fenrir" led by Garma Zabi to capture North America, then to find and invade Jaburo. If you have watched the show, you know that Garma dies early on, and he does in the game as well. You start with two leaders, and some Zaku II's and some Zaku I's. They have pretty weak weaponry, but the Feddies don't have any MS at this point, so it is not a big problem.

The real sticking point of this game is the overall control of the squads.
You can have up to three teams of MS. Each of these you can switch between easily. For each mission, you have the option to make your own route as well. A route is what the computer MS will follow to get to their objective. You can make a very elaborate one, dodging between buildings, avoiding enemy sentry, you can even set a "battle code" which, when you press the right buttons, all the troops waiting at that point will move. This can be very helpful in creating the strategy used in this game, unlike many others where it's all about piloting solo. This adds something fresh and replay able to the game. The other feature unlike the other games, is the added "support" equipment making it more like real soldiers. You have a weight limit on your MS, and you can add things to it, such as extra armor, extra ammo, smoke grenades, flash grenades, night vision, decoys, added radar ability, and more stuff that you would probably use real soldiers use.

The controls are nice, you steer with the left analog stick, and move the sight around with the right. This may be hard for some people, but if you have played a game such as Halo, it should be no problem. Luckily for those who can't do it, you don't need the right analog stick very much. You use the R2 and L2 buttons for many things, such as battle codes, and removing the status of your MS at the bottom. The controls are easy to get used to and once you have it down are simple.

The missions can move fast sometimes and leave you saying "I won already? But I hardly did anything!" or "What? How did I lose?". That can be annoying if you actually want to beat the mission yourself. The other squads are hard to rely on, and are more there for when your other squad dies.

The radar, thermal, and sonar sensors are an important part of the game
as well. Sonar has the largest area of all three, but can only detect things that are moving. Radar can detect in an area smaller than that, but minovsky particles can get in the way. It is hard to read with even 4% if you don't have patience. Thermal is the smallest area, and anything within it, you can probably see already.

The graphics aren't bad, even for a game made in 2001. The MS are detailed, and nothing is really lacking, except nothing is really as "crisp" or sharp as the newer games.

The music and sound effects are nothing special, but they aren't annoying either.

The game is fun, with only a few annoyances such as mission completion, but has a great amount of customability in the route and MS.

Overall, it's a fun game that both Rainbow 6 and Gundam fans can enjoy.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/07/04