Virtual-On Marz

"An interesting approach to Mecha combat, but heavily flawed."

Virtual-On MARZ is the latest game in Sega's Virtual-On series. Unlike previous entries in the series, MARZ is a mission-based action game rather than an unorthodox head-to-head "fighting" game. However, there are some serious flaws in the game system, and one glaring flaw in the localization.

Story: 3/10

The story is poorly put together(although not the worst story I've read), which I have to chock up to the poor localization of the script. Names, places and characters are thrown at you with the barest minimum of explanation(if any), and the plot keeps getting stranger as the game goes on. The worst omission due to the shoddy localization could arguably be said to be the lack of a series of items that gave you background on the machines that you were piloting. It's a sad, muddled mess of a plot, but it's fortunate that this is an action game and not an RPG, where story matters.

Graphics: 8/10

The mechanical designs within this game are inventive, interesting, and they have a lot of bright colors and pulsating glows. The background is uninteresting and rather bland, but you're not playing the game to look at the scenery, are you? The weaponry effects are rather dull, making the weapons fire seem like a light show.

Sound: 3/10

Unfortunately, the game's sound(including the music and voice) doesn't live up to the inventive character designs. The sounds of weaponry and the mecha that you pilot sound outdated, like they belong in an early arcade game. The music is annoyingly upbeat and chirpy, and at best, it's mediocre action music(the music on the last few levels is excellent). The sounds and the music are almost tolerable if you compare them to the sheer horror that is the voice acting. Many of the mission briefings are presented by a narrator who sounds like he wants his paycheck, your wingmates sound like they're ad-libbing the script, and don't get me started on the annoying voices of the boss characters...why couldn't they keep the Japanese voices?

Gameplay: 8/10

The gameplay is surprisingly good, if quirky and simplistic. To face your enemy, you jump in the air and cut the jump short by pressing "block," which speeds up your rate of descent. There is a turbo button, which allows your mecha to dash across the ground or in the air, and also allows for extremely powerful attacks. Melee combat is fast, furious and unforgiving. When your opponent is within range, you can link up to three melee combat techniques together, varying in speed, power, and execution. However, the game AI often cheats and dodges your attacks or decides to counter your slash with one that leaves your mecha half-dead. It's a mixed bag, but it's often quite fun.

Other comments: The loading times are much too long, taking around 5-8 seconds for the game to switch between graphics on the selection screen, and mission briefings can't be skipped. Unlocking mecha is very difficult. Vs. Mode isn't all that fun.

Overall: 6.5/10, rounded up to 7.

The game has a good number of flaws, so I recommend renting it if you're not sure about it. If you(like me) can tolerate bad voice acting, cheap AI, and chirpy music, you're in for an interesting experience. Just don't go in expecting an experience along the lines of "Armored Core."

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 07/27/04