WarTech: Senko no Ronde

"A fun but flawed game"

Wartech was one of those games that no one thought would make it out of Japan. I honestly knew nothing about the game but I rented it anyway. If you're anti-anime or anti-Japan then look else where for a game because this isn't for you and it explains why the sales of this title were so slow. Is it worth picking up a copy though? Read on!

The game has a plot. It actually seemed half way decent for a mecha game. The problem is that the game only offers Japanese dialog and the entire dialog takes place during battles and it's just a little hard to read text while dodging bullets, killing the enemy and all before the timer runs out. So while the plot might be interesting, it's near impossible to enjoy it this way.

The game has a very heavy anime look to it. Graphics look like they have a slight hint of cell shading to them. I really like the design of the character's mechs though. Levels themselves are a bit bland though. It's easy to notice bullets and stuff, nothing gets blurry and it runs at a smooth frame rate.

The sound in the game is a big annoyance for me. Voice work is all in Japanese which is fine but like I may have said before, the entire plot is during battles so Japanese voices don't help matters much. The sound effects are good though. Bullets firing and things exploding. It just doesn't have much else. The music was also decent. Didn't impress me but it got the job done.

Control in the game is very basic. You have two attack buttons, a shield and you can transform. It's very easy to get the hang and has a very small learning curve. The control is also responsive.

Wartech has a unique game play style. At its core the game is a fighting game. There's a time limit and you need to kill your opponent before the timer runs out. If you've played Zone of the Enders then you'll realize how similar the combat is. Get within the enemies ring and you'll be doing close combat fighting. Otherwise it's all gun play. You have a normal attack which can always fire and a stronger attack which requires some charge time after firing.

You can also go all Power Rangers on the enemy and make your mech into a super killing machine. You're easier to hit but you can deal a lot more damage. It's a double edged sword and I found myself not using the super form.

The game really throws you for a loop at the end of the game as the final boss becomes a shooter of sorts. Dodging bullets and hitting the weak spots. The problem with the game play kicks in here because it requires you to hit everything every time it's available. If you don't then you'll most likely run out of time. It's a bit of an annoyance and there is no way to turn the timer off.

The story mode is kind of short but if you're like me then you'll be fighting the last boss way more than you should. There are a few other modes that I didn't mess with. There is also on-line play but no one was ever on when I tried to play on-line. The achievements are pretty good except for the 100 hours of play time achievement. Just seems a bit silly.

For $10 or so I'd say this was an excellent buy. At the time of this writing the game has dropped to the $30 price range and even at that price I'd still say rent before you buy. It really isn't for everyone. However, if you're looking for a fighting game that is amusing then this might be up your alley, just don't expect a lot from it and you may be surprised with the simple yet fun game play.

Story - 4/10
Graphics - 9/10
Sound - 8/10
Control - 8/10
Game Play - 7/10
Replay value - 6/10

Final Score - 7/10

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 08/10/07