giant robots

This game is one of the best action games I've played since Contra way back in the old days on the 8-bit NES. It's a good solid shooter with a great setting.

Gameplay: The game centers around piloting a transformable mech called a Veritech to protect the human race by blasting hundreds of alien Zentreadi into tiny bits. The controls are quite easy to get into and yet have a lot of depth (it will take many hours of playing before you feel like a master pilot).
All three forms, the fighter jet, the battloid (robot form), and guardian (hybrid of the two), handle very uniquely and make the game more interesting than a normal shooter. Strategy and some trial and error is required to be successful in many missions.

Graphics: The game uses cell-shading technology to make the game look like the actual Robotech anime, and in my opinion looks fantastic. Environments range from ground and air battles on a post-apocolyptic earth to massive dogfights in outer space (which are the best looking). Some backgrounds lack detail but overall the game looks great, especially the veritech itself.

Sound: The sound, while not entirely faithful to the sounds from the anime, are mediocre and neither enhance nor hurt the game. The engine and missile sounds are great but others like the gun cannon and enemy lasers sound generic. Probably the only real weak point of the game.

Value: While you could rent this game and probably beat it in a few days, there are good reasons to buy it. For one thing it features a cool award system where you gain access to special unique mechs and paint designes by completing specific tasks, such as killing 50 scout pods or finishing a certain boss mission 3 times. These will take some time to accomplish and extend the games lifespan, which is already 40 missions long.
After completing the story mode, the "versus" mode is also unlocked, allowing two players to go head to head in various maps.

All-together: It's hard to imagine anyone with two hands and 10 fingers who is capable of holding the controls not liking this game once they play it. Even watching it is entertaining enough. 5 Stars

Man - this game is phenomanally erratic. On the plus side - its really cool to watch as you play - it feels very authentic - and you can do some really fun stuff with the Veretech (swooping in on enemys - firing a bunch of missiles - and then transforming to finish them off with your gun) - but some of the missions are just absloutly horrible. It is not so much that they are too hard (althought there are a few) - its that there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to how exactly to get through some other than kill everything in site by seeing how fast you can fire your gun and how well you can aim. There were honestly a few levels where when I beat them i could see no difference in how I played vs the times i lost - in fact i would switch difficulty and sometimes end up lasting longer on hard than on medium. On the flip side there are a few missions that are unbearably easy - OK - the one with Minmei is fun just because it gives them an excuse to put her in it and it is kind of like comic relief - but sometimes - its like whatever. Also there are way way to many missions involving protecting something - a few are good - but you spend so much time tethered to something you are protecting - you rarely have time to really use the veretech as it can be used. And finally - the mission spaces are way to containing - why you can not fly up above a city- circle around and swoop in is beyond me. I know the game would be different - but limiting how high you can go in a VT to a few stories up is very unauthentic - and not very Robotechy - If the designers really wanted to incorporate missions where you were forced to stay close to the ground - they should have changed the story a bit - and have you transfered to the SDF-1 after bursting point - and have to fly missions in the city onboard the sdf-1 - then you would actually have a reason for a flight cieling (the roof)

Second - if you are a big fan of Robotech - you will realise there is a serious flaw in the time frame of the game vs what happens on the missions. Most of this game is supposed to take place after the war but before Kyhron goes after the SDF-1. The problem is you end up going on missions where you end up fighting 100's of battle pods. While that makes sense early on - it certainly is not at all appropriate when you consider there are only a few thousand Zentradi malcontents at this point (pre Malcontent uprisings for all you seriously die hards)and they have a very limited supply of mecha (and not much protoculture to use it.) I know this sounds really picky - but to be honest after the way the Matrix incorporated the plot of the game with the plot of the movie - I think the bar has been raised substantially for film and TV tie ins.

BUT BUT BUT!- I will say this for the feel of the STORY -it is very authentic - it - like everything Robotech is tragic. It has a great commander that is very Lisa Hayes. The appearances by the originals are great - the way they incorporate Roy's death is great as well. The vs environment Rocks - actually it is the best thing about the game - and with the price now under 20 bucks i would reconmend the game just for that. If you dont like the story - then just use a cheat code to unlock all the environments you can play in. (The only thing I whish they would have added was a MAX vs Myria level set inside the SDF-1 - where you and a friend (girlfriend whoose into Robotech?) could re enact the great battle.

I didn't know what to think, looking at all the ads and just completing my collection of the television series and then I purchased the game. It is worth every penny. I don't think people would enjoy the game properly unless they were a big Robotech fan. The only grip I would have is that they didn't use the characters in the story line, but they ran along side the show with what happens on the earth during the Zentradi conflict. As much detail that the programmers put into the game, you can tell that they paid paticular attention to detail to where as a customer, you win.
If you don't know about Robotech, I recommend getting the first volume of the series, but beware, you will be hooked.