RandomNPC – Video Game RPG Reviews, Editorials, and Features

For fans of mecha anime, there are few series that lend themselves better to an RPG than Zoids. With such a broad assortment of Zoid frames and equipment, it seems a natural choice for a TRPG. With Zoids Assault, the net result is a mixed bag that does some things extremely well, and some things not as well as a fan might hope.

For those unfamiliar with the Zoids franchise, they are giant pilotable robots in the form of various animals and dinosaurs.  Like other popular mecha anime, there have been many Zoids shows, and virtually all of them are unrelated to one another.  In this light, it makes sense that Zoids Assault is a separate story with no connection to any of the anime whatsoever.

The game begins by telling the story of a battalion of Zoids at the end of a conflict between the nations of Maroll and Jamil.  A cease fire has been called, and a Marollian platoon has locked its weapons only to be helplessly fired upon by the enemy.

Things skip ahead ten years later, and the game changes to a different method of storytelling.  We are introduced to Jessica Lambert, a defector from Jamil giving testamony about her involvement in what happened before the end of the war.  The rest of the game is split between Jessica telling her story and the player controling Mace Squad, an elite Zoid team, in something that resembles flashbacks.

“What do you mean “compensating?” I don’t know what you’re….. Oh…. Maybe just a little….

Though there are actually two stories going simultaneously, the game never really develops either effectively.  The plot is extremely sparse in the beginning, and it doesn’t really pick up until the game is nearly over.  For an anime known for having more developed plotlines, the story is a little disappointing.  It’s not bad once it gets going, but once it finally does get good, it’s cut short, and not everything is sufficiently wrapped up.

Sadly, this is not the only disappointment.  There are dozens of Zoid frames between the different versions of the shows, but the player’s five-member team only contains three different Zoid types. For the most part, the enemy does get different Zoid frames that are roughly equivalent to the ones the player gets, but unless your favorite is one of the six or seven types used in the game, it didn’t make the cut.  The distinct lack of different types of Zoids is worked into the story and makes sense within the game’s world, but many fans of the series will be left wanting for more.

Though the Zoid selection and plot are not Zoid Assault’s strongest points, there is one aspect in which it delivers very well; it has one of the most interesting, fun, and realistic battle systems found in any TRPG.  Like Final Fantasy Tactics, gameplay does not feature set turns where everyone from one side makes their moves and then the opposing side make theirs.  Each unit will move according to its mobility, and faster units may get to make several moves within one turn.

Like other TRPGs, battle begins when anything of the opposing side is in range, but there are a few restrictions.  It is not enough that targets must be within the specified range of a weapon; with the exception of missile type weapons, enemy Zoids must be in direct line of sight.  Trees, rocks, or even friendly units can block the line of sight, so the placement of your five Zoids becomes crucial.

Where things get interesting is the actual attacking.  The game uses something called a scan gauge which tells you how many Zoids on the opposing team can register that unit on their radar.  If more than one character can see the target Zoid, are in range to attack, and have a direct line of sight, it will participate in each bout of combat.  Therefore, proper positioning not only protects weakened units, but it can allow for multiple attacks on each round of combat.  The rules apply for both attacking and defending, so it is possible to get counterattacked by several units.  The net result is a battle system where strategic placement can make more of a difference than weapon strength or even the level of the Zoid pilot.  Considering each of the missions have unique topographical features, to be successful, players will have to vary their strategy, skills, and equipment for each stage.

After the 37th dangerous mission in a row, Frank began to think that perhaps the recruiter wasn’t telling the truth when he said “Most missions involve petting fluffy bunnies.

If things get too rocky, the player can abort the mission at any time and keep all weapons and experience as long as the team has not been completely obliterated.  In this way, the game is more forgiving than other games, and it affords opportunities to level if things are too hard. Despite nearly unlimited ways to level, players will have to restart several times as the missions get progressively harder.  None are impossible, but some may take some creative planning.

To further balance the game, all five members of Mace Squad can fill up a special gauge to launch an EMP attack.  These negate any enemy skills and counterattacks, and every enemy unit in range will be attacked by as many Zoids that have it in their sights.  With a proper formation, the length of these chain attacks is limited mainly by the number of things to hit.  It’s not uncommon to get even eight consecutive attacks from one action, and a well-timed EMP attack can make the difference between successfuly completing a mission or having to abort and retry the stage again.

Between battles, the players can customize their Zoids to their liking.  There are seven different weapon types and three different classes of armor, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.  Players can also set a number of different skills that can range from increasing things like attack or defense, utilize a command to increase one stat and the expense of another for one turn, or heal allied units.  The number and types of skills are pretty varied, so it will really come down to personal preference how each person wants to play.  There is no wrong way, and some missions may require a completely different setup than others. Players can also view data discs, items that are found or won after battles. They generally increase the stat of a certain type of equipment, but some bestow special skills or unlock plot and character analysis online.

Though the battle system is extremely fun, the interface is a little clunky.  There are no tutorials to actively guide the player through the intricacies of the battle system, and the player is forced to learn it through trial and error.  The beginning missions do explain a bit in the briefing, but unless the player reads the instruction manual, things like the scan gauge may not be immediately intuitive.

Paint your cockpit he said. It’ll look cool he said. It’s not like you’re going to blindly walk right into the enemy. I hate him so much right now.

Visually, the game fares relatively well.  The character models are clean and are generally pretty.  The Zoids themselves look very nice, but without a proper paint job, it can get tough to distinguish one Zoid from another.  Fortunately, the first run of the game includes a download code in the manual for extra paint jobs, and they help tremendously while giving the added benefit of small stat bonuses. There is, however, a strange sandy effect during battle that is not really explained.  Perhaps it is to make the game look like old-timey footage.  It’s not distracting, but it’s not really a positive, either.

The graphics outside of battle are a different story.  Nearly all the plot is told in front of still pictures; something that is puzzling considering this is a licensed game of an anime franchise.  Though Zoids Assault is certainly not the first TRPG of this generation to take this path, it’s a little shocking none the less. For what it’s worth, they are at least well done.

Aurally, the game is also a bit of a mixed bag.  The music and sound effects are pretty good, but the voice acting is strange at times.  Over half of the plot is spoken by Jessica, whose voice is extremely flat.  Since most of the plot is told as testimony in a government hearing, the flat tone makes sense, but there is a significant part of the story where Jessica is out on the battle field.  In those situations, her same flat speech seems out of place.  For the most part, the rest of the voice acting is decent and fits with the characters.

Completing the game will take between 15 and 25 hours for the first time through depending on the number of restarts of missions.  Though the difficulty ramps up a bit with every successive mission, each one can be done on the first try, and most missions will probably take no more than three tries.  There is also some post-game content. After finishing the game, players can go through it again and keep all equipment and experience.  This is primarily to hunt down special canisters that might have been missed that are the key to opening up three additional fights.

In the end, Zoids Assault is a good game that could have been a great game.  The plot is a little thin, especially at the beginning, but it gets better towards the end.  It is also worth mentioning that there is some interesting real-world science behind the attacks in the game, some of which is being explored right now with the Large Hadron Collider.  Ultimately, it is the game’s battle system that will carry players from mission to mission, and it’s worth the price of admission by itself.  If strategy is your thing, Zoids Assault will be right up your alley.  If plot is your single most important aspect, you may want to reconsider.  Hopefully, if Atlus ever makes a second game, it will increase the number of available Zoid types and beef up the story.  If that were to happen, it’d be one of the best TRPGs of all time.