Gundam Evolution is a new licensed Gundam game from Bandai Namco, and it has high hopes for this title’s competitive future. The game is a free-to-play 6v6 hero shooter where players control Gundams and other mechs from across the franchise. It shares minimal similarities to the recently localized Mobile Suit Gundam: Battle Operation 2 and Gundam Extreme Versus Maxiboost ON, though it could be said to strike a balance between their simulation and arcade aspects.

At first blush, it seems like an Overwatch clone, and it does share a structure with Overwatch. However, after the recent network test, Gundam Evolution feels like its own game, and through the spread of positive word-of-mouth, it could compete with its shooter contemporaries.

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Gundam Evolution Makes an Old Formula Feel New

Gundam Evolution Game Mode Call of Duty Domination

One of the first things that will strike players about Gundam Evolution is its speed. Modern first and third-person shooters trend towards higher mobility, and there isn't any particular title on the market one would accuse of being "slow." Gundam Evolution feels fast even by those standards, and most of this comes from a single mechanic. With the tap of a button, players can perform a boost dash in any direction. Different characters have one, two, or three stamina bars to dash with, and can also use them to sprint or glide. This alone radically alters the gameplay, rendering cover partially obsolete because of dashing's many uses.

Characters also have their own ways of speeding themselves up. With the entire cast offering wholly distinct loadouts, there is a mech here for everyone. It's a good idea to learn a couple of characters so that teams don't have too much redundancy, as Gundam Evolution doesn't enforce character roles like Overwatch.

Pale Rider is a well-rounded and self-sufficient gunner like Soldier 76, but the comparisons mostly end there. Guntank has the closest thing to Soldier 76's smart gun and is otherwise focused on mid-range bombardment. Methuss is a healer like Mercy but is far more agile and offensive. The cast seems remarkably well-balanced so far, though some could use a bit of tweaking. In the hands of a skilled player, heavier close-range units like Sazabi and Barbados can dish out kills left and right while blocking or avoiding incoming fire.

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Still, a lot of the onus for results is put on the player’s decisions. The GM Sniper II is the best example of this, as if it’s played as anything but a long-range, headshot-focused sniper, players will find their unscoped bullets can barely graze foes right next to them. If they play its role, however, it will be one-shotting enemies and enabling teammates to push deep into enemy lines. Only a few characters have to deal with inaccurate shots at certain ranges, but it is an interesting inclusion by the developers. While every mech has a couple of ways it can be played, going outside those intended styles may be met with resistance. It isn't as demotivating as it sounds, and it's best to find a unit that feels right rather than force one to do something it can't.

Gundam Evolution Team Battle Squad

Stepping away from the basic units and gameplay, Gundam Evolution is furnished with many of the features that one would expect from a competitive FPS. One of the first places players will go is the shooting range, and fortunately, it is well-equipped. Using a chunk of one map, GMs and Zaku-II are spawned performing specific actions across three general sections and the player can quickly swap between any available units and try them out. There are even rudimentary position and action settings to the left of the spawn point, allowing players to practice on targets that are moving, dashing, and randomly cycling between the two. It bears mentioning that full descriptions of the player character's abilities are available at the press of a button, even in regular matches.

The next stop is the options menu, and FPS veterans should be pleased with what they find. Options are granular and tied to almost everything in the game, from the vital voice chat to individual units' aiming sensitivity and dead zones. The game defaults to 120 FPS, and while it's unknown if the final product will allow for uncapped framerates, that is a great starting point. Gundam Evolution looks very good on high settings, even if certain old Gundam mechs have authentically flat textures. The announcer and player pilots are fully dubbed, which will help in the middle of hectic firefights. This isn't quite as valuable as the Gundam Evolution website's video examples, but the game's opening cutscene includes demonstrations of many units in action, which is a nice touch.

Finally, there are the different match types. At Gundam Evolution’s launch, there will be modes focused on planting bombs, capturing points, and attacking or defending certain areas. It's a solid spread, and the online experience has been positive so far. One of the game's biggest weaknesses right now is that disconnections force a 3-minute penalty before players can rejoin. Lessening that penalty once a day could save unlucky players some grief. With a cosmetic-oriented season pass and gacha setup that also enables players to buy items individually, it seems Gundam Evolution has the legs to stay relevant for a while. If Bandai Namco can keep updating the game with new characters, cosmetics, and maps, then Gundam Evolution could penetrate the global market in a way few other Gundam products have.

Gundam Evolution launches in 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Game Rant was provided a Steam code for this preview.

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