Gundam: Rogue Orbit Was One of the Gamescom’s Best Games

Have you ever been to Japan? If so, you know that Gundam is a huge phenomenon there. Those of us in the rest of the world have no idea just how big it is. You may like Gundam, but probably not as much as the Japanese do. So it’s probably clear what will be one of the biggest games in Japan next year. But honestly, after trying the demo, it suddenly ranks very highly for me as well. In terms of sheer fun, this is personally one of the best things I’ve played at this year’s Gamescom.

Gundam: Rogue Orbit takes the Gundam franchise in a new direction and is also intended to be a good entry point for those who have no idea what Gundam actually is. The game is part of the RG Project and takes place in A.A. 135, a century after Mobile Suit Gundam RG XARX-ZERO. In the game, you become the pilot Rex, who was created to pilot the Gundam Helix. He was lost in space for several years, but now he must get into the cockpit of a gigantic war machine to save humanity.

The Solar System is gradually being destroyed by a threat known as Apocalypse. And, as is usually the case, only you can stop it. The story promises plenty of characters, interesting developments and many new elements for the franchise. The game is also in good hands, as it is being overseen by Kenji Kamiyama. He is best known in Japan, but he has also worked on a few better-known projects “over here.” He is a veteran at breathing new life into classic franchises, with The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and The Ninth Jedi among his credits.

Rogue Orbit will be a dynamic action game. In fact, I wouldn’t be afraid to call it a slasher in the style of the best games from Japan. The only difference is that instead of agile fighters, you control an agile gigantic mech—one that is actually dwarfed by the environments around it. The controls are excellent, intuitive, responsive and addictive. You immediately have fun slashing through everything, dodging attacks, using various abilities and facing enemies that are even bigger than you.

The entire game is built around a simple loop: you start in the garage, customize your mech, head out on a mission, fight, progress the story and return to the garage. You will be able to extensively customize your Gundam, not only with various visual elements but, more importantly, with entirely different attributes. Ultimately, you will be able to create completely different builds that can match your playstyle. You can see this in our gameplay video as well.

The Gamescom demo offered 3 premade builds based on the basic weapons—Assault Sword, Whip Sword and Sword Lance. The names essentially speak for themselves, and you can also see in the video that each one played quite differently. They also differed in effective range and power. Your Gundam then has 2 tactical skills tied to its weapon and one tactical (special) attack tied to the Gundam type. There are also a few other mechanics, which are best seen in the video above, such as Burst and similar features. It’s not a lot, but the game still lets you fight with style and tactics. Most importantly, it’s genuinely fun.

This is exactly the kind of game I sometimes dislike at Gamescom for one particular reason. The slot was only 30 minutes long and, as you can see in the video, that left just 20 minutes of playtime. And what then? Am I really supposed to wait until 5 March to play more? I wanted more right away. If not in Cologne, then at least at home right now. But there’s no more for the time being. So the wait will be difficult, and I’m sure it won’t be difficult only for me. If you’re a fan of stylish, fast-paced action, mark this game on your calendar.