Robotech: Battlecry

But let's do a quick review of the game here. This game is going to appeal strongly to anime' afficianados and fans of the original series, the latter group comprised mostly of 30+ males who were in thier teens during the mid eighties. This is a game that is focused on a very specific segment of gamers and as such is probably not going to get a warm welcome from the average 15 year old dumping thier cash on a game with pretty packaging. To further compound this the storyline allows you to take part in several big battles from Book One episodes, but it does so in a *really* disjointed manner. A person who has no knowledge of the Robotech storyline is liable to get really lost in no time flat as the story will make absolutely no sense. The storyline jumps from the Episode "Boobytrap" all the way to the episode in which the surface of the Earth is destroyed by the enormous Zentraedi armada, and then further jumps to the period during the reconstruction. Essentially about 30+ episodes squeezed into the first 5 missions alone!

I particularly enjoyed the mission of taking on the Zentraedi in space as the SDF-1 was about to make it's climactic assault on Dolza's flagship. The scenery is simply beautiful! I was a little let down by not getting to see the Grand Cannon fire, but that's a small thing. Again, this will appeal strongly to a Robotech purist, and to a lesser degree anime fans, but to anyone else they probably won't get much from the plot other than confusion.

How does the game handle? Fluid as a dream! If ever you wanted to *be* in Robotech I can't think of a better way to do so than Robotech: Battlecry. Battloids skid left and right, stop on a dime, and shoot missiles out of the sky. The cel shading effect simply puts you in a live action anime cartoon. I cannot get over how beautiful this game is...it is literally like being at the controls of a Veritech. Fighter mode in my opinion is the easiest to control overall and I spent a good portion of my time fighting in that configuration. On the whole I have seldom seen a prettier game than this one.

Sound is a mixed bag. The sound effects don't irk me much but the one gripe I do have is the music. I wanted to hear the classic Robotech score as I flew in combat, it would have added to the tension and feel of the moment *just right*, whereas the synthesized almost-midi tracks overall will detract a bit from the experience for a Robotech fan like myself. There were only a few missions where the original score was allowed in and when it was it truly added to the experience.

Likewise the control is a little complicated and confusing (especially to a 31 year old like myself who's reflexes aren't as catlike as they were even 10 years ago), but after a few missions you'll find yourself able to do amazing things with a few presses of the button. Give it some time, older folks...it will come to you! :)

Overall I cannot help but be pleased with the game. The look and feel of it is pure Robotech and it is a thing of great beauty. Bring on the next game and include Hovertanks and Cyclones! Please!


"This Robotech thing gets in your blood."   August 11, 2003
 4 out of 5 found this review helpful

Back in the spring of 1985, I remember seeing the first episode of this new animated series called Robotech. From that moment I've been hooked on the series ( since the New Haven Public Schools couldn't serve up anything near as compelling I guess it was fate). Now for the Playstation 2, TDK has taken the Robotech licence and delivered a very faithful rendition of the animated series for the PS2.

The game tells the story of an RDF ( Robotech Defense Force) pilot named Jack Archer. In some 20 or so missions you guide Archer in his Veritech fighter through varying terrains accomplishing tasks ranging from escort to search and destroy. It may not seem like there could be a huge variety of gameplay in a title like this, but Vicious Cycle does it's best to mix up the gameplay to keep the game from becoming overly repetitive and monontonous. The outer space mission look better than alot of the space missions in other games, though with no "up" or "down" as a reference, the action tends to swim. Fortunately there are well placed objects, such as debris and capital ships to give you a focal point to maintain your bearings. There is also a two player mode with different battlegrounds you unlock as the story mode progresses, as well as different Veritech fighters and paint jobs that become available as you advance from level to level and after certain task are accomplished ( shooting down a number of Battlepods for example will unlock a certain paint design).

Robotech Battlecry uses Cel Shaded graphics. The goal being to try and create a more stylized look to emulate the animated series. It works to a degree, but unfortunatley some of the objects look rather flat. As if a two dimensional object was inserted into a 3D environment. The game was made at a point in time where not alot of Cel Shading was being employed. I imagine as the process is used more, programmers will be more knowlegable about the process and will be able to pull it off with more refinement. Landscapes are rather barren, but that is in keeping with the story line. The Earth has been devastated by a Zentradi bombardment and everything has been laid waste. And the environments reflect that. There are a few collision detection problems here and there as well. The action suffers from a little slow down due to the, at times, overwhelming amount of enemys on the screen at once. But this is a somewhat minor annoyance.

The controls take a bit getting used to. The Veritech fighter has three modes. Fighter (standard aircraft), Guardian (half plane half robot), and Battloid (robot mode). A few runs through the training mode are required to get the hang of the controls. And there are times in the game that you'll be fumbling trying to get the fighter to transform into the mode you want. The target lock on is a great feature. Holding the circle button down will give you a missle lock and will also give you multiple lock on's. A great feature for alot of enemys on the screen at once. The learning curve for the contols is probably about 1 hour at best.

Sadly the game doesn't have alot of replay value. You'll enjoy playing this game, and you'll want to unlock the extras. But the story mode does not go into a repeat cycle. The only way to go back and play the game a second time is to play missions individually. Why would Vicious Cycle do this I have no idea. But it's a bit dissapointing. There are some excellent extras however. There are original Robotech voice cast interviews which are a great feature. It's a real thrill as a long time fan to see the original cast behind the series.

Robotech Battlecry is a really good game, especially if you're a fan of the series. It's definitley better than alot of games out there. And for the current reduced price this would make a good addition to your game library. Word has it that a sequel is in the works. Vicious Cycle has a good foundation to work from. Let's hope a sequel will improve on the ground work that's been laid.


very good....   July 1, 2003
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

this game is everything i wanted and more. even though you cant play as the people in the show it is very good and has the right amount of dificulty to make it intresting. but the games replay vallue is low( for me ). that is probably why is is long. it has a huge amount of missions and diferent bots to soot the mision youare on.

I'm out.
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