A solid extension of the Macross Saga, Battlecry is an fast-paced shooter that calls for quick reflexes and a cool head.
User Rating: 9.2 | Robotech: Battlecry XBOX
When I was a kid, Robotech had just hit the US. It was not the cheesy concept of cars that transform into walking, talking robots (Transformers)... Rather, Robotech involved a somehat darker plot; a tale of the future of mankind, and the brave pilots of the Veritechs. Anyone who's seen the show (at least a few episodes, anyway) knows the story. In the year 1999, a mysterious alien craft hurtled through the atmosphere, crashing on a south pacific island named Macross. At the time, the world was in it's third world war, all nations fighting eachother. However, when the ship crashed, the leaders of the world called a cease fire, fearing the potential threat of alien invasion. United by an uneasy agreement to work together, the nations of the world soon learned to live in co-existence, and found peace in trusting eachother. Over the next ten years, they dedicated much of their research and development toward learning the secrets of the alien vessel, preparing for the day when others would come to seek out the derelict warship. After ten years of hard work, in the heart of Macross City, a paseo built around the ancient ship for the people of the world, the Super Dimensional Fortress Macross was finally finished, ready for it's maiden voyage. That day, unfortunately, was when the alien forces finally arrived. And thus, the story begins... You won't follow the familiar tale of Rick Hunter or Minmay Lang in this story. No, Battlecry puts you in the role of Jack Archer, a close friend of Roy Fokker, ace pilot of the Robotech Defense Force, an air force unit trained to handle an experimental fighter known as the Veritech. Veritechs are basically massive jet planes that can transform into a forty-foot-tall giant. Armed to the teeth with heavy weapons, they is the perfect weapon to combat the alien forces, the Zentraedi. A race of forty-foot-tall giants, the Zentraedi are warriors, bred for combat, trained to be ruthless killing machines, and not burdened by human emotions such as excitement, friendship or love. The Veritechs are the only chance of stopping these beasts. Whether they are successful or not is up to you. The rest of the story I'll let you learn on your own. The controls are a bit daunting at first. But fortunately, there are three tutorial levels that will help you familiarize yourself with the controls. This difficulty is also coupled by the fact that the Veritech has three fighting modes: Battloid, Guardian, and Fighter, each with it's own set of controls to master. The Battloid is like a foot soldier mode; you run around, shoot your gun, and can fly. The Fighter is you standard jet mode, flying full speed and carrying an arsenal of heavy missiles. The Guardian is a compromise of the two, giving you jet capabilities, light missiles, better manueverability... But it is STILL the hardest of the three to master. You have two main weapons: Your standard issue 3-barreled 55mm gatling cannon, and light or heavy missiles, depending on which mode you're in. The battloid only has the gun to work with, but it's secondary attack fires very fast, and both gun modes automatically track their target, which can be switched with the press of the right analog button. The camera is always locked behind the player in third person mode, making it difficult to see your surroundings at times, and the Veritech tends to steer like a slug. But it only takes getting used to, and it really couldn't be done otherwise. Each mode also has a special function. The battloid sports a chargable sniper rifle (full-charge hits are near-instant kills for anyone except a boss character). The Guardian lets you pick up objects (usually a person that must be protected). And the fighter carries chaffs, which deter enemy missiles... You WILL need this one to survive most boss fights. Switching between the three modes can be confusing, as the controls are slightly different for each mode. Also, the action heats up around level three, which makes selecting the right mode difficult as well. However, these controls are greatly improved over the Gamecube version (I don't know about the PS2 version). Missions take place on land, in the air, and in space (which are very fun levels at that). Many involve destroying enemies, protecting structures from being destroyed, rescuing hostages, and escorting ships without losing them. Just a warning... You will spend hours on these levels. Three levels that I have played through in this game have to be memorized; if you slacken your grip ever so slightly, you lose the hostage, the building blows up, or the enemy ships escape, or what have you, and you have to start over. Most of these missions are extremely fun though, and never get boring once you get the hang of the controls. I don't think I can stress that point enough! This REALLY IS a fun game, IF YOU CAN MASTER THE CONTROLS! Music is a totally remixed version of the original Robotech soundtrack. It's very cool, and definitely has that anime atmosphere. The sound effects are awesome, and give have that authentic Robtech sound to them. The voice acting, likewise, is excellently executed. Familiar faces like Roy Fokker, Rick Hunter, MinMay Lang and Commander Lisa Hayes all make cameo appearances, and the voice-overs are spot-on with those of the original Robotech voice actors. The graphics are cel-shaded cartoons, giving you the feel of being part of the Robotech saga, and give the game a lot of warmth, action, and sets the mood for each mission. Wait till you try the two "Cat's Eye" missions about a third of the way through the game. Intense! There is also a medal system in Robotech. While it's not anything really special, it adds to the replay value to try unlocking all of the medals. And if you're good enough, there ARE unlockables. These are in the form of new Veritech models to fly, maps for the split-screen multiplayer mode (never tried it, so I can't vouch for it), and video commentaries with the voice actors (although this last part is a bit disappointing, as you can't really hear what they're saying half the time). And, if the game gets too hard or easy for you, there are three difficulty settings to choose from, which (as I understand) can even be changed between levels if you want. All in all, despite a few chinks in the armor, Battlecry is a very solid part of the Macross Universe, and can be quite enjoyable to even the most casual Robotech fan. Hardcore fans will DEFINITELY enjoy it.
