Fans of the Gundam franchise who ever wanted to pilot a Gundam of their own can rely on one of the many games of the series to fulfill this fantasy, but none can match the intensity of Gundam Evolution in terms of sheer action. Compared to other mecha simulators across various Gundam games, Gundam Evolution sends players straight to the action. After all, this game not only had players team up with other fans while piloting their favorite Mobile Suits, the title also did this in full first-person shooter glory.
At its core, this means players are at the forefront of perhaps the most “accurate” Gundam simulator out there, having their consoles and devices transform their playing space into fictional cockpits of popular Mobile Suits. And if this wasn’t enough to excite the Gundam fan, Gundam Evolution also has quite a ton of Easter Eggs that fans of the franchise may not immediately catch.
8 Title Screen Has A Day/Night Cycle
Given advancements in various graphics and processing power in most games, it’s a natural expectation for players that games have dynamic title screens. Such is the case with Gundam Evolution, as players can notice the Earth on the background of its title screen constantly shifts in lighting depending on whether it’s day or night in the game.
However, the lighting shift actually happens not because of a time change in the game. Rather, the game follows the actual time format of the player and adjusts the Earth’s lighting accordingly. This is a nice detail that can help further enhance the game’s immersion factor, as players are made to see Earth changing in their own time just as how they get to “pilot” the Gundams in first-person view.
7 Beam Sabers Out
Across all Gundam titles, the main purpose of the titular Gundam - or Mobile Suits, in general - is to provide the most efficient means of combat possible. In most of their appearances, most Gundams have an assortment of weapons in their arsenal on top of the immediate Beam Rifle and Shield. These include the classic Beam Sabers as well as an assortment of armaments like a Survival Knife, missile launchers, and doodads of mass destruction.
Ironically enough, Gundam Evolution rids most of its units with their expected arsenal of extra weapons - especially the iconic Beam Saber. While this was done for the sake of player balance, this becomes all the more evident once players observe specific gameplay elements and even cutscenes. For instance, the main Gundam, Nu Gundam, Dom Trooper, and Pale Rider only use Beam Sabers in their surprise MVP animations. Meanwhile, Gundam Exia’s GN Beam Swords are only available during Trans-Am.
6 Headshots Shouldn’t Be Insta-Kill
It makes sense for Gundam Evolution to have headshots as a source of critical hits given how it wants to follow an FPS format. This is why the GM Sniper II and its sniper rifle can become an insta-kill specialist if it scores a headshot against almost all units. Interestingly enough, this poses a glaring inconsistency with the series that only series vets would notice.
At its core, the insta-kill nature of a headshot in Gundam Evolution stems from the idea that the head likely contains the pilot’s cockpit. This makes sense as a core mechanic but generally defies Gundam canon. In essence, most Gundam units have different cockpit locations. For instance, while most Gundam units have cockpits in the chest area, other iconic Mobile Suits such as the Sazabi have cockpits in the head. Likewise, Turn-A Gundam has its Core Fighter cockpit situation along the crotch area of the unit.
5 Evident Power-Scaling For Balance
Due to the nature of Gundam Evolution as a team-based FPS shooter, it makes sense for the game to balance out the units it features as playable Mobile Suits. In turn, it’s already expected that power scaling will occur to ensure all units are balanced for fair play, meaning their special skills are only as strong as the players maximizing them.
However, some eagle-eyed fans may find it a bit hilarious to remember how some units interact with each other and their fellow Mobile Suits in their respective series. For instance, the original Gundam had armor so thick that the Zaku II (Ranged) couldn’t even dent it with bullets - at least in the original anime, as the Zaku II (Ranged) in Evolution can eliminate the original Gundam with some hits. Meanwhile, the Asshimar and Methuss in Evolution can only stay in their Mobile Armor transformations for three (3) seconds for the same gameplay balance, even though they can remain in this form as long as they like in their Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam appearance.
4 Turn-A Gundam Likes A Grand Entrance
Given the limited selection of Gundams in Gundam Evolution, it makes sense for each and every Gundam to have a special entrance associated with them. Eagle-eyed fans may notice that each of these spawn animations are associated with the lore, with the one dedicated for Turn-A Gundam being one of the weirder selections across the Gundam title.
As fans may notice, Turn-A Gundam emerges from a rock formation, as though “awakening” from a deep slumber. This isn’t simply for show, but rather has a deeper lore implication. Fans of older Gundam series may remember that the Turn-A Gundam was actually excavated from a rock formation, with its initial appearance having the Gundam “destroy” the rock formation as it emerges to its first battle.
3 Gundam Exia Isn’t Just A Melee Specialist
In the Gundam 00 series, the Gundam Exia is Celestial Being’s resident melee specialist. Its build allows it to rely on a multitude of special melee weapons that allow it to work in tandem with the sniping Gundam Dynames, the transforming Gundam Kyrios, and the heavy-duty Gundam Virtue. Gundam Exia carries this melee specialization in Gundam Evolution, with the game even stating that the Exia’s GN Beam Daggers are effective throwables up to medium range - encouraging close-up gameplay.
However, players who experiment with Gundam Exia will notice this isn’t the case. Regardless of the distance thrown, the GN Beam Daggers don’t suffer from damage falloff. It’s only their slow travel speed that make them impractical for sniping, but they still make for a great surprise ranged weapon in the right situation.
2 Three DOM Troopers Don’t Make A Crowd
Given the appeal of the Gundam video game as a team-based shooter, Gundam Evolution ensures that all Gundam units get adequate highlights during special moments in the match. This explains why each unit has a special MVP Animation dedicated solely to showcasing that particular Mobile Suit’s supremacy in combat. However, one interesting MVP Animation is associated with the DOM Trooper. Whenever it becomes the MVP, this lone unit is always accompanied by two (2) other DOM Troopers, forming into a three-man unit.
This isn’t to demean the DOM Trooper as “that non-Gundam” unit, however. The animation actually references the DOM Trooper trio in Gundam SEED Destiny composed of Hilda Harken, Herbert Von Reinhard, and Mars Simeon. These three (3) valiant fighters are loyal to Lacus Clyne and the Three-Ships Alliance and helped stop the ever-growing conflict between the PLANTs and the Earth Federation once and for all.
1 RX-78-2 Gundam Has A Super Robot Wars Callback
Fans of the Gundam franchise can recognize the series’ iconic “Gundam look” from the design of the RX-78-2 Gundam, arguably the series’ poster child. In turn, as with other Gundams in Gundam Evolution, it makes sense for the RX-78-2 Gundam to have its own unique G-Maneuver based on an iconic “move” or moment in the anime. Since the original Gundam didn’t have any flashy special transformations, it does rely on one iconic moment as its equivalent of a super move: the Super Napalm.
Interestingly enough, the Super Napalm does make an appearance in the original Gundam anime but with a rather obscure nature. Its only use is seen in the second episode where Amuro Ray sets down a weird device that he fires at to explode. However, when players observe this G-Maneuver in Gundam Evolution, the original Gundam is seen throwing the Super Napalm and then shooting at it in dramatic fashion. This is a callback to Super Robot Wars A Portable, where Super Napalm is also the original Gundam’s super move and is executed in the same flashy method.
Gundam Evolution was released on September 20, 2022 for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
