Xbox

Robotech: Invasion

Overall, the game is pretty mediocre. The multiplayer falls short and the single player can be beat in less than 12 hours, the controls are rather awkward at first and the cyclones are hard to control, still the game is fun and the story is definitely interesting. Fans of the series will definitely want this game, and those who don’t will probably find it worth a rent at least.

Invasion is a first and third-person shooter that takes place during the third Robotech series, known as New Generation in the States and Genesis Climber Mospeada in Japan. The original Americanized cartoon chronicled the adventures of Scott Bernard and his crew as they fought the monstrous Invid for control of the Earth. There was Lancer, who disguised himself as a female singer named Yellow Dancer to gain entry into backward towns that pledged their allegiance to the Invid (whoops).

From as far back as I can remember there have always been movies, books, and TV series converted into video games. The problem is that the majority of these games have been mediocre at best. With the emergence of a new Robotech series, the gaming community thought that it might be a good idea to create a game based off its story, thus Robotech: Invasion was born. Is this game one to remember or should the idea been left on the drawing board? Read on to find out!

The last Robotech had a no-nonsense approach to action, but this game strips away even more, which doesn't leave you with much. I wanted the series to incorporate more touches from the anime show, but without the cel shading, it now uses even fewer.

Diversifié et honnête, Robotech Invasion s'avère être la bonne surprise de la semaine. Pas ou peu attendu, et ne s'affichant pas dans son costume le plus pimpant au premier abord, ce titre sympathique parvient tout de même à capter l'attention, et possède suffisamment d'atouts pour fournir un divertissement de qualité. Handicapé tout de même par des défauts notables, il mérite une attention réfléchie et un regard intéressé. Pas mal comme dirait la goûteuse de pâtes, alias Ornella Mutti.

Some clever cameos by Scott Bernard and his crew should please those with the know-how to recognize them. And, a worthwhile multiplayer component adds some value. But without very much of the authentic magic of the series, Invasion never really takes off.

Two years ago, Vicious Cycle released a cel-shaded shooter called Robotech: Battlecry, set in the first of the three Robotech anime miniseries. The developer has followed that effort by releasing another shooter called Robotech: Invasion, based on a different miniseries from Battlecry. While Invasion includes online multiplayer capability, a feature not included in the original, the game's single-player campaign still suffers from the same bland gameplay and mission design that plagued its predecessor. Additionally, the migration away from a cel-shaded graphics engine has taken away the primary charm of the original game.

Overall, this game is a disappointment on almost all fronts. The gameplay is average at best. The graphics are lacking. The sound is uninteresting to annoying and online play hardly exists. Robotech: Invasion ends up being a non-impressive FPS when it could have been so much more. Finally, the worst part of all is that this does not feel like Robotech, and that is a true crime.

I have mixed emotions with Robotech: Invasion. On one level as a fan, I love being able to partake in the events in the Robotech universe. Even though the game overall is a let down, I can forgive its short comings and enjoy the game for what it is. Fans of the Robotech will most likely love Invasion unconditionally, but if you're not a fan is going to be an average shooter which you might want to avoid. I would have to suggest Robotech: Battlecry for anyone interested in Robotech story before Invasion.

Throughout history, exploration has led to conflict, and if you disagree with that, just ask the South Africans, the Native Americans, the South Americans, or, if you’re really feeling daring, any animal. When humans go somewhere they’ve never been, they encounter cultures they’ve never experienced before and customs they’re not used to. While I think we’ve advanced to the point in our societies that we can tolerate most differences, there are still some that cause issues, like the ones causing all the turmoil in the Middle East. So, when aliens (the Invid) invade, there’s never a single second where the humans decide if they’re going to fight back. Man is attacked, and man goes to war.

Robotech was a classic '80s animated series made by fusing together and re-jiggering three completely separate Japanese shows. The most famous and beloved part of the show came from the anime series Macross, where space fighters could transform into robots and humpbacked robo-planes.

When Robotech Battlecry was released for next-gen consoles, developer Vicious Cycle tried to give fans a little bit of the best the cartoon had to offer. The story was taken from the first arc of the Robotech series, original actors supplied the voiceovers, the cel-shaded graphics kept the look of the series, and, of course, there were the transformable Veritech fighters. The problem is, the game itself just wasn't all that good.

FOR ANIME FANS, ROBOTECH would possibly rate as one of the oldest and most revered series, with a universe full of transforming robots and interesting storylines. Unfortunately games based on the Robotech mythology have consistently fallen short of fan's expectations. Now Robotech: Invasion seeks to address that with an ambitious action game based on the New Generation cartoon series.