I like what you did there, Capcom, mind if I take it?
The Gods Eater Team
It's not often you find a good PSP game. Monster Hunter Portable 3rd was the last decent game I played, and that was confirmed to have no release date outside of Japan - it's fortunate that I've played the series long enough to know what everything means without having to learn Japanese.
Now, not many people will know what God Eater is. A Namco game, it was released in Japan a few years back. Let me just quickly add that I love Namco anime-style games - Fragile Dreams was easily one of my favorite games in the past few years. Western Monster Hunter fans immediately recognized God Eater as a clone of their beloved series. However, we didn't get the game on our shores. No surprise really, PSP gaming
is a lot more popular in Japan. Now, although it's highly likely we miss out on Portable 3rd, Westerners have a chance to fill the gap with Gods Eater Burst, effectively the expanded version of the original God Eater.
This may be an irrelevant point, but I found it bizarre that they changed the name from "God" to "Gods." The characters in the game still refer to themselves as God Eaters, even though the subtitles show "Gods." It's like they're trying to avoid offending someone, yet gods are still being eaten? Odd. Name change or not, the content is still the same as the Japanese version - blood and all. A nice change from Monster Hunter, which has blood splashes shrunk down in its Western portable versions. Strangely, Monster Hunter Tri on Wii retained its gore.
I love Monster Hunter, should I get this?
Gods Eater Gameplay
Let's skip straight to the point. Is Gods Eater Burst a good game? I absolutely love it, and would rate it among my favorite games. However, I'm honestly not sure if the formula would appeal to anyone other than a Monster Hunter fanatic. For a clone, it's done incredibly well, differing itself from Monster Hunter enough that a fan of the former series won't get mad at having their series ripped, and yet still enjoy playing something familiar. The process consists of: choose mission in hub, equip weapons and skills for the situation, complete mission, reap rewards, build better equips to combat stronger monsters. If you're already a Monster Hunter buff, you'll immediately recognize the formula.
So, you might ask, what's so different about this game that sets it apart from Monster Hunter? Why should I play this, and not Monster Hunter, eh? Well, that's simple. The biggest difference is that Gods Eater has a plot. Perhaps not the strongest plot in the gaming industry, but it's there and if you think the concept of emo teenagers with big weapons whacking monsters in a post-apocalyptic Japan takes your fancy, you're gonna love this. To keep it short, the world has been taken over by Aragami. Demonic monsters started appearing many years ago, and evolved at a quick rate, taking on objects or animals in the environment. For example, one monster is more-or-less a tank fortress ... thing, that fires tomahawk missiles at you, while one is more recognizably ape-shaped.
Monster Hunter had a local gathering hall, allowing for up to 4 friends to go on hunting quests together. Gods Eater keeps this aspect - although multiplayer consists of the storyline from whoever hosts the game - with a neat extra touch. Online and offline, you can add AI NPCs to fight alongside you. Every NPC has their own personality and fighting style. To put the icing on the cake, you can even use your real life buddies' characters offline, after you've exchanged Avatar Cards. Definitely a neat addition.
...Did my sword just eat that monster?
The Four Main Members Heading to a Quest
Aside from that, Gods Eater is a tad dumbed down in comparison to Monster Hunter, and yet more complex at the same time. There are pretty much no different weapons, so you're not deciding whether to pick up a great sword or hammer. Instead, your "God Arc" is your all-in-one. It can flick between shield, sword and gun on the field. However, swords are split between Short Blade, Long Blade, and Buster Blade. Shields are split between Buckler, Shield and Tower Shield and guns are split between Sniper, Assault and Blast. You get the idea: light, medium and heavy. Each have their own combos, abilities and stats, so it's more a matter of getting used to what you like.
The fighting system is definitely different to Monster Hunter. You can perform aerial combos, dash around a lot more easily, and even lock on to your opponent and its vital organs. Different weak points do different amounts of damage, and it's color-orientated, with a large, thick orange splash indicating a critical strike. I mentioned it's complicated, well the complicated bit comes in when you're forced to start experimenting with weaknesses. Not just elemental weaknesses, but blade weaknesses. While there are only 3 types of swords, there are subtypes within them: sunder, pierce and crush. Sunder is slashing, pierce is comparable to lance damage in Monster Hunter, while crush is comparable to hammer damage. The attacks and combos are still dependent on type of sword, but different Aragami, re-colorations included, have different weaknesses and resistances.
Oh, you're probably wondering about the title, right? You read correctly, your God Arc has the ability to chomp on monsters. Every God Eater's weapon has been infused with Aragami DNA, and these weapons happen to be the only thing that can defeat them. After killing a monster, you hold triangle to 'om nom nom' it for materials that go towards new weapons and equipment. Better yet, you can nom on an Aragami at any time during a battle to gain three special Aragami shots for your gun, and you enter "Burst Mode," allowing you to move and attack faster, dodge quicker, and double-jump.
If wastelands happen to be your thing...
...Then you'll love the levels. The landscapes are what you would expect from post-apocalyptic Japan: damaged, barren and devoid of life. The levels just don't feel as lush and vibrant as Monster Hunter. I suppose that's the point, but it's a little lifeless and unexciting, until you get into the battle of course. Fortunately, Gods Eater has done away with areas, and instead you have the whole level to play around in - no constant loading every time you enter a new area. Even salvaging for new materials is very simplified. Rather than mine and gather bugs with tools, you'll be salvaging shiny dots on the ground.
Other than dull landscapes, the characters do look superb. There's a fair amount of customization and mores as you unlock new tops and bottoms. Clothes do nothing other than make you look rad on the battlefield.
Gods Eater Burst is an excellent game. If you haven't played Monster Hunter before, and you own a PSP, go do that right now. Not even kidding. If you're already a fan, and you're craving a clone that'll fill the gap created from the news of Portable 3rd not hitting our shores, then give Gods Eater a try.
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