The Steambot
Chronicles is a franchise that has fused the power of mechs with settings in
which those mechs might otherwise seem out of place … like a Victorian-era
world, teeming with colorful characters and personalized mechs that are engaged
in exploration and combat.
With Battle
Tournament, the focus is more squarely on the combat elements (gee, as if the
name didn’t give that away), with the character you create venturing forth and
entering tournaments as he or she moves through the gaming space. Now if that
were all there was to the game, and it was done well enough with WiFi
competition and the ability to customize your mech, then it might be enough, but
Battle Tournament has opted to try to infuse some depth into the gameplay by
having preconditions for entering tournaments, which generally means running
quests for the local citizenry until you build up enough fame to qualify for the
tourney.
There is a
story line here, and while the dialogue gives response choices, both are handled
in such a manner as to make it all seem a bit superficial. And if not
superficial, then it is apparent that the game was intended for younger gamers.
And that
might truly be the case, considering that the game itself seems rather
repetitive. The goal, though, is to build up a reputation to compete in the
coliseum in Orion City. You have to have a mech that is capable of withstanding
the combat and that means employing a mechanic – like the one you meet as the
game begins. She quickly becomes your friend, supporter and advisor as you start
to work your way up.
The heart
and soul of the game is the arena combat. The combat can be a toe-to-toe affair
with players whacking opponents with left and right mechanical arms, or blocking
incoming attacks, picking up and hurling the opposition through the air to
render out falling damage, or picking up items and throwing them at your
opponent. You have to be on your toes and prepared for a bit of button mashing
in a stilted combat setting – meaning that the combat can seem to move at a good
pace and then slow down a bit.
There is
strategy involved, to be certain. The environments within the arena are varied
and you will find yourself running, jumping, using both ranged and melee attacks
to accomplish the task of winning. There are also different difficulty matches
that must be earned before you can compete in them. And you have to buy your way
into the fights, which means running the tasks (which will also allow you to
upgrade your mech) in the city.
Your mech is
known as a Trot and is fairly well animated. As you run around through the
streets, you will have to avoid traffic, which is a nice touch in that it
circumvents complacency while running about Orion City.
The game has
a nice visual appearance with the whole day-night cycle reflected in the way the
city lights come on. The characters do have personality and charm and that
raises the game out of the lethargy that the repetition tries to bury it under.
And the
audio, while not going to set the world on fire, does a nice job in carrying
forth the personality of the game’s characters.
Battle
Tournament is not unique, nor is it particularly involving, but the game does
have some appeal and there is no doubt that it has personality. For a game
played in small increments on the go, Battle Tournament is decent.
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Gameplay: 6.8
This is a
rinse-and-repeat title, full of repetition, but taken in small doses, it is not
bad. The controls are easy to learn and apply.
Graphics: 7.0
Solid graphical
elements, but nothing that will tax the PSP or make your jaw drop.
Sound: 7.0
The game has some
repetitive sounds, but the characters that have voices really do give the audio
track an element of personality and charm.
Difficulty: Easy/Medium
Concept: 6.8
Nothing
particularly unique here and the repetition tends to drag it down.
Overall: 6.8
Not a bad title,
though a bit on the repetitious side. The game does have some personality and
the combat can involve a bit of strategy.
