Game:

E.X. Troopers (2012)

Category:

Let's Play

Duration: 1:34:25

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Released in late 2012 for both the Nintendo 3DS and PS3, one could be forgiven if they've never heard of this game before today and one could also be forgiven if they didn't know that this is an odd link to Capcom's "Lost Planet" series, but you know what can't be forgiven? That this game has yet to get some kind of official localization! Yeah, sure... "E.X. Troopers" was fan-translated for the 3DS, but the "shinier" PS3 version probably won't get the same treatment any time soon and this is arguably the last "good" Lost Planet game (being released before LP3 and after Keiji Inafune's departure as Executive Producer of the series). It does have its share of controversy beyond the mere fact that it remained a Japan exclusive, such as the claim that the game used the scrapped "Mega Man Legends 3" with MT Framework as a foundation during its development (with some circumstantial evidence to boot) or that it modified various mechanics that are a series staple (although this just seems like a LP thing to do in general), but make no mistake; the game is pretty good. It is highly rated for the 3DS and still respectable for the PS3 (it was developed more for the 3DS, but HexaDrive did a good job on the PS3 version).

I actually received this game a while ago from a friend to cover on the channel, but I'm honestly a pretty terrible free spirit who has difficulty committing to most things... but better late than never, I suppose. "E.X. Troopers" puts a colorful and more lighthearted spin on the frosty escapades that take place on E.D.N. III by sporting vibrant manga-style cutscenes, a school-like setting that is so overly present in Japanese media, some new and quirky characters, and more over-the-top carnage and mecha mayhem. Players assume the role of Bren Turner, a hot-blooded shounen protagonist from the colony of E.D.N. II who was a part of a group of special candidates to join the NEVEC Advance Base on E.D.N. III when his trip is cut short by alien invaders. The instructor on board, Walter Stingray, takes a gamble on Bren's raw potential and has him make a pact with a prototype VS (Vital Suit) who is named "Gingira" and displays great prowess for a rookie, decimating the invaders before crash landing on the frozen outskirts of an Akrid-infested settlement. After a few more feats, Bren narrowly escapes death and is introduced to NEVEC proper while we get foreshadowing from the indigenous snow pirates and meet many of the important characters such as the cute and bubbly Julie, the elite student and eternal rival Chris, and the unwitting best bro Luan. The story gradually unfolds through over fifty missions or quests and various chapters.

E.X. Troopers is a lot like previous LP entries but feels smaller in scope and has a more Arcade-style feel, but features a good amount of content spread out over dozens of hours. Action is still presented in a third-person view and players will still run and gun and grapple and duke it out in a VS, though levels are generally more linear (grappling is more akin to LP3 where it has specific applications). The game allows you to earn a lot of collectibles and upgrades through points and medals as well as find secret goods and tackle side objectives to earn raw materials for armor synthesis / weapon upgrading (you can use a main weapon and sub weapon) and experience to level up your character. Combat is a little more rigid than in LP but sports more applications; besides the shooting, players can burst around with their jetpack and perform various melee actions to knock foes away, into the air, or on the ground to perform compound actions. Besides the ability to upgrade the performance of your weapons, you can also perform more than one action with certain guns. As you defeat enemies, you'll also rack up combos and collect T(hermal) Energy. T. ENG varies between games... in this one, it will replenish lost health and also power up your suit to perform "Thermal Blast" (and later "Thermal Resonance") attacks.

Completing the initial game allows you to replay past missions with new objectives to get more medals (which can also be used to unlock music and other assets) as well as new missions for an added challenge. Graphically speaking, the visuals are great. The art is nice (it was done by Chisato Mita, though the jacket illustration made me think of Kenichi Yoshida) and the character designs are decent, but the game has a variable framerate (typically ~30FPS, but sometimes higher). The game has improved cel-shaded textures from the 3DS game at 720P resolution and enhanced effects. The soundtrack reminded me quite a bit of "Phantasy Star Online" in spots, is well-rounded and features the talents of Yasumasa Kitagawa and May'n. The game doesn't require much knowledge of Japanese to play and is fairly cheap in most places, so it comes recommended. The PS3 is region-free.

This is a video of the game in action showing various aspects. Enjoy.