Gundam Evolution is a new first-person shooter set in the world of Mobile Suit Gundam. Two teams of six players square off in arenas where they fight to capture points using special abilities — and the occasional ultimate ability — as famous mobile suits. And yeah, after watching the debut trailer for Gundam Evolution, this really does look like Overwatch.
It’s not just the game structure; Gundam Evolution follows the hero-shooter formula for sure. It’s also the interface, which is nearly identical to Blizzard’s UI for Overwatch (and Overwatch 2). That’s excusable — it’s a clean, easy-to-parse interface. The good stuff is blue, the bad stuff is red, and I know exactly where to look to check my cooldowns and ultimate ability meter.
Gundam Evolution will have three game modes, according to its official website: Point Capture, in which teams fight for control over spots on the map; Domination, where teams vie to capture one of three randomly available points; and Destruction, where one team is tasked with destroying an object while the other attempts to protect it. So far, there is no payload-delivery mode … perhaps a smart admission that no one ever wants to be on the payload.
Publisher Bandai Namco says Gundam Evolution will be free to play when it’s released on Windows PC. A Japanese release is confirmed, but there’s no word yet on a Western localization.
It’s a big week for Gundam games. Bandai Namco announced Wednesday that Super Robot Wars 30, the mecha anime mashup role-playing game series, is headed to the West, featuring giant mechs and robots from Mobile Suit Gundam, Mazinger, Getter Robo, SSSS.Gridman, and other series.
