It’s well known: Japan is one of the main cradles of video games and even today, there continue to emerge some very pretty gems that mark their time. Some studios have earned their golden letters from decade to decade, a bit like the legendary Level-5: the Japanese firm has invited us to discover its next game which, for once, really changes the situation considering of his pedigree. A look back at an event on the other side of the world.
Megaton Musashi, the comeback
Tokyo. The simple pronunciation of the proper name has the gift of titillating many curious people, making connoisseurs salivate, and even prompting the purchase of a plane ticket for the most compulsive. It must be said that the Japanese capital is not a city like any other: almost fourteen million people, neighborhoods with an unparalleled aura and a pronounced taste for Asian pop-culture of which it is one of the obvious strongholds.
It is directly there that Level-5 invited us to play its next video game: Megaton Musashi Wireda rather new title in its ludography since the studio is best known for its RPGs Professor Layton or Ni no Kuni 2. For once, Megaton Musashi places you at the controls of a huge mechaa gigantic combat robot typical of Japanese Gundam-style culture, facing formidable extraterrestrials who have invaded the Earth.
Released three years ago as free-to-play only in Japan under the name Megaton Musashi, Level-5 is preparing to release a premium version here: there is not just multiplayer, but everything a scripted single player mode and a real little RPG side which looks very nice. However, this was really not the heart of this event to which we were invited since it was in reality… a global inter-media tournament.
Eye for eye, tooth for tooth
Facing other colleagues, each representing their country – there were Japan, Italy, Germany, Spain, the United States, the United Kingdom and China – JV therefore went to warm up the controller in the middle of the eSports hall in Uenoa famous district known in particular for its parks and temples with bewitching sakura trees.
It was therefore after a (very) long trip that we were able to put down our bags before leaving almost immediately for the preparations for the competition: Level-5 had not done things by halves with the means of a large production video, presenter in support. After being able to try out the single-player mode in the morning and meeting our teammates – French speakers based in Tokyo – the warm-up continued with a draw at the front of the stage.
On our side, so we found ourselves facing… Japan. The good news is that we beat this specific team in the morning practice. The bad news is that the three opposing players were already playing for the title in its F2P formula since its release: suffice to say that they had a serious lead over us. But whatever, we’re in Tokyo to play, so let’s play.
(Really) deep game mechanics
The multiplayer of Megaton Musashi R-Wired is based around the 3 vs 3 Colosseum mode: each gamer has their own robot that can be customized down to the smallest detail (a VERY important aspect which we will come back to later) , with the simple goal of eliminating your opponents as many times as possible on a defined map. To win a match, there are two possibilities: fill the corresponding gauge by chaining together kills as quickly as possible, or finish the match (which lasts five minutes) by having the advantage in this same gauge, which acts as a balance, even if the advance is minimal.
This system is therefore rather interesting: in the end, it is not the total number of kills achieved during the match that matters, but rather the way in which they are chained together (several kills in a row can completely fill the gauge and make you win very quickly). If each team struggles intensely, the match can last until its end and the tension is maximum, downright palpable, with the possibility of reversing the course of a game in its final seconds.
On the ground, we sometimes find several crates containing bonuses and special moves, each being categorized by an order of rarity. These can make all the difference and team play requires, it is also possible to coordinate to make powerful team attacks. Moreover, each player has four special attacks that must be defined in advance, bringing a strong strategic side to the experience. The ideait’s obviously being able to do complementary work with your teammates and that’s precisely where customization comes in.
To put it simply, Megaton Musashi R-Wired has a simply gargantuan customization mode. We clearly recognize Level-5’s love for the RPG with dozens and dozens of objects to collect and equip: left arm, right arm, torso, helmet, weapons (in the plural, you will note), special bonuses … There is real depth and a whole lot of stuff to be recovered throughout our games and sorted wisely. This almost dizzying density is a real plus, since it allows you to tailor a custom mecha and create an ultra-complete team of three players. “It’s really the strength of the game, the CEO of the company, Akihiro Hino, confirmed to us in person about the customization of mechas. “Players will be able to spend hours changing each element of their robot and directly feel the consequences on the game and gameplay.”” Moreover, the head of the studio also confirmed to us that this specific part of the game ” would also fit the story being told.
The hidden side of the Iceberg
Megaton Musashi Wired seems to be a game with more substantial resources than it seems. There is therefore this very important and deep aspect of customization, which promises hours of configuration for the most meticulous among us, but also a whole campaign mode which arouses our curiosity. Level-5 is a studio that loves stories, that knows how to write them and here, the game seems to draw on its experience: lThe few cutscenes linked to this mode that we were able to see turned out to be very successful, seeming straight out of a real Japanese anime with the appropriate staging. To tell the truth, there is a bit of that since the video game proves to be complementary with the animated series which already exists (yes!), which also ensures a certain quality of atmosphere and any universe already set up.
Apart from combat, it is also possible to walk around with your character in our HUB through a 2D mode, with multiple dialogues to engage with the surrounding NPCs: the universe and narration of Megaton Musashi Wired can be -be more interesting than at first glance, imagine. And this possibly announces a pretty cool scripted campaign, since you can also play in cooperation all the main and side missions that exist. We were also able to complete some of them facing gigantic bosses and varied attacks, sometimes requiring intelligent optimization of our build to overcome them.
An interesting mix of genres, especially for a firm like Level-5 and which above all announces a new turn towards action. “Expect more of this in the future.”Akihiro Hino also confirmed to us about his future productions. In the near future, we can in any case expect DLC which will extend the experience: in any case, these have already been imagined and in the process, Hino admitted that local multiplayer would arrive on PC and PlayStation consoles.
This is only a postponement
Well, the problem is that the tournament didn’t really allow us to get as much into the customization and the scenario. We had barely learned to play with our “Napoleon Gallop” – a robot in the colors of France custom-made by Level-5 – than we had to face the Japanese team, in front of the entire studio team, the staff and participants. And unfortunately, the victory was won by the Japanese, who were thus able to move on to the next stages of the tournament. It’s life, we have to accept it.
A carefully organized championship, obviously under the sign of benevolence and discovery rather than real adversity, and which allowed us to touch on the true potential of Megaton Musashi R-Wired. Because yes, if we have one regret, it is not that of having lost, but rather that of not having been able to get our hands dirty as much as we would have liked: diving into customization, understanding the The workings of the gameplay and handling the customization items are clearly at the heart of the system… and a short morning of training was not enough. Whatever, This is to the credit of Level-5, which has worked extensively to offer copious and varied mechanics, which we will be able to explore more freely when the game is released on April 25 on PC, PS5, PS4 and Switch. We’ll take our revenge there, along the way.