R-Type Command
Score: 70% ESRB: Everyone 10+ Publisher: Atlus Developer: Irem Software Engineering Media: UMD/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Turn-Based Strategy/ Strategy/ Classic/Retro
Graphics & Sound: It was Longfellow that said, "...into each life some rain must fall," which sums up the feeling I had after playing R-Type Command. I didn't realize how much the glut of really good strategy and tactical titles for PSP recently had spoiled me, until fooling around with this game for a while. It isn't that the R-Type Command world is painted in dull colors or poorly imagined. The design elements of the game's ships, backgrounds, and cut-scene animations are actually real stand-outs. The designers did a nice job imagining what a classic shooter might look like if translated to tactical, field-of-battle perspective. What's missing is a lot of human character, the piece that makes titles like Jean D'Arc and Final Fantasy Tactics so compelling. There was a seriously missed opportunity when this game was conceived and some real human interest wasn't injected. Watching ships position themselves throughout the battlefield is good space-theater, but it wears off after a few battles. The writers did come up with a storyline that plays out through R-Type Command, but it never hits you in a visceral way. Visual and audio touches are nicely done, with cut-scenes occurring between turns as you move, attack, and defend. These little movies attempt to help you envision the action and excitement of two armadas attacking in deep space. It would have been more effective if the scenes varied a bit; you'll enjoy watching the same little five-second movie only a few times before you start skipping it. The music is dramatic... maybe a bit overwrought? The whole package includes unlockable image content and movies you view during the course of the game. This stuff caters to the die-hard fans, but I wonder how many of the Shooter fans will truly respond to R-Type Command? It feels to me, as a tactical gaming and RTS fan, like this is too much of a pastiche. It looks like a bit of a stew, in terms of the interface. Heavy on menus and low on action or humanity, R-Type Command comes across a little bit cold.
Gameplay: Tactical gameplay is a known quantity for gamers, but new to the R-Type world. Translating various franchises like Final Fantasy or Wild Arms to this style of game has worked quite well in most cases. R-Type seems to have satisfied many of the same conditions: Loyal fan base, legacy of successful titles, well established themes, and distinct visual style. The idea of translating classic R-Type gameplay to tactical gameplay is really appealing on the surface, but doesn't work as well in application. The premise of R-Type Command is that you are entering pitched battle against the Bydo as a promising but untested captain. This is after the enemy has invaded human territory, so you can imagine that nerves are strained. You'll have the briefest training before going head-to-head against the "real thing." The beginning stages introduce basic ship types such as the fighter, bomber, and recon unit. Protect the flagship, and all that. An early distinction that R-Type fans will appreciate is the addition of a drone that can be attached to certain ships. Attaching will augment that ship's attack capability, much like the drone feature in the traditional scrolling shooter... There is the additional element of collecting resources and keeping your ships refueled during battle. The resource collection is similar to an RTS title like Starcraft, but loses some of its strategic importance outside the realm of real-time battle. The turn-based action here allows you to move your units through space to attack the Bydo (or once you get the chance to play as the Bydo, you'll move their units against your enemy) and position yourself defensively. Any good pool player knows it isn't about where you hit the cue ball as much as where you leave the cue ball. In a game like R-Type Command, this is equally true. The best offense is often a good defense and skilled players will learn the defensive capabilities of each unit along with the inherent advantage or disadvantage of certain placement of units. New missions introduce new units with new capabilities and require you to adapt your gameplay. Enemy or neutral structures can be occupied and used to great advantage during battles. Friendly (or enemy units) can duplicate themselves as "decoys" to lure ships in before detonating. The units and maps actually have some neat features that will reward a motivated player. The problem is that things move deathly slow and there isn't a simple method for forecasting the outcome of battles. You can guess that some ships will perform better in one capacity over another, but the clear logic of "sword vs. axe vs. spear" isn't here... Neither is it true that superior numbers or production based on resources will win the day as is the case in a RTS title. It comes down to what was mentioned earlier, that R-Type Command feels like a stew with tomatoes you wish were diced a bit more and potatoes that were a bit undercooked...
Difficulty: The problem isn't that R-Type Command is watered down tactical gameplay. The enemy A.I. is on target and will definitely kick your butt if you mess around. The option to play against another player in Ad Hoc mode really makes for a nice complement to the main, single-player mode. The failing isn't in the level of difficulty, so it isn't like you'll find a completely different game when you play against your friend compared to the CPU. The difference is that you'll be able to wager resources when playing against a friend, which is a big deal if you have an investment in your long-term progress through R-Type Command. Resources become the means for developing new units and establishing bases in territories that give you a nice home-team advantage. The development of new units happens "offline" in terms of the actual battle, meaning that you don't get the "Zerg effect" of building wave after wave of attack units to overpower the enemy. You can definitely use resources to your advantage, and establish a much more formidable force prior to entering battle. This ends up looking like a power-leveling strategy for gamers that commit to gathering resources and bulking up their armada. The difficulty level during battles is determined solely by your mastery of the strategic landscape. Learning how to use the map to your advantage is key, as part of projecting how one unit will fare against another. The issues around the level of challenge presented in R-Type Command are mostly that the distinction between units is often small and it is too easy to overdevelop one unit type and dominate the enemy. The learning curve for the various unit strengths and weaknesses is steeper than it should be, overall. Things would look a lot better if the distinctions between units had anything to do with the humans or Bydo piloting them. With this element lacking, learning the ship stats is just left to rote.
Game Mechanics: The options while playing are to move through a hex system similar to what just came across in Wild Arms XF. Most units have multiple firing capabilities, and a powered-up energy attack that will tear through multiple enemies. Attacks from enemies can reset the charge on your ship and disrupt use of these "Wave Cannon" attacks, making them a wonderfully powerful but unpredictable resource. At times, you'll be able to take evasive action in response to certain attacks, or even launch a counterattack. This approximates the "Counter" ability that often works well in a turn-based strategy game with melee as the focus. Special attacks, defensive ability, and the option to attach a "Force" weapon are mostly pre-programmed. You choose to develop specific units as you work through the game, and get what you get. Resources are key to any development, so you'll want to gather resources during battle or capture them as spoils. This feature leaves the direction of future battles in each player's hands, but there isn't such a wide range of development options that you'll dramatically alter the destiny of each unit. Bombers will be Bombers, Fighters will be Fighters, etc. There is a "fog of war" feature that explains the presence of recon units, otherwise a complete loss during battle. There is some strategic use of cargo hauling, but not to the same extent as we've seen in other titles. Accounting for landscape is equally thin. The lack of truly defining strategy gameplay is the downfall of R-Type Command. Rather than make something that crossed genre lines but retained qualities unique to the earlier games in the series, R-Type Command tried to change its stripes and became a playable but mediocre title. It isn't like this would be a disappointment if it appeared as "ABC Command" instead of R-Type Command, but especially given the legacy of R-Type, we came to the party expecting big things. Fans of either the genre or the license may throw up their arms and cry, but I'll wager that in a blind test, fans of scrolling shooters would rather spend their hard-earned dollars on a quality shooting game; fans of tactical gameplay would likewise gravitate toward a higher-quality RTS or Tactics title. It's not like it is impossible to make a new, amazing strategy game... witness Jean D'Arc. R-Type Command will become that game we wanted to love, but for which we settled on deference to the brand and the attempt. As my basketball coach used to say after I botched a layup (I wasn't very good at basketball): "Good effort!"
-Fridtjof, GameVortex Communications AKA Matt Paddock
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