February 21 is a day RPG lovers who also have a thing for anime might be looking forward to, as Ban Dai has chosen to ship MS Saga: A New Dawn to retailers that day.

And the game seems to be treading on familiar turf for that audience. Its battle system and gameplay formula are set up just like any other RPG. In fact, even Gundam fans with minimal RPG experience will be able to pick this title up and get the hang of it easily, as it is very straightforward. Players are given two Mobile Suits to start (39 are to be collected throughout the game), which can be equipped with a wide variety of weapons, sub-weapons, and other items. This is done with actual physics in mind, meaning the shape and nature of an item is taken into consideration, so not just any selection of items can be tossed on a random Mobile Suit; they'll have to actually fit on there.

Battles in the game are standard turn-based RPG fare. They start with a simple enough premise: ride in robots and smash those who get in the way. From there, it adds two kinds of physical attacks in the forms of a standard melee move, or a ranged attack. Melee grants greater strength and ease of use, but can get the user into some dangerous situations. Ranged attacks are used for the more defensive types, and deciding when to use which is clearly intended to be a key strategy in major battles. There is no "magic" per se, but the "techniques" come close. These can have a wide range of effects that either use a pilot's energy or the Gundam's depending on the move in question. Energy can be restored or saved in turns, as well.

The Gundam anime pieces being known for their captivating stories, one would naturally wonder about this title's plot quality. At this point, it looks like there won't be much to rave to friends about. Players assume the role of an orphan named Tristan, living in a world where a massive disaster wiped out almost all humanity some 60 years ago. Now, he and his friend Fritz have sworn revenge on--get this--the black Mobile Suit that destroyed their orphanage.
Perhaps things will get more serious as the game goes on, but from the early going, it's not going to change the way video game stories are told. Though, to the good, the environment does at times feel like Xenogears, what with all this "lost technology" (read: the Gundams) being revisited and such.

New Dawn's graphics are about what should be expected. Nothing jaw-dropping, but nothing to shrug off, either. Sound effects are noteworthy, as the effects sounds much like those of the various Gundam anime series, and the game's music is quite fitting.

At this point, MS Saga looks to be a neat trip, even if nothing to skip work for. Come February 21, the gaming world will know for sure.

SCREENS

• Marie's house is cool
• Title Screen
• Deathscythe...well, SD Gundam-looking version
• Eqipping stuff
• Walking around