God Eater 3 Review
God Eater 3: A demanding episode aimed at a wider audience?In front of Capcom's unbeatable Monster Hunter, the God Eater license is an eternal challenger. Announced in 2016, the third installment in the series had the daunting task of trying to compete with the giant Monster Hunter World, released in early 2018 and offering a more open than usual universe. Last year, Bandai Namco thus delivered to Japanese players a God Eater 3 aiming not only to mark its territory, but also to reach a wider audience, especially among European customers. To do this, it was necessary to offer the saga a new episode of scale, while remaining accessible to the greatest number. The studio's first choice was to leave PS Vita on the sidelines and devote the development of the title to two platforms: the Playstation 4 and Steam. Has the latest addition to the God Eater license taken up the challenge?
A DARK POST-APOCALYPTIC CONTEXT
God Eater is a license that takes place in a future where our civilization is inexorably approaching extinction. In fact, in the 2050s, life forms called "Oracle Cells" began to swallow up the organisms present on earth. Their great ability to adapt made them evolve into frightening creatures with unrivaled ferocity. They thus inherited a nickname leaving no doubt about their dangerousness: "Aragami" or the violent gods. But twenty years later, a technology came to change the game, allowing the Oracle cells to be incorporated into the body of humans, thus transforming them into real living weapons, beings wielding the "God Arc", in other words the divine weapons. Nicknamed "God Eaters", these elite troops now represent the last bulwark of humanity against these monsters, fighting for the survival of the species.God Eater 3: A demanding episode aimed at a wider audience?
Like its predecessor entitled God Eater 2 Rage Burst, this 3rd opus begins with a cinematic that sets the mood, staging the transformation of a child into God Eater, belonging to a whole new class unpublished in the license : Adaptive God Eaters or AGE. We will quickly understand the place of these soldiers in this world without regard for them, where survival is omnipresent. The dark side of the series is essential from the first minutes and thus suggests a scenario with depth. The frame of God Eater 3 is deployed during cutscenes and during the preparatory phases between missions. If the former are capable of embarking on a rich history, without concessions, with a heavy atmosphere distilled by the title, the latter will be partly focused on recruitment and interactions with NPCs. It is already possible to say that this 3rd installment manages to reserve us a certain effect of surprise, like the previous episode which had been able to mark the spirits, in particular thanks to the arrival of a new character whose role will prove to be crucial.A THIRD OPUSSIBLE OPUSSIBLE TO NOVICES?
First, we will personalize our character, with a variety of fairly extensive customizations, ranging from the sex of the protagonist to the details of his face, including his name or cut and hair color. We take orders in hand gradually, through the first missions entrusted to it. In the first zone of the game, there are two distinct blocks, one is the control panel which allows you to view and accept the possible missions and the other is the terminal, allowing you to manage the equipment, capabilities and benefit from a multitude of information ranging from the useful to the essential. A section called database allows God Eater 3 to be accessible to neophytes, as long as they attack their reading of its vast content. Indeed, a segment of this section is dedicated to terminology, in order to familiarize yourself with the universe of the series and its game mechanics, through detailed descriptions, the number of which will increase as the progression progresses .The many elements of the gameplay are introduced at a steady pace, but they are part of a real-time tutorial which can leave an impression of disconcerting ease. The developers' wish not to discourage newcomers to the series is present, the multitude of information to digest adding to the difficulty of entry too high could have been put off. If this first phase is relatively long, it allows a rough grip on the first subtleties of the hunt, including through a training section aimed at mastering the controls. The facility will then give way to a difficulty which will go on crescendo, in a sufficiently progressive way so that the experience is not felt as unjustly punitive.
NERVOUS FIGHTS
Hunting is one of the foundations of God Eater, the goal of your missions is to eliminate the hostile creatures that invade the surroundings. We find there a base which has similarities with the saga Monster Hunter, but also marked differences. What characterizes the fights of the series is dynamism. The attacks and movements are fluid, particularly fast, like those of the protagonists of NieR: Automata. There is a similar style, due to the range of movements and their speed of execution. Your character has an arsenal of divine weapons that develops over the course of the game, with new features that integrate this episode, such as the Ray Gun (long range) or the Biting Edge, which has two blades. All weapons in the game have two forms that can be switched during confrontations, which allows you to choose from hand-to-hand combat, or from a long-range attack. In the case of the latter, the protagonist's weapon takes the form of a rifle, the use of which consumes points from the PO gauge and makes the character less lively for a short time, the use well placing the shield can be very useful. As for handling the weapon in its form dedicated to close combat, it makes it possible to absorb the Oracle Cells of the Aragamis in order to recover PO.Burst Arts completes the picture, with their many new features making it possible to make three types of special attacks: ground, jump, aerial. Unlockable as we progress, these Arts are attributable via terminals, differ depending on the weapons and their power increases depending on the end of mission results. Burst Arts Effects expand the personalization of these special attacks. The use of the Arts of Salvo is dependent on the quantity of Oracle cells absorbed by the weapon of the AGE: once the required number is reached, the Salvo mode is engaged, to the chagrin of the creatures who will cash these powerful attacks. Apart from the PO gauge, it is necessary to monitor that of hit points, but also the level of stamina available. Conventionally, your attacks melt it like snow in the sun, while immobility or walking have the opposite effect, a fact to take into account strategically. Another tactical point not to be overlooked, the Aragamis can present an elemental weakness, using the right weapon and the appropriate ammunition can then give the advantage.
The terminals, in addition to being backup points, make it possible to manage the inventory. It is possible to use the materials collected to make or improve equipment, or even to create new objects, some of which aim to fill the life, PO or endurance gauges. It is also via a terminal that the choice of objects to take on a mission is achievable, as is the resale of those from which we want to part. Victories likewise bring back items, resources, as well as points that can be used to learn new personal skills. A maximum of four can be assigned to each character simultaneously. As for exploration, the materials it collects depend on the level of the mission. Like his elders, God Eater 3 emphasizes the results of the hunting missions in addition to the collectables to add to the inventory.
A COOPERATIVE MODE ALWAYS WELCOME
A new category of Aragami is entering and it will prove to be formidable. Indeed, just like the AGE, these monsters freshly landed in the license are capable of absorbing Oracle Cells and thus gaining strength and speed. It does not stop there, they also benefit from the boost provided by Burst mode and thus see their attacks evolve. Called the Ash Aragamis (or Ash Aragami), confronting them turns out to be complicated and it is here that cooperation takes on its full meaning. An online session allowed me to collaborate with 3 other players and thus gain the victory with more ease. Another major advantage of cooperation, whether online or partly solo: the Symbiosis system (Engage), which boosts the offensive potential of two fighters who are nearby, when they have harvested enough Oracle cells. This phenomenon is made possible thanks to the resonance - an energy whose role will not be limited to its action in combat - which emanates from the various God Eaters, an appreciable advantage in the face of the most recalcitrant bosses. Finally, the "Assault Mission" mode can bring together up to 8 players. To conclude on the online multiplayer mode, note that it is simple to implement via the dedicated section of the terminal menu, the interface is well done and the experience has been perfectly stable at four.A SUCCESSFUL CHARA-DESIGN
Throughout history, new protagonists will join the group. As with its predecessor, the only playable character in God Eater 3 is the one created at the start, all newcomers can only join the group chosen to go on a mission as an NPC. This still regrettable shortcoming is partially offset by the personalization of the main hero who offers many design possibilities. The fact of being able to choose his gender deprives us of his voice, however, he will remain mute during the dialogue phases, his words will be transcribed in writing. The exchanges will be punctuated by blanks, whether you have chosen English or Japanese audio. Remarkably, the subtitles are fully available in French, the menus and texts are also translated into the language of Molière. Anyway, the personalities are varied, there is a panel of characters and different styles, ranging from the dark and dark young man to the cute girl, through a whole palette of fatal women - with generous breasts - in accordance with Japanese production standards.If we find the graphic leg of the previous episode, God Eater 3 benefited from a touch of texture improvement and a slight smoothing of the character modeling, even if we could expect more from this version having abandoned the PS Vita. The sobriety of the arenas contrasts with the attention to detail brought to the protagonists. The weapons have benefited from a careful design that perfectly conveys the feeling of power that emanates from it. The bestiary is not to be outdone, taking up the demonic aspect of the emblematic monsters of the series, some golgoths are particularly impressive. The light effects are successful and accompany pieces of flesh and blood that spurts, in addition to the impeccable sound effects. The host offers the same variety as God Eater 2 Rage Burst, with its different musical styles. It’s always a hearing treat.
The notes
+ Positive points
Accessibility which widens the range of players
The progressive difficulty
Well thought out new products
Online cooperative mode
Focus on the script
Charismatic characters
A soundtrack
-Negative points
The subtleties of the gameplay which can be difficult to grasp
A lack of balance in the rhythm
Long loading times
God Eaters who should have been playable
In order to stand out from the Monster Hunter saga, Bandai Namco had to keep the DNA of its God Eater license while delivering an opus containing new proposals. But it was also imperative to take the path of opening up to a wider audience, as did the Capcom studio before him, in order to consolidate its position and gain its share of the European market. On these points, the bet was held: this last opus is pleasant as well for the neophytes as for those who know their subject. God Eater 3 is nonetheless a demanding title, requiring a good number of hours before fully mastering the subtleties of the gameplay, which will take you on an ecstatic game experience, despite the few lengths due to an intensity lacking in balance. .
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