Gamertell

Title: Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament
Price: $39.99
System(s): PSP
Release Date: June 30, 2009
Publisher (Developer): Atlus (Irem)
ESRB Rating: “Everyone 10+”
Pros: Lots of great voice acting, tons of Trotmobile customization, lots of environmental detail, the main character has lots of dialogue options, Trotmobile battles and missions move quickly and are fun to accomplish. Lots of freedom. Single UMD multiplayer.
Cons: Tank-style controls can be a bit cumbersome initially. It’d be nice of the dialogue options had more of an effect on the actual story. A “save anywhere” or quicksave option would have been nice.
Overall Score: Two thumbs up, 92/100, A-, * * * * out of 5

I missed out on Atlus and Irem’s original Steambot Chronicles for the PlayStation 2, something I’d always regretted since I’d heard it was quite interesting. So, when I heard that Atlus had picked up the PSP game Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament, I was quite pleased and excited about the game.

If you played the original Steambot Chronicles, don’t be expecting more of the same in Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament. Both are essentially sandbox games, where the player gets to choose what to do and when, but there are substantial differences. Steambot Chronicles was a more story driven, action game. Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament is more of an action RPG/fighting combo with more of a focus on the player’s daily life.

Have Trotmobile, will travel.

Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament takes place in Orion City and the area surrounding it. The player is a new resident, a Trotmobile driver drawn to the area by the allure of tournaments, fame and fortune.

When he (or she!) first arrives in Orion City, the player befriends a mechanic and learns the basics about upgrading a Trotmobile, taking missions to earn money and fame and entering tournaments to become more established. After spending about ten or fifteen minutes doing that, it’s all in the players’ hands. While Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament is about earning the right to participate in battle tournaments, it’s also about doing whatever makes you happy.

For the most part, an incredibly accomodating and personal play experience.

There are a few things players need to adjust to in Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament. For starters, the character art doesn’t resemble the anime style used in many games, and instead is reminiscent of Western cartoons and character art.

The controls also take a bit of getting used to. The control scheme for Trotmobiles resemble tank controls, with the square and triangle buttons controlling the right and left arms, the directional pad’s forward and back buttons to move forward and in reverse and the shoulder buttons to change directions. Thankfully, the first few missions and D class battle tournament are fairly simple and provide ample opportunity for players to master their Trot control skills.

Other than that, Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament is an incredibly user friendly experience where the player is in complete control. You choose everything your character says. You create the Trotmobile that works best for you. You play only missions you want to play. It’s a wonderful, portable experience.

Plus, it also features single UMD multiplayer, a rarity among PSP games. Instead of needing two to four UMDs to have multiple players participate in Trotmobile battles, you can get by with only one and game-sharing.

Choose your own adventures in a steam-powered world.

Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament is a very well-rounded game that ideally appeals to all action-RPG fans. Yes, there is the overall goal of becoming the number one Trotmobile battler in the Orion City tournaments, but this goal isn’t forced upon you. The ultimate goal is to find something you enjoy doing in the game, and then doing it. It’s all about what makes you happy, not following a path Orion City’s NPCs construct for you. It’s more than a game for mech fans, any gamer who enjoys customizing machines, taking on missions and exploring could find Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament interesting.

In a way, Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament reminds me a bit of the popular Monster Hunter series of games. Except, where in Monster Hunter pretty much every mission involves going out and hunting down monsters, Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament offers quite a bit more variety when it comes to objectives for players to fulfill.

Site [Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament]