- Game: God Eater 3
- Consoles: PS4 (reviewed), PC
- Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Developer: Marvelous Entertainment
A God Eater 3 review code was provided by the publisher.
Capcom’s Monster Hunter games have dominated the market when it comes to the sub-genre it proudly inhabits. 2018’s Monster Hunter: World ended up being the major release within the series that afforded it the mainstream appeal and adoration it so richly deserved. Games such as Dauntless and the Toukiden series have also given monster hunting fans even more of what they crave in recent years.
Another franchise that falls into that group is the anime-stylized God Eater games. Bandai Namco finally introduced its take on multiplayer hunter vs. monster battles to North American audiences in 2011. Ever since then, the series’ updated re-releases and sequels have garnered a fair bit of traction amongst its fanbase. With the release of God Eater 3, it seems like the best time for outsiders to hop into its battle-tested gameplay and addictive Aragami hunts.
Bandai Namco Entertainment, Marvelous Entertainment
As an immensely powerful AGE (Adaptive God Eater), your work involves exterminating a race of creatures that want nothing more than to consume what’s left of the human population. After being taken against your will and cruelly experimented on, you and a crew of fellow AGE’s are sent out on dangerous monster hunting missions for an oppressive regime.
This interesting premise gives way to a surprisingly involved storyline that’s full of genuine moments and great character development. The post-apocalyptic setting may be cliche, but the many personalities you meet and locations you come across do a good job of standing out. The usual RPG trope of meeting and recruiting new party members is wonderfully done here – the game does a respectable job of introducing your newest allies and making sure you care about them throughout your entire journey.
Bandai Namco Entertainment, Marvelous Entertainment
When it’s time to fulfill your monster hunting duties, the best parts of God Eater 3 are put on full display. You and a group of AI-controlled partners (or fellow online hunters) explore several locations while on the lookout for dangerous Aragami. The process of discovering them tends to happen pretty quickly, which helps the game’s pacing stay at a rewarding level. Everything from small rhino-like creatures to angelic/demonic behemoths engage with you during intense, hard-fought skirmishes.
There’s a ton of fun to be had from pulling off slick combos, switching to you ranged weapon to do additional damage, and activating your best special attacks when a huge Aragami is downed. The many sub-systems in play here can be a bit overwhelming to wrap you head around, though – you’ll need to keep track of your power boosts, the new special attacks you acquire from those boosts, your allies’ survival, item/bullet switching etc. It takes a while to comprehend everything that’s available to you – thankfully, the game’s extensive information logs quickly bring you up to speed.
Bandai Namco Entertainment, Marvelous Entertainment
Much of the fun derived from God Eater 3 comes from the new mechanics it introduces to the series as a whole. New weapons come in the form of dual-wielding blades, an awesome two-handed “Moon Axe,” and a far-reaching ray gun. New “Burst Arts” attacks can be attached to your ground, air, and quickstep maneuvers. Ash-type Aragami (massive monsters whose powers are magnified by the presence of Ashstorms) join the fray.
And the new air dash technique makes the process of following monsters who choose to flee a much easier process. Mastering these new maneuvers, tinkering with your custom AGEs loadout, and upgrading your party members becomes an addictive process. Playing around with different toolsets and adding new abilities to your favorite character’s arsenal keeps things fresh as you take on tougher monster hunting missions.
Bandai Namco Entertainment, Marvelous Entertainment
God Eater 3 is strong in several areas, but a few lingering issues keep it from reaching a higher-tier of quality. While its anime art style helps it stand apart from its monster hunting competition, the game’s overall graphics aren’t as great as they should be. The visuals aren’t atrocious or anything – they’re just a step below what you’re probably used to from games of its ilk.
When it comes to the gameplay itself, the act of changing your bullet loadout is always a cumbersome affair. When the going gets tough, this mechanic becomes problematic as you’re trying to dodge attacks whilst in the middle of equipping a new type of bullet. Selecting items is easy enough, so it’s still annoying to see that doing the same for bullets is far less simple. And finally, having to press a button to pick up an item instead of simply running over it to claim it is pretty nonsensical.
God Eater 3 Takeways
Bandai Namco Entertainment, Marvelous Entertainment
God Eater 3 is easily the best entry in Bandai Namco’s monster hunting franchise. The inner plot workings of this sequel lend the game’s big battles the high stakes it needs to keep you involved until the journey’s end. The fresh mechanics added to the franchise’s deep systems suite are well-implemented – series veterans will love all the new abilities afforded to them. And Hunting down Aragami alongside the reliable AI or your online buddies never falters in the fun factor category.
The lackluster graphics, cumbersome bullet switching mechanic, and slight annoyance of an item pickup system all need to be improved by the next God Eater, however. These nagging issues are certainly hard to ignore, but the addictive gameplay and rewarding upgrade systems stand out that much more. God Eater 3 keeps the monster hunting sub-genre alive and thriving.
