| “ | Go big or go extinct.
— Tagline
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Pacific Rim is a 2013 fighting game based on the film of the same name, developed by Yuke's and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for the Xbox Live Arcade, with a mobile port developed for the iOS and Android operating systems on July 12, 2013. Months afterwards, a Playstation Network release was made for the Playstation 3, and reference to a Steam release for the PC have been made, but it hasn't been made available at this date.
Playable Characters[]
- Gipsy Danger
- Crimson Typhoon
- Cherno Alpha
- Knifehead (Console Only)
- Leatherback (Console Only)
- Striker Eureka (Mobile Only)
- Coyote Tango (Mobile Only)
Gameplay[]
The Xbox Live Arcade version of the game, developed by Yuke's, is a fighting game in the style of older PS2 era Kaiju Fighting games like Godzilla: Save the Earth or War of the Monsters. Players control one of the titanic mech Jaegers or massive Kaiju in one-on-one combat through open stages with 3-Dimensional gameplay, allowing freedom of movement instead of the classic Street Fighter style of locking combatants on a 2-Dimensional plane. Each character has access to a number of unique normal and special moves, replicating their fighting styles from the film. As the fight continues, the player builds meter which can be burned in one special instant-kill finisher move, called a Fatal Assault, which varies from character to character.
Pacific Rim: The Mobile Game, developed by Reliance Games, features a style of gameplay inspired by Infinity Blade- players must swipe their fingers across the touch-screen to control the actions of the on-screen player, effectively playing a game-long Quick-Time Event. The Mobile Game only allows players to control the Jaeger mechs, as they engage the Kaiju in combat across multiple cities.
Both games feature extensive customization options allowing players to create a unique variant of the Jaegers of their own. The XBLA version of the game has a mostly micro-transaction driven customization feature which allows players to change their color schemes, decals and buy upgrades. The Mobile version of the game features alternate color palettes and micro-transaction for ammunition in ranged weaponry and upgradable armor and weapons.
Plot[]
Within the Pacific Ocean, a mysterious portal known as The Breach has opened up, and massive alien creatures from another dimension known only as Kaiju have begun to pour out. The powerful beasts quickly proved too powerful for standard weaponry and conventional tactics- and humanity was forced to create a counter-response: The Jaeger Program, a legion of towering mechs capable of directly engaging the Kaiju in single combat. While the Jaegers become more experienced in fighting the Kaiju, the alien creatures have started becoming more powerful- pushing humanity to the brink. With only a small number of mechs left, and the majority of their funding gone, the Jaegers are forced to make a desperate stand against the Kaiju and the Breach.
Reception[]
The Reception to the game was mixed to negative at launch. Numerous outlets criticized the game's DLC policy- feeling that numerous characters were intentionally held back to be sold at a later date, while they likewise believed that the Micro-Transaction system was gouging prices for minimal content. Jake Magee of IGN gave it a mediocre rating of 5.3, calling it "a flimsy movie tie-in that chooses to concentrate on repetitive and nonsensical story missions."
The Mobile Game received mixed reviews as well- while many critics complained about the micro-transactions, it was considered less of a "Freemium game in disguise", in part due to the different genre allowing for less content than a fighting game. It was frequently said at multiple outlets, including Kotaku and Touch Arcade, that while it was an acceptable Infinity Blade clone, it was still just another unremarkable version of the game flooding the market, the latter even calling it "just another 'grab the cash and run' film tie-in". The game currently holds a 3.5 out of 5 on the Google Play Android Market.
DLC (XBLA)[]
- Otachi Playable Kaiju
- Scunner Playable Kaiju
- Slattern Playable Kaiju
- Striker Erueka Playable Jaeger
- Coyote Tango Playable Jaeger
- Mutavore Playable Kaiju
- Onibaba Playable Kaiju
- Trespasser Playable Kaiju
- Raiju Playable Kaiju