Robotech: Invasion
Encyclopedia
Robotech: Invasion is a first-person shooter
video game set in the Invid Invasion era of the Robotech
saga. Developed by Vicious Cycle Software
and published by Global Star (following parent company Take-Two Interactive
's acquisition of TDK Mediactive
, which published Robotech: Battlecry
), Invasion was the last Robotech game to be released on home video consoles.
and fighting the Invid Forces. One of the ships crashes on Earth and the crew begins fighting the Invid
close to one of their hives. One member of the crew (the main character) makes a mad dash on foot to assault the hive but is knocked out by an Invid Scout.
Four years pass and humanity is still fighting the Invid. The member that was knocked out wakes up with no memory in the rear of a truck being driven by soldiers, he then dons the name Locke by taking the armor of a fallen soldier that went by that name. Then meets up with squad leader, Silas and his partner, Arturo. With the squad low on ammo, Locke looks for Sam, a member that is guarding protoculture ammo reserves. After Locke needs his cyclone repaired he meets Guppy, who repairs his cyclone and tells him to meet her in a Town called Greystone. Soon after they find an abandoned ship and replenish their equipment. Finally (and after various skirmishes with the Invid & other hostile humans) they head on to Reflex Point, where the final attack on the Invid Invaders is set to take place at the end of the game.
, Invasion used a number of the original Robotech voice cast to reprise their old roles for cameos and voice many of the new characters introduced in the game.
Due to lower than expected sales of Robotech: Battlecry on the Nintendo GameCube
, due in part to the delayed release of the GameCube
version, VC chose to only develop the game for the PlayStation 2
and Xbox
. It was also decided to release a single version, instead of both a normal and a bonus-packed Collectors Edition like those seen with Robotech: Battlecry. Treated as a budget game, Invasion was deemed a fan-only title by many reviewers who favored other games in the same style released around the same time such as the extremely popular Halo 2
. Ultimately sales of Invasion were much lower than Robotech: Battlecry.
The musical score of Invasion was composed by Jesper Kyd
, a famed video-game music composer. While this was hyped up by Vicious Cycle and mentioned on the back cover of the game, Kyd's lack of exposure to Robotech meant his score had little links to the original TV score. For this reason many fans of the series consider it to be inferior to Robotech: Battlecry's more familiar modern remixes of the TV series score. Like Battlecry, Invasion's soundtrack was released on audio CD, though available separately and not as part of a Collectors Edition.
Much like Robotech: Battlecry made an official design out of a slight variation in the VF-1R Veritech, Invasion made use of two formerly unofficial designs, the unrealized Devastator and the fan-created Shadow Dancer. Unlike the heavy licensor support the VF-1R received, these designs got little fanfare and slipped back into obscurity.
game, the fate and future of main character Jack Archer was unclear. Many fans automatically assumed, perhaps incorrectly, that any future game sequel would feature an appearance by him or at least a clue to his fate, despite the large gap of time between the events of Battlecry and the Invid Invasion. Not wanting to disappoint, VC inserted a hidden easter egg which added fuel to the fire of fan debate. However all the Easter egg shows is a message spray painted as if it were graffiti, saying "Jack Archer lives!!", you do not discover what exactly happens to him.
gave the game a 5.7 out of 10, calling it "pretty dull, even for a first-person shooter." GameSpy
gave it a 2.5 out of 5 and called it "a decent enough shooter that just doesn't do enough to stand out in the Xbox's crowded FPS market." GamePro
gave it a 2 out of 5 and commented that "with horrible graphics that look like something an owl regurgitated, broken controls that must be wrestled with at every turn, and level designs that could turn the undead, Robotech: Invasion is an utter waste of money." GameSpot
gave it a 6.3 out of 10 and reported that "the game's single-player campaign still suffers from the same bland gameplay and mission design that plagued its predecessor."
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
video game set in the Invid Invasion era of the Robotech
Robotech
Robotech is an 85-episode science fiction anime adaptation produced by Harmony Gold USA in association with Tatsunoko Production Co., Ltd. and first released in the United States in 1985...
saga. Developed by Vicious Cycle Software
Vicious Cycle Software
Vicious Cycle Software is a video game development company based in Morrisville, North Carolina, United States.-History:Vicious Cycle was founded in 2000 by Eric Peterson, Dave Ellis, Marc Racine and Wayne Harvey after layoffs at the local MicroProse development studio forced several game...
and published by Global Star (following parent company Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a major American publisher, developer, and distributor of video games and video game peripherals. Take-Two wholly owns 2K Games and Rockstar Games. The company's headquarters are in New York City, with international headquarters in Windsor, United Kingdom...
's acquisition of TDK Mediactive
TDK Mediactive
TDK Mediactive was a California-based video game publisher owned by TDK that published video games based on licensed properties such as:* Conan * Aquaman: Battle for Atlantis * Robotech: Battlecry * Robotech: The Macross Saga...
, which published Robotech: Battlecry
Robotech: Battlecry
Robotech: Battlecry received mostly positive reviews upon its release. Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game an 8 out of 10, saying, "It does an incredible job of re-creating the show's fast-paced mech combat by combining slick animation and spot-on controls." GameSpy gave it a 3.0 out of 5 and...
), Invasion was the last Robotech game to be released on home video consoles.
Overview
The game starts out with the Robotech Expeditionary Force returning to EarthEarth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
and fighting the Invid Forces. One of the ships crashes on Earth and the crew begins fighting the Invid
Invid (Robotech)
The Invid are a fictional alien race in the Robotech storyline. They appear in the New Generation portion of the series, which uses the animation of the unrelated Japanese series Genesis Climber MOSPEADA, so their on-screen behavior and appearance matches the antagonists of that series, called the...
close to one of their hives. One member of the crew (the main character) makes a mad dash on foot to assault the hive but is knocked out by an Invid Scout.
Four years pass and humanity is still fighting the Invid. The member that was knocked out wakes up with no memory in the rear of a truck being driven by soldiers, he then dons the name Locke by taking the armor of a fallen soldier that went by that name. Then meets up with squad leader, Silas and his partner, Arturo. With the squad low on ammo, Locke looks for Sam, a member that is guarding protoculture ammo reserves. After Locke needs his cyclone repaired he meets Guppy, who repairs his cyclone and tells him to meet her in a Town called Greystone. Soon after they find an abandoned ship and replenish their equipment. Finally (and after various skirmishes with the Invid & other hostile humans) they head on to Reflex Point, where the final attack on the Invid Invaders is set to take place at the end of the game.
Real world background
The second Robotech game produced by Vicious Cycle, VC chose to focus on the next most popular section of Robotech, The New Generation, in part due to the choice of mecha available, the famous Cyclone. Instead of the distinctive, but by then overused, cell-shaded style of Battlecry, Invasion has a more normal 3D textured graphic look. As with Robotech: BattlecryRobotech: Battlecry
Robotech: Battlecry received mostly positive reviews upon its release. Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game an 8 out of 10, saying, "It does an incredible job of re-creating the show's fast-paced mech combat by combining slick animation and spot-on controls." GameSpy gave it a 3.0 out of 5 and...
, Invasion used a number of the original Robotech voice cast to reprise their old roles for cameos and voice many of the new characters introduced in the game.
Due to lower than expected sales of Robotech: Battlecry on the Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
, due in part to the delayed release of the GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
version, VC chose to only develop the game for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
. It was also decided to release a single version, instead of both a normal and a bonus-packed Collectors Edition like those seen with Robotech: Battlecry. Treated as a budget game, Invasion was deemed a fan-only title by many reviewers who favored other games in the same style released around the same time such as the extremely popular Halo 2
Halo 2
Halo 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie Studios. Released for the Xbox video game console on November 9, 2004, the game is the second installment in the Halo franchise and the sequel to 2001's critically acclaimed Halo: Combat Evolved...
. Ultimately sales of Invasion were much lower than Robotech: Battlecry.
The musical score of Invasion was composed by Jesper Kyd
Jesper Kyd
Jesper Jakobson Kyd is a Danish video game and film score composer.Kyd combines sounds of dark ambient, electronic and symphonic music and has won many awards. He is also notable for his early work in the Amiga demoscene, where he composed a large amount of music in his teenage years, in...
, a famed video-game music composer. While this was hyped up by Vicious Cycle and mentioned on the back cover of the game, Kyd's lack of exposure to Robotech meant his score had little links to the original TV score. For this reason many fans of the series consider it to be inferior to Robotech: Battlecry's more familiar modern remixes of the TV series score. Like Battlecry, Invasion's soundtrack was released on audio CD, though available separately and not as part of a Collectors Edition.
Much like Robotech: Battlecry made an official design out of a slight variation in the VF-1R Veritech, Invasion made use of two formerly unofficial designs, the unrealized Devastator and the fan-created Shadow Dancer. Unlike the heavy licensor support the VF-1R received, these designs got little fanfare and slipped back into obscurity.
The fate of Jack Archer
Thanks to the open ended nature of the end of the Robotech: BattlecryRobotech: Battlecry
Robotech: Battlecry received mostly positive reviews upon its release. Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game an 8 out of 10, saying, "It does an incredible job of re-creating the show's fast-paced mech combat by combining slick animation and spot-on controls." GameSpy gave it a 3.0 out of 5 and...
game, the fate and future of main character Jack Archer was unclear. Many fans automatically assumed, perhaps incorrectly, that any future game sequel would feature an appearance by him or at least a clue to his fate, despite the large gap of time between the events of Battlecry and the Invid Invasion. Not wanting to disappoint, VC inserted a hidden easter egg which added fuel to the fire of fan debate. However all the Easter egg shows is a message spray painted as if it were graffiti, saying "Jack Archer lives!!", you do not discover what exactly happens to him.
Reception
Compared to Robotech: Battlecry, Robotech: Invasion was a critical disappointment, receiving mixed reviews upon its release. Electronic Gaming MonthlyElectronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
gave the game a 5.7 out of 10, calling it "pretty dull, even for a first-person shooter." GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
gave it a 2.5 out of 5 and called it "a decent enough shooter that just doesn't do enough to stand out in the Xbox's crowded FPS market." GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
gave it a 2 out of 5 and commented that "with horrible graphics that look like something an owl regurgitated, broken controls that must be wrestled with at every turn, and level designs that could turn the undead, Robotech: Invasion is an utter waste of money." GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
gave it a 6.3 out of 10 and reported that "the game's single-player campaign still suffers from the same bland gameplay and mission design that plagued its predecessor."