We’ve all been waiting years for the return of once prominent Japanese developer Level-5, but you’d be forgiven for being completely ignorant of its latest Western release, Megaton Musashi W: Wired. Thanks to what feels like a near total lack of marketing, this awkwardly named action RPG has sailed effortlessly under the radar — but it definitely deserves more attention.
Much like Yo-Kai Watch, Megaton Musashi is a multimedia property from Level-5, spanning games and anime. It’s a sci-fi story about humanity making one last stand against an all-conquering alien menace, with Wired putting you in the pilot seat of — you guessed it — a giant robot that can finally turn the tide of this intergalactic war.
The title’s split between two distinct parts. The first has you wander around 2D environments, talking to key characters in order to progress the plot. The second plops you onto the battlefield in your aforementioned mech, ready to kick some extraterrestrial arse across a large number of objective-based missions.
Both the characters and the dialogue appear very trope-heavy at first, but things do get somewhat interesting later on, as the narrative introduces a decent degree of tension between cast members. It’s not what we’d call an amazing story, but it holds the action together rather well.
Indeed, it’s said action that’ll keep you playing. With impressively accessible controls and responsive gameplay, there’s a lot to like about Megaton Musashi’s brand of mechanical carnage. It’s fast-paced and punchy — especially when you unleash super attacks — but repeated enemy types do take the edge off ever so slightly.
As you progress, you unlock new body parts and weapons for your robot through a generous loot system, which in turn lets you tackle increasingly dangerous missions. Decking out your mech with new equipment does lean into make big number go up territory at times, but it’s still an addictive process overall.
You can also hop online to tackle missions alongside other players, but at the time of writing this review, the game feels borderline abandoned. It’s not a huge deal given the strength of the single-player offering, but it’s still something to be aware of.
Megaton Musashi W: Wired is one of those games where you can identify its flaws very quickly, but they’re not going to stop you from having fun. Ultimately, it’s the title’s fast-flowing and easy-to-grasp combat that wins the day, bolstered by an addictive loot system and a moreish, mission-based campaign.
