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Take a Transformer and give it the same size,
strength, and destructive power of Godzilla. Now imagine being able
to command it with your Dual Shock Playstation 2 controller. Pretty
sweet, ain’t it? Well, this is idea behind this awesome game brought
to us by Enix, RAD: Robot Alchemic Drive.
The story of Robot Alchemic Drive goes like
this…you are a teenager who inherited a position as the chairman of
a top secret peace organization known as the Trillenium Committee.
As the chairman, it is your duty to protect and defend Japan and the
rest of the planet from a group of destructive robotic aliens called
the Volgara. To counter the attacks of the Volgara giants, you are
given sole control of a Meganite, a monstrous robot built to protect
the city of Senjo from invasion. The story can be a little dry at
times as the game moves on, but the intense action, twisting
storyline, and numerous endings keep RAD’s replay value high.
In RAD, you have three teenage heroes to select
from. There are also three different Meganites to choose from, each
with its own strengths and weaknesses. Two of the three robots can
transform into a vehicle: one morphs into a tank-like fortress, and
the other changes into an attack jet. As the hero, it is your duty
to eliminate the alien invasion, but at the same time, try to keep
the destruction to a minimum. There will be a lot of chaos when two
gigantic mechs get it on, but the less destruction inflicted upon
the city, the more money you will receive to upgrade your Meganite
and hero.
 Without question, the emphasis of RAD is player
control. Controlling your Meganite is not as simple as pressing the
buttons on your directional pad—you will be using the entire Dual
Shock for this game. Here, each shoulder button (L1, R1, L2, and R2)
is used for walking and turning. Here’s how it works: the R and L
buttons are your right and left leg, respectively. Pressing R2 and
L2 alternately move the Meganite forward, and R1 and L1 moves it
backward. To turn your Meganite, press both R or L shoulder buttons
together to turn it right or left. Both analog sticks operate the
robot’s arms, and each arm works with full range of motion. If you
swing the analog stick, the Meganite swings its arm. You learn
different attack techniques as you progress, such as thrust punches,
hooks, and uppercuts. The D-pad twists and turns the Meganite’s
upper body, and your face buttons activate the various special
attacks and weapons. It will take some serious practice and patience
to get this down, but it will be well worth the effort.
Another sweet and useful touch to RAD is the
switching modes from the hero to the Meganite. The character you
choose to run the story with is controlling the Meganite with a
remote controller that looks like the controller you’re controlling
the game with, the PS2 controller…
Did I lose you?
Anyway, he or she will be standing on the
street during the melee. Instead of the camera angles changing to
fit the battle, it stays fixed as if you are watching through the
eyes of the hero. Therefore, it is up to you to reposition yourself
each time your Meganite leaves your field of vision. If you walk it
around a corner, you’ll need to switch to hero mode and run around
the corner with it—just as long as you stay clear of the fight
itself. The hero and your Meganite have separate energy meters, so
you have to keep your distance to avoid getting rocked by collapsing
buildings, or worse yet, being stepped on.
 Of course, these giant robots do more than just
punch. Each beast is armed with different types of weaponry like
missiles and laser cannons, just to name a couple. Even with these
elements of mass destruction, the player is forced to focus mainly
on hand-to-hand combat because the use of such goodies requires
energy. If your energy meter runs out, you’ll have to wait for it to
recharge. This is a good feature for a game like this because takes
the “cheese” out of the fighting.
Okay…here is what cost this game a point or
two. The overall sound is pretty good, but the voiceovers and story
music are absolutely terrible. Even with all the praise and
accolades I’ve dropped on RAD, I can sit here and honestly say that
there is no other game anywhere that has worse voice acting. For a
combative game such as this, one would think the voiceovers would
have a little more bark than usual. It sounds the actors popped a
few Prozac tablets before they read from the script, and depending
on how much the player is into the story, that can take a chunk away
from the game itself. Some of the dialogue is flat-out ridiculous,
almost to the point where you’ll feel the need to pause the game and
think about that was just said. Fortunately, you can press the X
button and skip the babbling; you’re way better off reading the text
yourself (if you can read). The peacetime music during the story is
so lame. It sounds like the tunes played in the waiting room of an
old folks’ home. Other than the horrible speech and music, the
in-game sounds are great. RAD can be a very loud game, especially
coming through the speakers of a home theater. You hear that robotic
buzz and clank as your Meganite walks and turns, the people scream
frantically as they look for cover, and the crumble of the
surrounding buildings sound incredible.
 The graphics are great, but not awesome. RAD
gives the player the sense of taking part in a Japanimation movie.
The world you control your character in doesn’t have the greatest
artwork, but the world provides a lot of running room, similar to
that of Grand Theft Auto 3. All the buildings and structures that
line the streets vary greatly in shape and size, which adds more
visual depth to the game. The Meganites and their opponents are all
beautifully designed, and their fluid animation compliments their
artwork. With all the action going on, such as the townspeople
fleeing and the mass destruction, the graphics may become a little
rough at times, not to mention the screen vibrates as the monsters
walk and crash to the streets. Since the gameplay is not entirely
affected, this minor flaw is insignificant.
You don’t have to be a fan of Mechwarrior to
enjoy Robot Alchemic Drive, but the depth of control may leave a few
gameplayers either confused or annoyed. Granted, this game isn’t for
everyone, but if you want a game with complex play, this is the one.
Like I said before, the twists will keep any gamer coming back for
more. All in all, RAD: Robot Alchemic Drive would make a great
addition to your PS2 library.
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