By Billy Teo, a freelance writer

FANS of Japanese anime series Gundam, be warned.

This is not a mindless robot-shooting game.

This third-person thinking man's shooter places you in command of a clunky Mobile Suit, essentially a giant robot.

You lead a team of two pilots on a variety of missions with specific military objectives, which translates to destroying all the enemy targets in sight.

Thinking like a military genius, plotting the right squad formation and even calling in artillery strikes on enemy positions are key to survival.

Rush into action like a one-man army Dynasty Warrior and the onslaught of enemy squads will mow you down like a ruthless MRT mob during rush hour.

You need to command your team and sometimes even allied forces to coordinate attacks or carry out battlefield tactics. That is, if you want to triumph despite being outgunned, outnumbered and often outclassed.

Of course, that is not to say that your shooting or melee skills will not make a difference out in the field. Being a superb mobile suit pilot will ensure that you survive a frenzied shootout with encircling enemies.

This shooter includes role-playing game elements such as levelling up the different skills of your co-pilots and equipping them with the right mix of weapons - say, machine guns or laser beams - and mobile suit parts suitable for different environments, such as the desert or under water.

In fact, constantly upgrading weapons and installing the right parts - a la the Armored Core games - are important strategic elements. This applies whether you are playing alone or challenging other players online.

The Japanese language barrier may stump some gamers, but given the generous use of graphical icons and a sprinkling of English commands, experienced gamers should be able to navigate the game smoothly.

The generous supply of animated cutscenes, which are good enough to give any Gundam anime series a run for the money, is a bonus.

One gripe, though, is Bandai Namco Games' nickel-and-dime policy: you have to pay roughly $4.50 to download each special mobile suit from the PlayStation Network (PSN). They should be free or included in the first place.

For the record, this is the perfect game for otakus (Japanese for hardcore fans) who enjoy replaying war scenarios with plastic Gundam models. Highly recommended.

This story was first published in The Straits Times Digital Life.

For more The Straits Times stories, click here.