Another Century's Episode

Lore & Background

Another Century's Episode was developed as a collaboration between Banpresto and FromSoftware. Banpresto, holding exclusive video game rights to several popular robot series, envisioned a large crossover similar to Konami's Zone of the Enders games. The game was designed by Yui Tanimura, who later directed Dark Souls II and co-directed Dark Souls III and Elden Ring. The opening and ending themes were performed by singer Hitomi Shimatani.

The game's plot is set in a future where Earth colonies orbit Earth and Mars. Political and economic strife leads to the formation of rebel forces, prompting the United Community of Earth to establish a special task force called Londo Bell. The player controls a squad member of Londo Bell, tasked with stopping rebels from stealing a volatile new energy source called E2. The story culminates in a battle that destroys the E2 energy and defeats Char Aznable, but hardliner Duke Dermail seizes power, foreshadowing a new war.

Gameplay involves piloting a mecha in a third-person perspective, completing missions such as destroying enemy machines or protecting targets. Mechs can dash to avoid attacks, and carry up to five weapons. Melee attacks can be performed by firing close to an enemy, allowing chain reactions. The game was released on January 27, 2005, and re-released under the PlayStation the Best budget label on November 2.

Reader's Guide

Another Century's Episode is significant as a commercial hit that sold over 254,000 copies in Japan by the end of 2005, making it one of the year's top-selling video games. Critics favorably compared its gameplay to Zone of the Enders and praised its selection of mechs and mission variety. The game's success led to a renewal in popularity for several represented series, such as Metal Armor Dragonar, which received a DVD box set and art books. It spawned a franchise that includes soundtrack albums, merchandise, and four sequels: Another Century's Episode 2 (2006), Another Century's Episode 3: The Final (2007), Another Century's Episode: R (2010), and Another Century's Episode Portable (2011). The later sequels were published by Namco Bandai Games under the Banpresto brand. The game's legacy is often compared to Banpresto's Super Robot Wars series for boosting the popularity of featured franchises. Retrospective reviews note that while the game had flaws like imperfect hit detection and slow speed, it remains a fun and enjoyable title on its own.

Did You Know?

• The game was designed by Yui Tanimura, who later directed Dark Souls II and co-directed Dark Souls III and Elden Ring.
• Its opening and ending themes were performed by singer Hitomi Shimatani.
• The game sold over 175,000 copies in its first week on the market.
• It was re-released under the PlayStation the Best budget label on November 2, 2005.