Review by: Brendon Lindsey

When Steambot Chronicles debuted on the PS2 three years ago, a lot of people were surprised with the unique RPG. GameShark's review of the game called it "one of the best role-playing games to come out of Japan since Dragon Quest VIII," and in my opinion, even several years into the "next-gen" that remains true. Unfortunately, Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament just doesn't contain that same magic formula that made the original one of the most underrated titles of the PS2 era.

One of the best things about Steambot Chronicles was, simply put, the atmosphere. Steampunk? Victorian? It was an RPG unlike almost any before it. For most players, just taking in the sights as you explored the world was a huge part of the game. All of the extra things you could do outside of the quest? Pure gravy. In Battle Tournament, however, we're presented with a stripped down Steambot Chronicles world, where your actions are on a very repetitive linear path, and your ability to wander and explore is gone.

The story and dialogue reflect the loss. While the first Steambot game wouldn't win any awards for storytelling, what it had was meaningful dialog that had a true outcome on the game, and a hectic (if sometimes confusing) plot. In Battle Tournament, there are still branches in dialog to choose, but it's almost all pointless in the grand scheme of things, and the story is your basic "I have amnesia, but I want to be the best fighter!" tale that you've heard a million times in games, anime, manga, and other media.

With the story and setting taking a backseat, the emphasis is placed instead on the combat. (In case you couldn't gather that from the title...) But, to get to the combat, you're going to have to perform jobs (missions) for the townsfolk to earn money, and then build (and continue to upgrade) your mech. (Or "Trot Mobile" as they're called in the Steambot world.) Jobs blend light platforming elements with fetch quests, and occasionally you'll be attacked and have to fight back. The fighting in these isn't very challenging, and serves more as practice for the "real fights" later on at the Tournament.

But before you go and fight in the Tournament, you need to pimp your trot using the money from the jobs. If you've played the original Steambot game, or any mech-based title, you'll feel right at home building and customizing your trot. As expected, starting out you'll have very few options available, and even fewer that you can afford. But, as you make your way through the ranks, you'll unlock more, afford more, and build a bigger, better, and more badass machine.

After your trot is ready for action, it's time for the main event: the Battle Tournament! Like Armored Core, battles take place in an arena setting. Unlike the more popular mech brawler, though, there are distinct environmental tactics you can use, including hitting your opponent with things lying around, such as cars and trees.