Gundam Evolution is getting one of the most iconic Gundams in the series' history as part of its Season 3 mid-season update this month. Gundam Heavyarms Custom (EW) will enter the arena in the 6v6 first-person Gundam game, bringing Trowa's, well, heavily armored mobile suit to the fray.
If you've not played Gundam Evolution, it's a 6v6 first-person shooter that puts players into the seats of some of the most iconic Gundams from the anime's history. Players compete in different game modes to take out the other team, dominate a map, and more. Gundams from the recently released Hyperion Gundam from Gundam SEED X Astray to the endlessly recognizable RX-78-2 Gundam from the original series grace the battlegrounds of Evolution, each bringing their own unique feel and playstyle to a match.
The Gundam Heavyarms Custom [EW] comes from Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz and brings some heavy arms to bear indeed. Armed with its iconic Double Gatling Gun and a barrage of other armaments, Heavyarms is poised to act as a unit that can just simply lock down a section of the map and hold it.
Indeed, this was my experience earlier this week when trying out the new Mobile Suit during a press preview. Taking out the hulking Mobile Suit for the first time, I felt powerful and capable. The Gatling Gun is an incredible way to keep enemies at bay and make them easy pickings for my more nimble teammates, while the Shoulder Missle Pod was a useful weapon skill to keep enemies burning with its damage over time on a direct hit.
The Gatling Gun itself doesn't run out of ammo, but it can overheat, so Heavyarms players can't just sit there with the fire button held down endlessly. Knowing when to stagger your fire to effectively deal damage, but also not leave yourself vulnerable during a cooldown was key, and learning this during the heat of combat made me all the more effective with the Mobile Suit.
The Gundam Heavyarms Custom [EW] might feel poised to act as a tank in Gundam Evolution, but I found it was best when on the offensive. Using its Gatling Gun to sweep fleeing enemies to take down the last of their health, finally rushing in for the kill was a ton of fun, and getting out of a jam was easier than I expected thanks to the Moonsault skill which leaps Heavyarms into any direction and out of a problem.
Heavyarms' G-Skill is a Hatch Full Open barrage skill that empties Heavyarms of its armaments, sending a barrage of missiles at fleeing or unsuspecting enemy mobile suits. This in practice honestly felt like Pharah's ultimate in Overwatch, especially as the Barrage skill leaves the mobile suit completely immobile other than to change the direction it's firing. Unlike the other skills, though, this didn't feel nearly as impactful and I found myself not firing it off in exchange for the Heavyarms' surprising mobility.
I found myself relishing the times I got to play Heavyarms during our demo, though. Its offensive power was incredible to use, raking mobile suits as they tried to push a point my team was taking, while the times I would set myself up to lock down a corridor that led into the capture area, I felt like I was single-handedly changing the course of the battle. The mobile suit's mobility to both chase down a fleeing enemy and get out of a sticky situation made it feel adaptable, and while I didn't particularly like the G-Skill, the Dual Weilding Gatling Gun was incredible to close out firefights with other mobile suits.
On the whole, the Gundam Heavyarms is a blast to play, and it's great to jump into yet another of the more iconic mobile suits from the series. It'll be interesting to see how players adapt to the new mobile suit when it hits on March 8th as part of the upcoming Season 3 mid-season update.
