Ever wanted to have a woman by your side while piloting a mecha, instead of a disembodied voice like in most anime-inspired mecha games? Well, Bandai Namco is taking it one step further with Synduality: Echo of Ada, with a demo out during Tokyo Game Show 2023 last weekend.

In this new action game, you will be piloting a mecha and extracting resources while combating rival mechas and local fauna tainted with the world’s corrupt energy source using your rifles, shotguns, and laser weaponry. Being in a mecha, your movements are clearly impeded but you can jump and dash around, so it’s not all bad. The kicker is that you have a virtual female companion called a Magus who not only assists you in navigation but can also cast a “spell” that either deals with enemies in front of you or buffs your mecha.

She also talks a lot through your intercom. A lot. We’re talking Dragon’s Dogma pawn levels of chatter. Spot an ore vein? She’ll point it out in her manufactured cute voice. Spot an enemy? She’ll let you know. Defeat an enemy? She’ll acknowledge it loud and clear. Mine an ore? She’ll repeat the info. These are the times where I could have just fiddled with the options and search for a mute button, but my limited playtime with the action game -30 minutes at the showfloor- means that I’ll have to make do with a velcro-level virtual waifu at my side from start to finish. I do hope Bandai Namco finds some way to make the Magus’ involvement a lot more meaningful than just a support. Maybe make her a pack mule ala Lydia from Skyrim? Or have her belt a tune out for you in key fights like your Minmeis in Macross?

One other feature in the Synduality demo I played at TGS 2023 is the integration of other players: my play session highlighted other TGS-goers as they wander around with their mechs, also with the same case of “chatterbox masquerading as an virtual anime girl”, mining ore and killing monsters and mercenary mecha pilots along the way. I could either team up with them or engage them in good old-fashioned PvP.

While the game seems fun and all in small doses, I fail to see the big hook it has apart from giant robots and AI woman by your side. Perhaps that may be more than enough for some, but so far this is mid-level HD-era gaming concepts brought forward to this generation, unless there’s a gripping anime plot and a bunch of extra mecha/spellcaster to set it apart from other action games.

Synduality: Echo of Ada has no release date as of recently due to the game being pushed back indefinitely, and thankfully so. It’ll be out for PC, Xbox Series, and PlayStation 5.