VideoGame Simply one of the best fighting game ever made.
Okay sure, The AI is predictable, the gameplay lacks a ton of modern fighting gimmicks, the music is nice but a bit too generic, and the graphics while smoothy animated are not really all that impressive especially by modern standards,
So why is it one of the best fighting game ever? Just one thing:
Variety.
For one thing, instead of simply having stock characters with fixed stats and moves, you can choose a combination of pilots (for different stats) and robots (for different move sets). In addition to this, "Tournament Mode" allows you to build your own pilot and upgrade your robot further allowing customization. There are also a few secret moves and upgrades that can be obtained. The only fighting game that offers more gameplay-related character customization options is possibly the Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi series (which is not that bad but a bit eh).
Aside from character customization, the game also offers tons of gameplay settings that can be tweaked (most involving secret menus), including enabling "Hyper Mode" which adds new features that almost completely changes the gameplay balance. The only fighting came that might compare is the Super Smash Bros. series (and I should add One Must Fall, like SSB, also features stage gimmicks which can damage fighters, but the stages are much much smaller... well relative to the fighters anyway).
Also the story is okay too, but who cares about story in a fighting game?
VideoGame Combination Style
Well, I've played OMF 2097 for quite some time now, over the past 10 years in fact, and it's one game that can and will NEVER get old. What's got me hooked is the Tournament Mode, where you can build your own pilot and improve your own stats through training and spending of in-game cash. Also, the cast of characters both in Tournament Mode and in Story Mode is quite diverse and colorful, although the Tournament Mode-unique characters could have gotten more characterization instead of just being generic rivals for you to beat up.
As far as OMF Battlegrounds goes, I'll be honest: I've never played it myself, but based on what I've seen here
, the list of pilots is even more diverse and colorful. It's just a shame that the new pilots in this game weren't included in the original 2097, because I think it would have made the game much more fun to play.
What I think they could do, if they ever think to create a sequel, is to incorporate the new pilots from Battlegrounds together with the pilots from 2097, keep the old 2097 bot designs while including the new Battlegrounds bots, and have one grand Tournament Mode and Story Mode. It would be SO EPIC.