firearms. Most weapons need to recharge after every use, although some have limited ammunition and cannot be used once they are depleted. By firing the weapon close to a nearby enemy, players can perform a melee attack, which can be used to perform long chain reactions. Plot In the future, mankind has rapidly advanced in technology, to the point where colonies orbiting Earth and Mars are constructed. However, political and economical strife have led to a recession that has affected the colonies the hardest. To deal with these issues, the multitude of Earth governments have united under the banner of the United Community of Earth (UCE). The attempted reorganization instead causes the formation of rebel forces, such as White Fang and the United Lunar Empire Gigano. To counter this, the UCE establishes a special task force, the Londo Bell, to eradicate them and similar groups. During the same time frame, the UCE began the development of a new energy source called "E2", created in response to the global energy crisis affecting the Earth-orbiting colonies. Though powerful, E2 is also highly volatile, with many of the rebelling forces seeking to steal it for their own purposes. This leads to a worldwide war against the opposing groups, with the Londo Bell being sent out to stop them from stealing. The player assumes the role of a squad member working for the Londo Bell, teaming up with others to destroy those that seek to steal E2. In one mission, the Londo Bell destroys a shuttle fleet led by Char Aznable, carrying surplus amounts of E2. Undeterred, Aznable flees to the colonies orbiting Mars as the Londo Bell pursue him. A climactic battle ensues that leads to the destruction of the E2 energy and Aznable's defeat. However, using the refugee ship incident, hardliner Duke Dermail seizes power within the UCE government, replacing the pacifist Relena Peacecraft and foreshadowing the coming of a new war. Development and release Another Century's Episode was developed as part of a collaboration between Banpresto and FromSoftware. A subsidiary of Bandai and the holder for the exclusive video game rights to several Japanese mecha franchises, Banpresto conceptualized a large crossover between them following the success of Konami's Zone of the Enders series. In addition to video games, Zone of the Enders expanded into other forms of media such as anime tie-ins, which is believed to have been what persuaded Banpresto