It doesn't take long to understand why Gundam is the perfect subject for a gacha-style game: the series is based on a large number of anime, movies and OVAs, as well as a truly impressive mass of toys and products, which makes It is easy to build a title based on the spasmodic collection of characters and robots from an already large catalog. In fact, the famous mechs designed by Yoshiyuki Tomino are among the most popular themes (in the true sense of the word) in the gashapon machines present in Japan, reconnecting with the very nature of the term "gacha" and thus completing an evolution that It seems totally logical and natural. Not that this justifies any such operation just in the name of coherence, but as we see in the Mobile Suit Gundam UC Engage review, the collection mechanism in this case acquires a meaning that is difficult to find in other situations.
In fact, it's not even the first title of its kind, to be honest: Gundam Battle Operation 2 and Gundam Breaker Mobile were previously released in Japan, but this new game is probably the most complete collection seen so far from the famous Bandai. Namco franchise, which compiles characters, robots and narrative elements from across the vast universe built over almost 35 years of history.
This obviously means that we are faced with a very poorly mixed soup, taking into account that the game wants to put together pieces of history belonging to different historical eras, but to solve the problem the usual solution of posters with separate narrative modules is adopted, and it matters little if Inside we find characters that have nothing to do with each other.
The result is a soup that has some elements of interest in the particular combat system, which presents some (minimal) strategic ambitions, and above all in the immutable charisma of Gundam and its science fiction universe, which always manages to hit even if holds together. with whiskey.
On the battlefield
Il game, as with strategic gacha RPGs, is based on alternating battles and character management. The confrontations take place in various scenarios that are repeated in rotation between urban scenarios, planetary surfaces and deep space, returning to some typical scenarios of the series. On the battlefield we will have to deploy six units, belonging to three different classes, placing them on the grid to make the most of them within the typical "paper-rock-scissors" system against the enemy squad. Once the mechs have been chosen and placed, the rest is practically all automated: although there is the possibility of playing manually, the repetitiveness and general confusion of the battle makes the automatic mode easier, as is usually the case in these cases. Watching mythological robots fight with spectacular blows is exciting at first, but the problem is that the action is so confusing that it's difficult to understand exactly what is happening on the screen.
The only element of interaction, in this situation, is the activation of special abilities that occurs at the player's discretion once the appropriate energy bar has been charged: this triggers some nice animations, but they end up becoming too soon a routine that you have to jump so quickly. as possible.
Il combat system It could have offered many more possibilities by focusing on the strategic element, approaching something like Super Robot Taisen, but it remains an intermediate solution that does not delve into either the tactics or the spectacular nature of the clash.
Taking into account that the outcome of the battles is dictated above all by the power of the mechs and the pilots and that this is essentially given by the level of rarity and experience achieved, it is clear how team composition and therefore character management is essential for all game mechanics. Here too, Mobile Suit Gundam UC Engage feels very traditional as a gacha, all focused on equipment variety and the need to perform as many "pulls" as possible to get the best units. Their power is given by the combination of the level of the mobile suit and the pilot, which makes it necessary to find both high-profile robots and also quite rare pilots, because they have practically the same importance and it is necessary to build them in a balanced way. combinations to exploit the maximum potential of the gundams. After the first few days of promotion, the drop rate drops to standard levels for this genre of games, making it quite difficult to find mobile suits and rare pilots without resorting to the use of microtransactions.
The charm of Gundam
A game of this type focuses exclusively on the power of its license, and Mobile Suit Gundam UC Engage seems like a kind of celebration of the franchise, managing to include a huge number of mobile suits and characters belonging to series and historical eras within it. . Same different title. Production is clearly limited, but we noticed a certain commitment on the part of the developers in trying to improve the basic material, that is, robots and pilots. The 3D action stages look quite clunky and difficult to understand, but the specific animations for the mobile suits' special attacks are spectacular and also demonstrate a good achievement of three-dimensional models and enhancing the collecting spirit of enthusiasts by trying to get a garage full of the most beautiful and powerful Gundams in history. The characters are in 2D during dialogues, with the classic character design, while the narrative parts that introduce the missions and the banners are animations extrapolated directly from the animated series. This is also an element that focuses a lot on the nostalgia effect, which is the fundamental characteristic of the entire game.
Conclusions
Tested version iPad, Android 1.0.2 digital delivery app store, Google Play Price Free Holygamerz.com 6.0 Readers (6) 3.8 your voteIt was easy to expect such a product based on Gundam, but we would have expected some possible innovative ideas that went beyond simply tapping into nostalgia for the series. Instead, Mobile Suit Gundam UC Engage is Bandai Namco's most predictable business venture in the mobile and gacha arena, though it's clearly not without charm. The franchise in question is probably one of the best starting points for a title based on the collection of characters and units and the way they are presented demonstrates considerable care in presenting the game. For Gundam fans it can be an excellent hobby on a smartphone, as long as you have more than 5 GB of space to dedicate to it, but beyond the desire to collect robots and pilots, the gameplay offers practically no interesting ideas, especially if you already You've done it. It's reached a certain saturation for gacha RPGs.
PRO
- All the Gundams together from all the UC series.
- There is some care in the representation of mobile suits and pilots.
- The mechanism is established and works, for those who have the right inclination.
AGAINST
- The battles are confusing and require very little strategy.
- The narrative is inevitably confusing, in the mixture of elements.
- The gacha is the central element, with the problems that come with it
- Pachydermal according to required space and loads
