Gacha + Auto Chess + Gundam = ??? | Review - MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM U.C. ENGAGE
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MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM U.C. ENGAGE catapults players into the heart of the iconic Gundam universe, delivering an epic Gundam auto-battler gacha experience on mobile devices. Released globally this October 17th, two years after it’s release in Japan, It combines the rich lore of the Universal Century with an exciting new storyline that seamlessly blends animation and thrilling battle sequences.
🟩Pros
+Gundam universe immersion
+Narrative, both classic and new
+Collecting your favorite Gundam and Pilots
+The visuals capture the essence of Gundam battles
+Can pretty much skip everything and fast forward the battles
🟥Cons
-Limited gameplay elements and strategic depth
-Outdated looking presentation and menu systems
⭐️Score: 7/10
📖Story and Premise
MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM U.C. ENGAGE immerses players in the Universal Century timeline. The game brings together a plethora of beloved mobile suits and their respective pilots, offering fans the opportunity to assemble their dream teams. Animated cutscenes and scenes taken from the anime adds depth to the game's narrative, making it a must-play for Gundam UC fans. The game's promise of a new storyline alongside classic lore ensures an engaging experience for both newcomers and veterans of the franchise.
🎨Graphics and Art Style
While MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM U.C. ENGAGE might not push the boundaries of mobile game graphics, it effectively captures the essence of the Gundam universe. The visuals reminded me of an HD version of the PS3 game Battle Operation, featuring clay-like aesthetics and straightforward simplistic 3D environments. The battles, however, stand out as visually spectacular, with mobile suits engaging in combat across diverse terrains, including cities, space, and underwater. Some clumsy animations and weird movements, but overall is visually pleasing to watch. The menu and UI is a bit outdated looking, feels like something that came out in the PS2 era.
🎮Gameplay
Gameplay primarily centers around forming squads of mobile suits and pilots, acquired through gacha mechanics. Players can level up both suits and characters, enhance their power level, and change pilots to influence their effectiveness in battle.
The game presents players with an opportunity to engage in thrilling 6 vs. 6 battles with an array of iconic mobile suits, each piloted by characters from the Gundam universe. The battles themselves are largely automated, which may disappoint those seeking more hands-on engagement. The only control you have is the placement of units and activating the EX ability with features flashy animated moves.
⚔️Combat
There is a slight strategic layer to the battles, by way of positioning mobile suits and using the rock-paper-scissors like weakness system but in practice, it doesn't really carry significant weight, and even using the EX ability can be automated. The camera can change between top-down view or third person mode to either get an overview of the battle or a close-up of the skirmishes, however the placement could have been more improved as currently it’s kind of a mess and does not really do a good job of showing the action.
The core gameplay doesn't offer a significant level of depth or strategy. The primary objective revolves around leveling up your mobile suits to maximize their power and defeat the enemy by overpowering their units.
♟️🤖 Gacha + Auto Chess + Gundam
In essence, MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM U.C. ENGAGE operates as an auto-battler or autochess game with gacha elements, carried by the popular Gundam IP. While the combat is visually appealing and the concept of positioning units offers a promising start, it ultimately leans towards automation, limiting the depth of player engagement. Nevertheless, the spectacular EX moves and the opportunity to command your favorite Gundams make the combat an enticing aspect of the game.
⏩Control over the pacing
You can skip pretty much everything: cutscenes, movies, and even fast forward the gameplay. Although you need to pay for game/x3 speed. I did notice there are a lot of loading/connecting screens present and while I didn’t find this an issue, it may potentially annoy other players.
⏫Progression
MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM U.C. ENGAGE starts players off with a generous influx of in-game resources, including an AP system to regulate playtime. Early-game progression is comfortable, even granting access to rare characters through gacha pulls, in which I received on UR early on, and multiple SR characters. I haven’t reach the far ends of the game, but I hope the developers strike a balance that ensures an enjoyable experience for free-to-play players too. For the first few hours though, progression isn’t really an issue and there is a 72 hour Limited MS and Character Gacha for 6% chance.
⚖️Conclusion
MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM U.C. ENGAGE offers an exciting revisit into the Gundam universe. The game's greatest strength lies in its narrative, which blends classic lore with fresh adventures and captivating animated cutscenes. Although the visuals may not be groundbreaking, they succeed in capturing the essence of Gundam's epic mecha battles. The gameplay predominantly relies on auto-battles and gacha mechanics, which may not suit everyone's preferences. However, the game's early generosity make it an appealing choice for Gundam enthusiasts to at least give it a chance.
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