Mobile Suit Gundam U.C. Engage || An Underwhelming Experience

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Mobile Suit Gundam U.C. Engage is currently the new, and by far the second, Gundam game on mobile that's been published by Bandai Namco.

As far as I know, we rarely have Gundam games on mobile. Aside from Bamco's previous game Gundam Breakers Mobile (rest in peace, my sweet summer child) and LINE's Gundam War, U.C Engage is the only other Android game within the franchise. For the sake of this review, I'll be comparing this to Gundam Breakers Mobile since it's the only game that I played bearing the Gundam name. Trust me, I won't hold back any punches.

So, how does this game hold up compared to Bamco's previous title?

Gameplay

Personally, I feel really underwhelmed by it all. Being a Gundam Breakers player, I half expected a game with a bit more nuance than just building a team with the highest power.

Sure there are other factors like mobile suit types and pilot skills but majority of the gameplay boils down as to whether you're leveled enough to maximize your power numbers.

Even worse, you really have minimal control over what happens. Heck, you have minimal control over your own camera!

In battle, gameplay really just centers on whether you get to use skills when they're charged. Aside from that, you're really just overseeing a battle from a certain limited POV. Battles could have been a little bit more epic if you could move the camera freely but I guess they focused a liiiittle bit too much on making the graphics a tad realistic.

I don't mind autoplay in games, but at least give me the option to have more control over how I play if I'm up to it!

Graphics

One of the key things that they heavily marketed was how realistic U.C. Engage's graphics are.

Compared to Gundam Breaker Mobile, U.C. Engage is a bit more realistic most probably because we're supposedly not dealing with plastic model kits this time.

Being set in the Universal Century, the timeline where the original series and it's direct sequels occur, the graphics are on par with the art direction that the old anime had going for it albeit much shinier and more metallic.

Sound Design

They sound like Mobile Suits fighting , what more could I say?

Kidding aside, you're bound to be hit by a light wave of nostalgia if you grew up watching the original undubbed anime. The voice acting is spot on although a bit limited for my tastes.

Story

As I said, this game takes place in the Universal Century. It's unlike Gundam Breakers Mobile which has an entirely different story that is more or less based on our own timeline where Mobile Suits are just model kits.

Most of the story is just an abridged version of all the anime and films based on the U.C.timeline. You either become nostalgic or bored if you've watched all of them.

That said, U.C.Engage still has its own content story-wise. That is, if you manage to stay long enough to reach it.

Conclusion

Is this game a win? Hardly.

Mobile Suit Gundam U.C. Engage is one game that initially got me excited especially after the announcement of Gundam Breaker Mobile's TOS. That excitement has been replaced by disappointment until now as I write this review.

While the other aspects of this game are passable at best, the gameplay is really what killed it for me. While I understand that  auto-battlers like this appeal to certain gamers, I can hardly fathom a game where I'm not really playing. I don't mind games that have an autoplay function since even Gundam Breaker Mobile had it. But if autoplay is the game itself and not an alternative mode for when I feel lazy, it kinda kills all the fun in a title for me.

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That's about it for U.C. Engage! I may have let my feelings get ahead of me since I really liked Gundam Breaker Mobile back when it was still playable.

How about you? Did you like U.C. Engage or are you underwhelmed by the game as well? Let me know your take about this game in the comments!

Until then, I'll be quietly lurking again until I find a new game that really interests me. See you next time!