- Visually appealing, high-quality graphics enhance experience
- Extensive, engaging robot customization options available
- Satisfying, weighty combat provides enjoyable gameplay
- Significant improvements over previous game versions
- Aggressive pay-to-win monetization is major issue
- Low player count, unbalanced matchmaking problems
Verdict
Mixed
Summary
Positive 56% · Negative 44%. Score: 44 / 100
Positives:
- The game boasts impressive graphics, animations, and overall visual design. Many reviewers specifically highlight the high-quality graphics as a major positive aspect of the game, contributing to an engaging and visually appealing experience.
- The game features extensive robot customization options, allowing players to personalize their mechs with various parts and weapons. This customization is a core element of the gameplay, enabling players to create unique builds and adapt their robots to their preferred playstyles.
- The game has shown significant improvements over previous versions, particularly the mobile version, with enhanced graphics, gameplay, and balance. Reviewers note that the game is now more enjoyable and represents a substantial upgrade.
- The game provides satisfying combat with weighty mechs, realistic weapon feedback, and well-designed shooting mechanics. Reviewers appreciate the attention to detail in the mech animations and the overall feel of the combat.
- The game has a solid foundation with an enjoyable gameplay loop, simple mechanics, and a fair progression system. Reviewers appreciate the strategic combat and the ability to unlock content through gameplay, making it a good option for casual players.
Negatives:
- The game is criticized for its aggressive monetization and pay-to-win mechanics. Players feel pressured to spend money to progress, acquire better gear, and compete effectively. The grind is excessive, and the store system is unreliable, making it difficult to create specific builds without spending money.
- Many reviewers report a low player count, leading to matches filled with AI bots. The matchmaking system is flawed, often pitting new players against veterans with upgraded gear or matching teams with uneven numbers of human players. This results in unbalanced and frustrating matches.
- The game suffers from frequent crashes, server disconnects, and network issues, making it difficult or impossible to play. Some players are unable to launch the game at all, while others experience significant lag and freezes during gameplay.
- Reviewers criticize the game's mech designs, animations, and controls, stating that they lack weight and feel sluggish. The game is also compared unfavorably to other mech games like MechWarrior Online and Armored Core, lacking their depth and polish.
- The game is criticized for lacking content, including maps, game modes, and language support. The limited number of maps and robots leads to repetitiveness, and the absence of certain features like in-game chat and resolution adjustment options detracts from the overall experience.
Gameplay:
- The game features team-based PvP battles across multiple game modes and well-designed maps. It supports larger team sizes than similar games like World of Tanks and War Thunder, and the combat is more tactical than previous installments.
- The game uses a mech-temp-death mechanic with long cooldowns, which can lead to players waiting for a mech to become available during matches. Each mech also has a unique ultimate ability with a long cooldown.
- The core gameplay loop currently revolves around grinding. Some reviewers predict the game will be a grind fest upon release.
- The game introduces new elements compared to its predecessor, such as flashbangs and destructible environments. The environment reacts to robot movement with dust clouds, footprints, and collision damage.
- Shooting at the shoulders or legs of enemy bots causes them to fall faster. There's bullet travel in this game, however the high mobility of most bots coupled with a slow bullet velocity means that for most weapons you'll have to significantly lead your target even in close quarters.
Performance:
- Many players report that the game runs smoothly and is well-optimized on a variety of hardware configurations, even at high settings. Some players mention the game requiring a decent PC, while others highlight improvements in performance compared to earlier versions.
- One review mentions that the PC requirements are fast. This point is vague and lacks specific details.
- One review mentions that the connection is currently stable. This point is a single data point and may not reflect the overall experience.
Recommendations:
- Many reviewers suggest waiting for the game to be more polished before purchasing or playing. They recommend waiting until it's out of early access or in a more finished state to ensure a better experience.
- Some reviewers suggest playing alternative mech games like MechWarrior 5, MechWarrior Online, Armored Core VI, or Gundam Battle Operation 2. These alternatives are recommended for players seeking a better mech gaming experience.
- Several reviewers express optimism and hope for the game's future. They believe it has the potential to be great with future updates, content additions, and by avoiding monetization pitfalls.
- The game is recommended for players who enjoy realistic shooters, mech shooters, or the original War Robots. It's seen as a good choice for fans of huge robots with guns and multiplayer shooting games in a futuristic setting.
- Reviewers are requesting improvements to the game's sound design and overall performance. They want the sound to provide useful information and the game to run more smoothly.
Miscellaneous:
- The game is in early access with a planned full free-to-play release on PC and console, including a progress wipe before the final release. There is uncertainty about whether the full release will resemble mobile games in terms of monetization.
- Paid mech pack parts are obtainable with free in-game credits, and mechs debuting in the battle pass will be available for free credits after the season. Some items included with the pioneer pack are locked and will be used in later iterations of the game.
- The game shares similarities with War Robots, a mobile game by the same company, but it is different enough that progress and items cannot be transferred. Reviewers are optimistic about the game's potential, despite reservations based on the mobile version.
- Players start with 3 armed robots and unlock additional parts to customize about 10 robots using around 13 weapons. The game focuses on building and customizing mechs.
- The reviewer expresses disappointment with the development team's direction, citing negative changes to AI, map design, and the hangar editor. Their sentiment has shifted from anticipation to apathy over the development period.
