REVIEW: SD Gundam G Generation Genesis


Title	SD Gundam G Generation Genesis
Developer	Bandai Namco
Publisher	Bandai Namco
Release Date	November 27th, 2016
Genre	SRPG
Platform	PlayStation 4, Vita
Age Rating	NA
Official Website

A while ago, I took my first foray into the Gundam franchise when I reviewed Gundam Breaker 3. I really enjoyed that game’s mechanics and the just mind blowing level of customization it offered. It actually got me wanting to know more about the franchise, so I checked out some of the anime and honestly I got hooked on it. When a chance came along to check the latest entry in the SD Gundam G Generation series I jumped on it. The question is; will I love the strategy gameplay of SD Gundam G Generation Genesis as much as Gundam Breaker’s full on action? Let’s find out!

This game is divided up into story missions that cover around 17 different series in the Universal Century timeline. These story missions are all very impressive and give the player an abridged version of the events talking place in each while letting you participate in some of the series’ most historic battles. While some of these battles will be finished fairly quickly others may take up to two hours to complete, and honestly when you’re done you feel as if you have just fought one of the most epic and satisfying battles of your life. The localization is good quality, not at all like what was found in SRW: The Moon Dwellers. You may spot an instance or two of poor wording or a grammar error here and there, but these take nothing away from this title. The translation is easy to read and understand even if you are new to Gundam.

Graphically, the game looks very much like Super Robot Wars: The Moon Dwellers. There are grid based maps with few details and nice looking representations of all the different mobile suits and carriers. There are combat cut-ins found here as well. They are not as over the top as SRW‘s but they get the job done, and putting certain pilots in a specific suit and doing certain special moves will result in more unique cut-ins for those attacks. Since there are tons of pilots to unlock in this game, that means there is a lot of character portrait art. These are all very nicely done, and likely with assets from the actual anime or the other game series the stories are originally from.

The game uses sound effects and music straight from the anime series. This really makes you feel like you are taking part in some of the greatest battles in Gundam history. There is also plenty of Japanese voice work done by the same folks that worked on the anime series as well, or at least the ones I know of since I haven’t watched all of the different series.

The basic gameplay is very similar to Super Robot Wars. You move your mobile suits along a grid based map and attack enemy units. There are some major differences between the two games, however. First off, there is no ammo here. Instead, each attack will consume Energy or EN. When you run out of EN you will have to dock your mobile suit in the warship for one round to recharge it. There are modifications and skills that will restore a bit of EN each round as well. The other major difference is if you lose a mobile suit during combat, it is gone forever. You will have reproduce that suit and regain any levels you may have obtained with it. You will not lose your pilots however, so it’s painful but not as catastrophic as it could be.

Each map contains a bonus objective to complete, just like in SRW. This will ramp up the difficulty a bit by throwing some unique mobile suits on top of the battlefield. When you defeat the lead unit the other units will surrender and you can capture them. This will add them to you own arsenal. You will need to either move a warship close enough to snag them or modify one of your suits to capture them. This is a good way get some really great mobile suits quickly without having to upgrade your current units or waste Capital producing them. Unwanted units can be scrapped for Capital so even if you have enough of that particular unit, you can still turn it into cold hard cash.

Just like in SRW your pilots will gain levels as they participate in battle. Leveling up, as you might expect, will improve their combat stats and grant them special abilities. These abilities include huge stat boosts or regaining health and EN each round. You can also create you very own custom character to make you feel even more a part of the epic conflict! It is very important to pair the right pilot with the right mobile suit or gunship to get the most out of each unit. This may require a bit of trial and error, but the results are well worth it.

SD Gundam G Generation Genesis is just simply an amazing title. The game will run you around $64 at Play-Asia plus shipping and is worth every penny. The combat is simply a joy to play, the writing is done well, and there is a boat load of content for fans to enjoy here. This title is a must own title for any Gundam fan; go snag this now and you will not be disappointed. If you are not a fan of Gundam but love a good SRPG, you’ll find a lot to love here as well. Since I feel the gameplay here is some of the best in the genre and a must own for anyone!