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Super Robot Wars X Review – Not Much New But Entertaining Nonetheless
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Super Robot Wars X Review – Not Much New But Entertaining Nonetheless

by June 4, 2018
Positives

Jam packed with plenty of content
Consistently keeps you on your toes
Enthralling storyline with a rather fresh plot twist
Layer after layer of strategic depth makes it a challenging game
Difficulty ramps up at a good pace

Negatives

It is essentially the same as the previous game
Reused visuals make the game feel dated on arrival
Either protagonists aren’t very likeable compared to previous entries
Both protagonists’ story are largely the same

Pokde Scoreboard
Pokde Rating
Value
5.9
Gameplay
6.9
Visuals
5.9
Replayability
7.9
Storyline
7.9
Bottom Line

Super Robot Wars X is largely similar to its previous game, Super Robot Wars V, but the storyline alone makes it worth playing only if you're a fan of the series.

6.9
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We take a look at the latest mothership entry into the Super Robot Wars series by Bandai Namco, Super Robot Wars X. Is it worth your money?

Super Robot Wars X Review

Super Robot Wars X Review

Umm, phrasing?

Japanese pop culture has taken the world by storm and evolved into a global phenomenon. A major component of that pop culture is robots such as the iconic Gundam. While most of these robots belong in their own fictional world, there are some occasions when all of these come together for a unified objective. That is the Super Robot Wars series and today, we are going to take a look into the latest entry in the series, Super Robot Wars X.

What’s Super Robot Wars X About?

Super Robot Wars X Review

The game is set in a fictional world known as Al-Warth, which is being governed by a reiligious organization known as the Keepers of Order. Heroes from multiple universes have found themselves mysteriously transported from their own home world to Al-Warth in the middle of a crisis. It has been engulfed in war and is currently facing the possibility of complete annihilation for seemingly no reason. The only information they have is a prophecy which speaks of a saviour that will rid Al-Warth of evil.

Players take control of either one of two protagonists who has fled from the Keepers of Order; the ‘Iolite Sorcerer’ Iori Iolite, or the ‘Aquamarine Sorcerer’ Amari Aquamarine. The protagonist is being chased by members of the Keepers or Order for fleeing from their teachings as well as taking two of their prized possessions; the autowarlock Xelguard and a mysterious bird known as Spero.

Super Robot Wars X Review

The protagonist is on a journey to discover themselves as well as the truth behind Al-Warth. Throughout their journey, they meet up with heroes from other universes and slowly gather together to form the X-Cross, with the sole intent of saving Al-Warth from evil. Little did they however, there is a reason why those people were brought into Al-Warth and that their existence alone plays a huge part in sustaining the universe itself.

It Is Largely Similar to The Previous Game

Super Robot Wars X Review

Super Robot Wars X has 3 difficulty options to choose from; Beginner, Standard, and Expert. Generally speaking, the enemies are lesser and weaker in the lower difficulties whereas for Expert mode, not only are the enemies more resilient, they also have a better chance of hitting you with their attacks.

However, there are major benefits to playing in Expert mode. The first notable one is the SR point objectives, which are automatically achieved as long as you complete each mission without retrying. This will give you additional 10,000 funds for you to use. Speaking of funds, you’ll also tend to gain more of it from each mission due to facing stronger enemies in higher quantities.

Super Robot Wars X Review

Each mission will have their own set of objectives as well as narratives that will be used to further the game’s storyline. However, most of them generally involve the same thing, which is for you to use your group of robots to take down the enemies and not be subdued in the process. You do so by moving your robots around the map via square grids, and attacking enemies when they are in range.

Super Robot Wars X Review

However, not every attack is a guaranteed hit as there will be a probability factor. If the attack is listed as 100% hit, then it is guaranteed but anything lesser means there is a chance it will miss. This is not including certain robots with evasion-type skills that will always have a chance of evading regardless of the situation.

Super Robot Wars X Review

An additional strategy factor comes in the form of Spirit commands. Everyone will have SP (Spirit Points) which can be used to activate skills such as guaranteed evasion, increased damage, and more. However, you have a limited number of SP and each turn will only regenerate 5 SP so you will have to plan wisely. It can be frustrating to have only half of your maximum SP when the game starts, unlike older entries in the series, but it does provide the game with additional challenges.

This Is What’s New in The Game

Super Robot Wars X Review

With the protagonists and the Keepers of Order taking centre stage in the game’s plot, magic has become the running theme for Super Robot Wars X. As such, they have introduced a brand new command that is only accessible by the protagonist and it’s called ‘Dogma’. It grants the protagonist 6 unique skills that can be used anytime in any mission, but only once per mission. This could range from strengthening your allies with stat buffs or weakening your enemies.

Super Robot Wars X Review

However, you will need to unlock the Dogma skills in order to use them. To do that, you will have to buy Magic Customization upgrades via the Vault menu of the Intermission screen after each mission. For this, you will be using ‘TacP’ points instead of funds. The upgrades in itself is worth investing in as early as possible as they give useful perks for everyone on your team, such as additional firepower or extra movement. In fact, these upgrades can even turn a hard mission into a piece of cake.

Super Robot Wars X Review

In case you’re wondering, the Vault menu is this game’s equivalent of the Factory menu that was available in Super Robot Wars V. There will be additional scenes that can be accessed just by entering the Vault menu, where characters will converse with each other and especially with Spero, which will award you with bonus TacP points from time to time. Aside from the aforementioned Magic Customization upgrades, you can use the Vault to buy parts to strengthen your team.

Super Robot Wars X Review

As usual, there will be plenty of micromanagement needed for budgeting and strategically planning ahead of battles. You don’t want to needlessly spend your funds and TacP on robots / pilots that you won’t be using much except early on in the game or during route splits. In Expert Mode, it is easy to max out the upgrades for a decent number of robots but only if you spend carefully. To that end, this game certainly does keep you on your toes and make you feel like a master strategist.

Super Robot Wars X Verdict

Super Robot Wars X Review

Super Robot Wars X is largely similar to its previous game, Super Robot Wars V, which was released in February of last year. Even the intermission menu where you upgrade your robots and pilots is largely unchanged. While a game normally like this would likely take years to develop, reusing assets and the core system itself shaves a lot of time off of the development process. You are expected to see mostly the exact same gameplay with the same visuals, even for attack animations.

However, it’s not necessarily a bad thing as the storyline itself makes it worth playing if you’re a fan of the series. If you’re in it to enjoy a brand new story as well as seeing some new robots as well as some old ones returning to the series, you will not be disappointed. With that in mind, I give Super Robot Wars X with our Silver Pokdeward.

Super Robot Wars X Review - Not Much New But Entertaining Nonetheless 28

About The Author
Aiman Maulana
Jack of all trades, master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one. YouTuber, video editor, tech head, and a wizard of gaming. What's up? :)

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