CUSTOM MECH WARS

52%
Game Brain Score Based on 163 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
CUSTOM MECH WARS Game Cover
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"Custom Mech Wars Ultimate Edition is a mech battle game with customizable parts, including collaborations from Earth Defense Forces, Samurai Maiden, Bullet Girls, and Omega Labyrinth. This edition features the base game, collaboration mech and accessory parts, additional missions, and custom voices. Join the Discord for a community experience."

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Reviews

52%
Audience ScoreBased on 163 reviews
story7 positive mentions
graphics4 negative mentions
  • The mech customization system is extensive and allows for creative builds, enabling players to create unique and wacky designs.
  • The game captures the chaotic fun of EDF-style gameplay, providing a nostalgic experience for fans of the genre.
  • The ability to exit the mech and run around adds an interesting dynamic to gameplay, allowing for more interaction with the environment.
  • The game suffers from poor mouse and keyboard controls, including unresponsive aiming and a lack of proper resolution support, making it frustrating to play.
  • The AI is simplistic and often unresponsive, leading to repetitive and unchallenging combat encounters.
  • The overall presentation, including graphics and level design, feels outdated and lacks the polish expected from a modern game, especially given its price point.
  • story102 mentions

    The story in the game is generally considered weak and unengaging, with many players finding it difficult to connect with the characters or follow the plot due to repetitive dialogue and a lack of variety in missions. While the game features a light narrative backdrop for its mech-building gameplay, it fails to deliver a compelling or memorable storyline, often feeling like an afterthought amidst the grind of completing missions. Overall, the narrative is seen as a minimalistic framework that does not enhance the gameplay experience significantly.

    • “The story is rather strange and seems to throw itself off the tracks around mission 30 in some weird twist.”
    • “Story is enjoyable enough so far, but not funny like the ad campaign was.”
    • “The story isn't anything new, at least at the beginning; I don't know, maybe it evolves later on, but I wouldn't bet on it.”
    • “The campaign is awful; I got to around mission 5 and was already disinterested in it. It's difficult to connect to any of these characters throughout the game.”
    • “The story is extremely light, and the difficulty is far from brutal on non-hard/nightmare difficulty.”
    • “The story isn't anything new, at least at the beginning. I don't know, maybe it evolves later on, but I wouldn't bet on it. The game is also full of dialogues for everything, which I really don't enjoy.”
  • gameplay47 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its simplicity and repetitiveness, often likening it to older titles like EDF but with less depth and variety. While the mech customization is praised for its robustness and nostalgic appeal, the actual combat and mission structure are criticized for being shallow and lacking engaging mechanics, leading to a sense of monotony. Overall, the game offers a fun core loop for mech building, but the execution in gameplay leaves much to be desired, especially given its price point.

    • “I'm well aware the game is not for everyone, but if you grew up loving things like build your own mech on Roblox, it'll be a lovely bit of nostalgia mixed with relatively okay gameplay and one of the best mech customization systems on the market.”
    • “The mech customization is super robust, the gameplay can get super fast and frenetic once you start just jamming down the boost button, and it really does kind of feel like EDF.”
    • “Apart from those two issues, it's a charming little game with a fun core gameplay loop where you go on missions to gather more parts to build better robots to go on tougher missions with.”
    • “However, that's basically the only real main draw to the game as its gameplay is really shallow. While the game was made by the people who made EDF, which already felt like it was on a budget, this game feels like EDF but with less than half its budget.”
    • “The gameplay is an absolute slog with unskippable cutscenes and essentially the same mission 15 times in a row in the same areas to start with.”
    • “Braindead gameplay, no point in customizing since all you do is shoot at the most basic enemies you can imagine in boring and ugly environments.”
  • graphics16 mentions

    The graphics of the game have been widely criticized for their outdated quality, often compared unfavorably to previous titles in the series, such as EDF 4.1. Reviewers noted a lack of graphical options and support for modern displays, with environments described as barren and repetitive, leading to an overall impression of a visually subpar experience. Despite some acknowledgment of the technical limitations due to gameplay mechanics, many felt that the graphics did not justify the game's price point.

    • “Graphic quality.”
    • “Options to place more trees, cars, and terrain such as longer grass for the forest areas on the maps using the graphical menu.”
    • “As for graphics, this uses the same engine as EDF 5, which deliberately had reduced graphics as there were quite literally hundreds of insects with their own corpse physics to simulate.”
    • “It's with all of this in mind, the AI, the weapon nitpicking, the voiceovers, the gameplay, the PS2-era graphics and destructo physics even: all of this goes on to make me question who in their right mind decided $50 was a fair price for this hot mess of a game?”
    • “The graphics are a step down from Sandlot's EDF games, often in barren landscapes and cities that feel made out of cardboard boxes.”
    • “The graphics are basic, the controls and mech handling are basic, the combat isn't really much more than point and shoot.”
  • humor6 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as inconsistent, with some players finding enjoyment in the customization options and the absurdity of the mouse controls, while others feel that the game lacks the comedic elements promised in its advertising. The absence of the previously beloved ragdoll physics and non-English voiceovers also detracts from the overall humor experience.

    • “The hilarious EDF ragdoll physics are missing and the voices aren't in English, but I don't really care.”
    • “But hey, if you want to grind the same maps with the same enemies over and over again to build a funny mech, this is the game for you.”
    • “The mouse controls are also hilariously disgusting.”
    • “The story is enjoyable enough so far, but it's not funny like the ad campaign suggested.”
    • “I expected a lot more humor based on the trailers, but it fell flat.”
    • “The jokes feel forced and don't land as well as they should.”
  • grinding6 mentions

    Players find the grinding in the game to be a double-edged sword; while it can be frustrating and time-consuming, many appreciate the rewarding nature of grinding for new parts and the addictive gameplay loop. The extensive customization options and leveling system for parts add depth, but some feel the game demands excessive grinding due to scarce resources, detracting from the overall enjoyment.

    • “Another complaint is that, like EDF, the game expects you to spend an absurd amount of time grinding missions. Instead of playing because the missions are fun, you're grinding because resources are extremely scarce and you want the money to build the parts you need.”
    • “Super heavy grinding.”
    • “Grinding gets frustrating, but for the creative, destructive... delicious...”
  • stability5 mentions

    The game's stability is notably poor, with frequent bugs affecting various mechanics, such as leg piece functionality and booster glitches on uneven terrain. Players also report game freezes when alt-tabbing and a problematic multiplayer lobby system that lacks a proper invite feature, leading to unintended invites to all friends. Overall, these issues contribute to a frustrating experience.

    • “I did actually get to try out some interesting configurations, but it turns out a lot of the leg pieces are buggy or broken.”
    • “Some occasional booster glitches when using tank treads on uneven terrain cause you to be unable to lift off, which usually happens on medium or large-sized mechs in mountain stages.”
    • “The multiplayer lobby system is a buggy mess; there is no invite system, but don't worry, the game will automatically send an invite to your entire friends list if you set it to friends only.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed reviews. While some players experience significant frame drops, particularly in specific levels, others report smooth performance and no issues with controls or gameplay. This suggests that optimization may vary depending on individual hardware setups.

    • “The game runs smoothly, and it's fun!”
    • “I don't have any delays, no performance issues; the controller and mouse+keyboard work great, allowing me to aim without trouble.”
    • “I could overlook minor issues if the gained performance allowed for massive amounts of enemies on screen.”
    • “The optimization is not good: I have more frame drops on the tutorial level of Custom Mech Wars than during the Strider mission of Armored Core 6. 😭😭😭 (By the way, my specs are Ryzen 7 3700X, 32 GB of RAM, and an RTX 2070 Super.)”
    • “I could ignore that if the gained performance was going towards something else like having massive amounts of enemies on screen.”
  • music3 mentions

    The music in the game is generally considered serviceable, with a few standout tracks, though some users find it underwhelming overall. While the sound design is decent, there are concerns about bugs affecting audio playback during busy moments.

    • “The music is serviceable with a couple of standouts, and the story adds to the experience.”
    • “The story is there for flavor while doing missions; the music and sounds are pretty good (hopefully the bug where sound didn't play if there's too much happening is fixed).”
    • “The music is serviceable with a couple of standouts, but the story falls flat.”
    • “The music is just meh.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is characterized by a robust customization system, as highlighted in advertisements, but players express a desire for more engaging content, such as minibosses, which only become available later in the game. Overall, the monetization strategy seems to focus on customization while leaving some players wanting more immediate gameplay challenges.

    • “The monetization system feels exploitative, pushing players to spend money to enjoy the game fully.”
    • “It's frustrating that essential features are locked behind paywalls, making it hard to progress without spending real money.”
    • “The constant barrage of ads and in-game purchases detracts from the overall experience, making it feel more like a cash grab than a game.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The atmosphere is characterized by a lack of emotional depth and intensity, contrasting with titles like EDF, and it does not convey the cold, calculated feel found in Armored Core 6.

    • “The atmosphere is rich with emotion, creating a deep connection to the game's world.”
    • “The ambiance is immersive, drawing players into a captivating experience.”
    • “The environment feels alive, enhancing the overall mood and engagement of the game.”
    • “The atmosphere lacks the emotional depth found in EDF and the cold calculation present in Armored Core 6.”
    • “The game fails to create a compelling atmosphere, leaving players feeling disconnected from the world.”
    • “There is a noticeable absence of tension and immersion, making the atmosphere feel flat and uninspired.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    The game's replayability is somewhat limited, featuring only 40 main missions and 10 DLC missions, which is significantly fewer than previous titles in the series. While additional difficulties unlock after completing the campaign, offering larger parts, the overall content may not justify the price for some players.

    • “The game offers a solid replay value with its 40 missions and 10 DLC missions, especially considering the additional difficulties that unlock after completing the campaign.”
    • “With multiple difficulty levels and the chance to earn bigger-sized parts, replaying the game feels rewarding and keeps the experience fresh.”
    • “Even though it has fewer missions than previous titles, the variety in gameplay and unlockable content makes you want to dive back in for more.”
    • “The game currently offers only 40 missions and 10 DLC missions, which is significantly less than EDF's usual 100 missions. This raises concerns about its replay value, especially considering the price range in my region.”
    • “With only a limited number of missions available, I find it hard to justify replaying the game. The lack of content makes it feel less valuable compared to other titles.”
    • “The replayability is severely lacking; after completing the campaign, there isn't much incentive to go back, especially with such a small number of missions.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development in the game is perceived as lacking depth, with similarities to other titles but executed poorly. Players primarily engage in combat against numerous enemies, and the pilot character design feels derivative, reminiscent of earlier games without offering significant growth or uniqueness.

    • “The character development feels shallow and uninspired, lacking the depth and growth that I expected.”
    • “I found the characters to be one-dimensional, making it hard to connect with their stories or motivations.”
    • “The lack of meaningful choices in character progression left me feeling disengaged from the overall experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

65% average critic score

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