GUNDAM EVOLUTION

Gundam Evolution might have shamelessly lifted some of its presentation and mechanics from other games (and I think it did), but it’s still a great game at the end of the day.

67%Game Brain Score

gameplay, graphics

monetization, story

59% User Score Based on 15,343 reviews

Critic Score 77%Based on 7 reviews

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About

GUNDAM EVOLUTION is a single player and multiplayer shooter game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by BANDAI NAMCO Online Inc. and was released on September 19, 2022. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and neutral reviews from players.

This game is a first-person, team-based shooter with 6v6 combat and three objective-based game modes: Point Capture, Domination and Destruction.

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59%

Audience ScoreBased on 15,343 reviews

gameplay812 positive mentions

monetization349 negative mentions

Gameplay is fast-paced, fluid, and highly enjoyable with unique mechanics and satisfying combat that offers varied playstyles and skill expression.
The graphics and design capture the Gundam aesthetic well, featuring detailed mecha models and an engaging anime-inspired atmosphere.
Sound design and atmosphere provide strong immersion with iconic anime sounds and an energetic soundtrack, enhancing the overall experience.

The game suffers from aggressive and predatory monetization, heavy grinding, and locked content behind paywalls, which frustrate players and hinder progression.
Frequent technical issues including bugs, crashes, disconnects, poor optimization, and server instability significantly detract from gameplay enjoyment.
Lack of story mode, limited game modes, small unlocked roster, poor balancing, and bland character development result in reduced replayability and diminished player engagement.

gameplay
1,747 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
49%
5%
The gameplay of Gundam Evolution is widely praised for being fast-paced, fluid, and highly enjoyable, offering unique mechanics like universal dashing, thrust boosts, and distinct mobile suit abilities that provide varied playstyles and skill expression. Many reviewers find it more engaging and mechanically superior to similar hero shooters like Overwatch, with tight gunplay and satisfying combat. However, issues such as balancing problems, slow progression, and technical bugs somewhat mar the overall experience, though the core gameplay itself remains a significant highlight.
- “The gunplay & gameplay is incredibly good fun, and the unique abilities of each Gundam gave you a large variety of playstyles.”
- “The gameplay was so solid and smooth, it was really satisfying to glide around.”
- “The gameplay itself is fun, with unique characters that have unique abilities on interesting maps.”
- “But once you learn the mechanics, you realise, we have dodge, hover, sprint and a slow passive heal on every single class.”
- “The gameplay is so solid, i don't even main a mobile suit because each one has its own play style and they are all good to play.”
- “The moment to moment gameplay feels fine.”
monetization
1,043 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
59%
33%
The game's monetization is widely criticized as overly aggressive, predatory, and poorly balanced, with many key units and content locked behind costly paywalls or arduous grind systems inaccessible to free-to-play players. This heavy focus on microtransactions, loot boxes, and battle passes, combined with slow progression and scarce in-game currency rewards, has alienated the player base and overshadowed the otherwise fun gameplay experience. Ultimately, the excessive monetization practices are seen as a major factor in the game's decline and early shutdown.
- “Never felt compelled to spend money, the microtransactions were overhated and strictly cosmetic.”
- “The game feels really good to me, there is monetization but the game is free so I don't see any issue with that, the premium battle pass gave me enough currency to get the next one for free and only cost me $10.”
- “While the game is fun to play, it is hampered by the weak monetization and progression offering.”
- “The monetization system is one of the most egregious I have ever seen in any free-to-play game.”
- “The predatory microtransactions are bad to begin with, but the 120-day expiration date on premium currency takes it to a new level of awful.”
- “This game really feels like a cash grab; the monetization is ridiculous, locking many strong units behind a paywall and making free progression tedious and punishing.”
story
378 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
92%
6%
The game lacks any traditional story or campaign mode, focusing solely on multiplayer battles with no narrative context or character development, which disappoints fans expecting Gundam lore integration. Progression is heavily time-gated and tied to limited missions and a battle pass, with in-game currency for unlocking units scarce and mostly restricted to daily/weekly challenges that often require using specific, sometimes locked, suits—creating a grind-heavy, pay-to-win perception. Overall, the absence of story content and restrictive grind mechanics diminish player engagement and fail to leverage Gundam’s rich narrative potential.
- “Gundam has a lot of potential as a video game adaptation; you take this gameplay, throw it into a PvE or story-based game, I think you would have a pretty great product.”
- “If it had a story or campaign it would be a good game; as it is at the moment, this kind of game isn't my style, there are too many battle royal style games already.”
- “It's a slap in the face to the rich lore and intricate storytelling that Gundam is known for.”
- “There is no story beyond Gundam fight Gundam, no reason or explanation for why these mechs are here and what they are fighting for.”
- “Since there's no characters, no story, no background for anything, you're just given all these robots devoid of any emotional connection and told to shoot each other.”
- “Same story here.”
graphics
312 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
55%
13%
The graphics in Gundam Evolution are generally considered decent with detailed mecha models and faithful anime-inspired aesthetics, but they often lack polish, modern visual effects, and variety in maps. Performance optimization is reported as poor, with high hardware demands despite relatively basic visuals, causing issues like frame drops and graphical glitches. While some praise the game's clean and faithful design, many find the graphics outdated or mediocre compared to current standards, though they are sufficient to support enjoyable, fast-paced gameplay.
- “Graphics, aesthetics, animations and camerawork are so darn beautiful, it's honestly what I could hope for from a 3D re-imagining of Gundam.”
- “The graphics and level design are spot-on, making Gundam Evolution a pleasurable experience for both new and longtime fans of the series.”
- “The graphics are impressive, with detailed character models and vivid environments that capture the look and feel of the Gundam universe.”
- “This game's hardware requirements are high without a clear reason; the graphics look simple, lacking advanced lighting, detail, or effects to justify the demand.”
- “Besides, no matter how much you increase the resolution and graphics settings, the game still looks blurry and unattractive.”
- “The graphics are also dated by about 15 years, not that graphics should be the deciding factor for a game.”
optimization
230 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
52%
31%
The game suffers from widespread poor optimization, including frequent frame drops, crashes, stuttering, and long loading times even on high-end PCs, with an FPS cap at 120 that often can't be reached. Server and network issues further exacerbate the experience, and performance inconsistencies significantly impact gameplay, leading to frustration among players. Despite some pockets of decent optimization, especially on certain setups, overall technical performance is a major detractor that hinders enjoyment and competitiveness.
- “First and foremost, the gameplay was really solid: featuring an enormous roster of playable mobile suits alongside fairly deep parts customization and a near-perfect performance curve.”
- “Overall the game feels very crisp and fluid, feels very well optimized as it should for this type of game.”
- “However, I will give this game a thumbs up just because of how optimized this game is, I never lag and I've only crashed once so far.”
- “Bandai barely supported the studio making the port of GBO2, leading to a near 2-year postponed release for a still poorly optimized launch with updates far behind the PlayStation version, and then they released a poorly optimized e-sports hero shooter clone of a game that no longer has an e-sports league.”
- “The game at the foundation has flaws such as awful optimization, poor matchmaking, obtuse balancing changes, and a horribly slow progression system that makes acquiring new mobile suits an egregious chore, resulting in too little and too slow fresh fun.”
- “Bandai needs to get off their asses and fix the performance issues with this game; the progression system is terrible and units are locked behind paywalls, with the free way to unlock them being stupidly hard to achieve in a timely manner.”
grinding
201 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
2%
97%
Grinding in the game is widely criticized for being excessively time-consuming and tedious, with many key mobile suits locked behind either lengthy grinding or expensive paywalls. The in-game currency is scarce and primarily earned through slow, repetitive battle pass and daily missions, making free-to-play progression frustrating and unrewarding. While some players find casual grinding manageable and enjoy the gameplay, the overall grind and monetization model are seen as major barriers that diminish fun and drive away many users.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The most problematic units need to be nerfed to make the game actually fun and less tedious when dealing with Barbatos or Exia, as they hold up gameplay and ruin the fun experience of the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise.”
- “Players rarely focus on objectives, so a team deathmatch mode would help separate those who want to just shoot from players who are grinding in objective-based modes.”
- “The groundwork for what would've been a fun game requires extremely heavy grinding or throwing your money at them to even get new suits.”
- “Units are locked behind ridiculously tedious grinds or a paywall; the loot boxes are expensive despite most skins basically just being recolors, rewards for the battle pass aren't that great, and multiple slow-to-grind currencies each only usable on specific items.”
- “Having mobile suits locked behind an impossible grind (not even sure it's possible to unlock all without paying, capital grinding is just that bad) defeats the point of a hero shooter.”
stability
152 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
97%
The game is widely reported as buggy and unstable, with frequent crashes, freezes, disconnects, and glitches impacting gameplay and progression. Server issues and poor optimization further exacerbate these problems, often resulting in unfair penalties for players. While some find the core gameplay enjoyable, the overall stability severely hinders the experience and requires significant improvement.
- “Almost no complaints though, feels smooth as hell and runs great!”
- “Runs great at max settings, 1440p, on a 1080ti.”
- “Game runs great, is fun!”
- “Constant disconnects, non-existent progression, and weird buggy mechanics.”
- “As much as I enjoy this game I cannot give it a good review. Chief among the issues is optimization: the game frequently freezes and boots me back to the title screen, locking me out of playing until the match ends. I am punished for issues I didn't cause. Also, the horrible balancing means some mobile suits can sweep a team with very little skill.”
- “The game freezes, then disconnects, then crashes.”
humor
113 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
97%
3%
The humor in the game is often described as unintentional and arises mostly from bugs, poor chat censorship, and game design quirks, leading to ironic or chaotic situations. Players find the broken mechanics, censorship, overpowered characters, and monetization issues amusing in a "so bad it's funny" way, contributing to a quirky but flawed experience. Overall, the humor stems less from deliberate comedic content and more from the game's numerous technical and balance shortcomings.
- “I think the game really is trying to be as fun as Overwatch in its old days. It doesn't yet feel like some character is too OP or something is broken. You can play anything you want and still have fun. Sometimes even losing feels good because the battle becomes so hectic and chaotic it feels like you are in a real anime, and the constant pilot chatter about objectives and situations is really funny.”
- “The censorship is comically bad in chat, but honestly it can be extremely funny just typing in weird out-of-context stuff like 'I'm feeling it now, Mr. Krabs' and for some godforsaken reason the 'kr' gets censored. It's honestly funny as hell just seeing people type abhorrent stuff to see how the censor will mess it up.”
- “At launch, just about every word was censored for basically no reason, so matches would devolve into people on both teams laughing together about how even words like 'censored' were censored.”
- “Unfunny monetization.”
- “Game should be fixed. Forced closures, hangs, and disconnects occur frequently. I have a stable fiber solo user 100 Mbps internet connection, PC Ryzen v16GB RAM, VC 8GB RX 570, and I am on the Asia server. Hope you take some action because it's not funny to get disconnected so many times every whole day, sometimes every 2 games, and now I encounter super unbalanced teaming!”
- “Greedy, and so bad it's not funny.”
music
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
64%
12%
The music in the game receives mixed reactions: some players praise the energetic and enjoyable soundtrack, especially the menu and combat tracks, while many express disappointment over the lack of iconic Gundam themes and character voices. The soundtrack is often described as generic sci-fi shooter music that misses the rich legacy of Gundam's classic scores. Fans yearn for more authentic and recognizable Gundam music, with hopes for future inclusion of series OSTs to enhance the game's atmosphere.
- “The soundtrack is phenomenal, the sound design is iconic and recognizable.”
- “The soundtrack absolutely slaps and it gets super satisfying.”
- “The sound effects in this game are so good for a Gundam fan such as myself, and I have no qualms about the music either; especially that intro movie song, that song pumps me up!”
- “The music is generic, which is a big bummer considering Gundam is somewhat known for its music.”
- “The music is also dull, lifeless, uninspired and takes nothing from the source material, another terrible shame since Gundam music is so good.”
- “There is an extreme lack of music and Gundam IP features such as iconic sounds and visuals in-game, something Gundam of all IPs has one hell of a legacy library to pull from; this IP is almost 45 years old.”
emotional
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express deep emotional investment in the game, often feeling nostalgic and connected to the Gundam legacy, with some describing the experience as heartwarming and personally rewarding. However, many are also heartbroken by the game's shortcomings, monetization issues, and eventual shutdown, which left a lasting sense of loss and frustration despite moments of positive social interaction and gameplay enjoyment.
- “I grew up on Gundam and this game made me feel like the Gundam pilot I always dreamed of being.”
- “But evolution made me feel like my playstyle, my choices, my mobile suits matter in the matchup, even if my choices are poor.”
- “I genuinely felt so emotional over the fact that the intro animation, that everyone skips, is customized by the user.”
replayability
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
Replayability is currently limited by a lack of game modes and a small roster of unlocked units, requiring significant grinding or purchases to access more content. The game demands coordinated team play for a satisfying experience and is not well-suited for casual players, with matchmaking and stability issues further impacting playability. Fans appreciate the core gameplay and character balance but recommend waiting for additional content, rebalancing, and improved matchmaking before investing significant time.
- “Most characters are balanced or are playable in their respective situations.”
- “Honestly, I think that the game could be very good later on down the line after more playable units are added, and a new game mode is added, maybe a 3 point capture map where each team has to split up into smaller groups to try holding multiple points but teammates can gank other lanes.”
- “The main downside in my opinion is that you really have to either grind or buy half of the Gundams that are playable but not unlocked when you start the game.”
- “The game has a great start as far as core gameplay, but I cannot recommend it to anyone in its current state until it gets a serious rebalance and new maps to add replayability.”
- “Between this and other random disconnect issues I've decided to just uninstall this game until it's released in a more playable state.”
character development
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
Character development in the game receives mixed feedback, with many users criticizing bland, shallow, and poorly balanced character designs that lack distinct personality and synergy with gameplay. However, some praise the unique and balanced kits that offer enjoyable playstyles despite visual and thematic shortcomings. Overall, character design and development are seen as lacking coherence and enthusiasm from the production team.
- “Overwatch, or even Paladins, got as big as they did because their aesthetic, sound design, and character designs stand out; you hear specific voice lines or you see a silhouette in the distance and you know what character you're up against and what it is they're doing so you can react.”
- “The character design is awesome too, not so much like the actual look of the mechs I think Gundam has that in spades, I just think the kits are all really well-balanced and fun, you can find your character pretty easily because there's at least one part of their kit you especially like!”
- “Tldr: fun gameplay and character designs.”
- “The gameplay and character design is fairly shallow.”
- “Bland character designs with no personality.”
- “This game is terribly balanced and does not feel like the character designers and the level designers talked to each other at all.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is praised for its authentic anime-inspired sounds that deeply immerse players, combined with fast-paced action that heightens excitement during team fights. Overall, the world feels engaging and uniquely captivating.
- “The sounds straight from the legendary anime foster an atmosphere that's easy to let define your experience, and shockingly quick movement creates a blistering pace for team fights; it's a lot to love at first blush.”
- “This world and atmosphere is just more interesting to me.”