Super Robot Wars Y is for mecha anime sickos.

The tactical RPG franchise Super Robot Wars is back with Super Robot Wars Y, once again offering mecha anime fans a mish-mash of various characters from their favourite anime in a singular, very campy story campaign. We’re talking franchises like Gundam, Godzilla, and Code Geass, all sharing the same space without the licensing issues that have kept this franchise stuck in Japan for decades. 

Super Robot Wars Y may not make huge improvements on the series’ dated gameplay, but its crossover appeal is undeniable.

What's the story of Super Robot Wars Y?

It might be difficult to understand Super Robot Wars Y's main story, mostly because it's overly stuffed with tie-ins and detours.

Super Robot Wars Y is made for people who truly, deeply, and adoringly love mecha anime. Each installment of this franchise feels akin to a Super Smash Bros. title, pulling together crossover titles from franchises new and old as a celebration of the mecha anime genre. Admittedly, I’m only familiar with a few of the titles featured in Super Robot Wars Y, so to say that this story left me bewildered at almost every turn would be an understatement. 

You’re given the choice to play as one of two siblings at the beginning of the story, before a massive exposition dump introduces you to Super Robot Wars Y’s world. There’s a lot going on here, to say the least. Multiple city-states are in conflict using mechas as their weapons of war, multiple kaijus from various licensed franchises are showing up to wreak havoc, and at the centre of it all are familiar anime protagonists getting dropped into the thick of it. 

It’s borderline incomprehensible stuff, largely because the plot feels like the work of someone gleefully mashing their childhood toys together. There is no graceful way to have Gundam and Kamen Rider characters fight Godzilla, but watching the game try to weave all of these characters together in what comes across as high-concept fan fiction is almost endearing.

Super Robot Wars Y players can upgrade their units in between battles.

A robust passion for the mecha genre is required for enjoyment of this story, and there’s no two ways about it. If the game had included some of the more iconic mecha franchises, that’d be one thing–but I see mostly newer and arguably deeper cuts here. For example, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury is a newer property and a personal favourite of mine, but most Gundam fans are likely to yearn for more classic representation. 

And yes, Godzilla is here–but not Toho’s Godzilla, nor even the MonsterVerse’s Godzilla. Instead, we get Netflix’s Godzilla from Godzilla: Singular Point, a one-and-done series from 2021. Thus, not every fan will likely be satisfied with how their favourite franchises are depicted here. 

How does Super Robot Wars Y play?

Players can move their units around on a grid-based map during battles.

Super Robot Wars Y is a tactical strategy game, placing players in grid-based battlefields where they can move units around to prepare future attacks and take enemies down. Combat and gameplay is deceptively complex here, but the main idea is that you want to focus on positioning and defense to come out of big battles unscathed. Players get to play a turn before their enemies, but both sides have ample time and units to make big moves during their respective turns. 

When enemies approach your units, their attacks can either be countered or defended against. Each of these options have their own advantages, keeping players on their toes even outside of their own turn. Much like the main story, this game’s combat throws a lot at you in its early hours. Attacking requires knowledge of Spirit Points and range, along with positioning, and the individual strengths of your units. It can be tough to grasp at first, and borderline tedious to spend time figuring out in the early hours.

When attacking, players simply watch an animation play out between the opponents. If you have certain DLC music packs installed, these combat animations typically play out with familiar anime OPs and EDs in tow, generating hype-inducing moments to spice things up. After a while though, the animations can feel overly long and repetitive, so you might find yourself mashing the skip button to get through these sequences as quickly as possible. 

Super Robot Wars Y's battle animations provide half of its appeal.

Ultimately, Super Robot Wars Y’s gameplay isn’t quite as complex as it looks. As long as you train your units and equip them with the right weaponry, you’ll breeze through most of these story missions and sidequests. The game’s tactical gameplay is flawed and pretty dated, especially by modern standards for the genre, but it does feel surprisingly addictive, successfully bearing the weight of its often confounding campaign. 

It’s fair to say that Super Robot Wars Y will keep the franchise in a niche place, despite its enticing crossovers and absorbing battles. Its visuals appear dated, with low-res textures and barren locations forming the bulk of its levels. Its main storyline plays out as a half-hearted visual novel, and reading through pages of cheesy dialogue just isn’t as fun as participating in the game’s actual battles. I was only truly invested in its goings-on when familiar characters showed up onscreen.

Thankfully, the battle animations are a real treat to watch, and the music is great–so long as you’ve paid up for those DLC music packs. 

Verdict

Familiar characters will constantly show up in Super Robot Wars Y.

Super Robot Wars Y is a game we’d wholeheartedly recommend, with the proviso that you are as big a fan of mecha anime as this game demands you to be. So much of its novelty is tied to its licensing collabs, and watching familiar characters, mechas, and monsters show up in its battles. Thankfully, its gameplay doesn’t come up short. With highly involved turn-based battles and a substantial progression system, players will have a solid reason to keep coming back should the crossovers fall flat. 

Plus, Jet Jaguar is in it. That’s a win by itself. 

Super Robot Wars Y is now available on PC, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 5 for US$59.99. We received a copy of the game for this review.