SD Gundam: Battle Alliance Reviews
SD Gundam Battle Alliance is primarily a game for those that are familiar with the IP. Focused around replayability, it makes the player build an admittedly interesting cast of characters. Sadly, it stumbles and falls with repetitive gameplay, strange design choices and overly long, intrusive dialogue. The goal of the game is admirable, but it almost sets itself up to fail. Bringing together things from such a storied franchise is no easy feat. It’s a fairly decent introduction, with lots of history and some context to dive into. At the very least it has piqued my interest regarding Gundam. I wouldn’t say I had fun playing though it, with there just being too many flaws overall. It is a love letter to the wider franchise but not one addressed to this reviewer. Unless you are a hardcore Gundan fan, or want a rough and ready introduction to it, I would probably give this a miss. Overall, I give SD Gundam Battle Alliance a Thumb Culture Bronze Award.
With eternally stagnant, overly repetitive combat with subpar lock-on to boring, tiny levels, SD Gundam Battle Alliance is a substantial step down from the quality of Artdink's PSP classics.
What could've been a bridge between the veterans and the newcomers to Gundam instead becomes a product that will cast aside anyone looking for a crash course. The veterans should find more than their money's worth, though.
Earlier in this review, I mentioned Ramba Ral and his suit, the Gouf. If you understood the reference, then SD Gundam Battle Alliance was made for you.
Ultimately, SD Gundam Battle Alliance feels like the sort of game that will appeal to those who haven't picked up a Gundam game in a few years, but it's not going to move the needle for anyone else. Standard and unexciting combat is combined with some strange meta-narrative decisions that make this feel like a cute spin on some of the series' most iconic moments. The RPG elements of the game are also very limited, which means arcade-style fighters like Gundam Extreme Versus Maxiboost ON offers more exciting action. SD Gundam Battle Alliance is solid and will definitely be a hit with dedicated Gundam fans, but it's definitely not a reason to dive into the property for those who haven't done so before.
That being said SD Gundam Battle Alliance is certainly one for the fans and a good excuse to witness those iconic moments the franchise is famous for.
SD Gundam Battle Alliance has me at odds because there’s a lot of things I like about it and a lot of things I don’t, both as a Gundam fan and just a general player. The mobile suits and pilots are fun to collect and explore. The story and missions are also fairly well-done and I like the look of the super deformed versions of a lot of my favorite mobile suits from across the series. My big miff is that the difficulty spike between series of missions makes repeatedly playing the same scenarios to level up your pilots and mobile suits a near-mandatory chore. I also just don’t think it makes good use of the SD spinoff formula. Mix in some annoying inconveniences in camera and other gameplay design and while SD Gundam Battle Alliance may be fun at first, the luster will likely fade for many after a few hours.
SD Gundam Battle Alliance gives fans a smorgasbord of Gundam content while providing newcomers a great point to begin experiencing the franchise
SD Gundam Battle Alliance is a competent action RPG that's chock-full of content aimed at hearty Gundam fans, and they are certain to enjoy what's on offer, with the game's immense amount of fan service, fun and simple combat, and enormous amount of robots to discover, a marvelous celebration of the Gundam series. Taking a few steps away from the fandom, the somewhat repetitive missions and a plot that doesn't fascinate become more visible, but with this being an effort obviously targeted at Gundam fans it's fair to say they will enjoy the work that went into Battle Alliance the most.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
...Despite the grinding, there’s enough content to go over for in a single campaign playthrough with a season pass (sold separately, of course) of content that will come later. I liked the story and its original characters, even if I can’t say I enjoy the presentation of prior Gundam events very much. If you’re an Xbox and a Gundam fan, buying this game is a no-brainer.
SD Gundam Battle Alliance is surprisingly well done. The action gameplay and narrative are not game-of-the-year-tier, but it's at least an above average title that will satisfy the Gundam fanbase.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
SD Gundam Battle Alliance is yet another product that suffers from the stigma of anime-based games, as it has elements that will be better used and valued by those who enjoy the original product. Despite the great quality with many elements to please the fans, the repetitiveness and lack of inspiration in the progression does not contribute to attract the interest of more players, even those who don't even know what a Mobile Suit is.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
A fun and cute beat-em-up for Gundam fans looking for co-op fun.
SD Gundam Battle Alliance is a somewhat repetitive but flashy and fanservice-filled hack-and-slash that is essentially an action-packed love letter to the Gundam franchise. The variety of units and attention to detail is impressive, to say the least, meaning Gundam fans will likely find this one to be worthwhile.
SD Gundam Battle Alliance is primarily a game that Gundam fans will definitely love. Not big fans, on the other hand, may get bored with the game in a short time due to the repetitive gameplay and the need to grind.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
SD Gundam Battle Alliance is an interesting proposal. It is one of those games that can entertain you for dozens of hours. The problem is that, in order to achieve that, you need to have certain niche tastes. The point is that you can enjoy SD Gundam Battle Alliance without being a fan of Gundam or actions RPGS; however, it seems to me that its true appeal can only be appreciated by those who are.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Artdink's first Gundam game in a decade is surprisingly a challenge as a purely solo experience, and playing with others may make this action RPG shine despite its handful of flaws.
The outstanding MS Gundam franchise is back with a very peculiar aesthetic and a story that fans of the saga will love. Unfortunately, it is too simple to play and a tad repetitive.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A game clearly developed for fans, entertaining despite its repetitiveness.
Review in Italian | Read full review
SD Gundam Battle Alliance ensures combo-centric, spectacular battle by adding the variety of close-up actions. But, the timeframe for 'just guard' or avoidance maneuver is too short to use them well. You will be able to experience close-combat action little by little after the second half of the game, when your level slowly rises from the repetitive gameplay.
Review in Korean | Read full review