Gundam Battle: Gunpla Warfare, and gacha in general

I love mechs. And my most favourite media franchise is Gundam. However, there really aren’t many games for the franchise out there on PC. As in, not many that I like. The bulk of them are strategy games, and the only strategy I know is “whack enemy with big stick”.

When GBGW was first announced, I was quite excited for it. A Gundam game where I get to customize my own Mobile Suit and beat up other Mobile Suits? It’s like a dream come true. I wasn’t exactly pleased to find out that it’s a mobile game, but it doesn’t bother me that much. That just means I can play it on the go.

Things start to sour for me when I found out that it is a gacha game. The game is going to have me waste a few lifetimes to get the parts I want, and they would’ve been obsolete due to power creep by then. Or I can fork out money for a better chance to get what I want. Not a guarantee, a chance.

The combat for this game is about as good as it can get on a mobile interface. The controls are not too demanding, which is good as touchscreen interfaces are about as precise as a jackhammer. There is just enough depth in the combat to not be boring when you are not just grinding. Problem is, grinding is a big part of the game, since you need to gather currency and materials.

What finally got me to delete the app was when they tweaked it so that the grind is even worse for my level. I was already annoyed during the PVP fights when the only reason I lost is because I didn’t spend enough time/money/sacrificial lambs to the game. And now with the grind getting worse, I just dropped the game.

Look, I understand that Bandai Namco needs to make money. What I am not happy about is that their monetization is nonsense. It’s like buying a box of 10 chocolates, but there is a 90% chance that the chocolate is actually dirt. I get that that is how gacha (and lootboxes) have always worked and I am just yelling into a brick wall, but it is still an absolute garbage system.

The worst part is for me is that gacha has completely ruined the customization system at its core. The game needs in incentivize players to keep getting parts to stay afloat, so that becomes a part of the game. Power creep, new tacked-on systems requiring new materials, game modes that requires you to have multiple parts and builds that you don’t even like or want at hand. I love customization, as I have stated before, and seeing one being mangled for an exploitative monetization scheme just hurts me.

Compare that with the customization system with the two new mecha games I played, Daemon X Machina and Break Arts II. The customization system there is purely for the player to create something they like and want to use. There is no incentive for the developers to try and squeeze money out of players through the customization system as I have already paid for the game. I paid them, and they gave me a wonderful system to play with. No need for them to stick me in the wringer for every cent I own.

As a working adult with a stable income, I much rather have that than the gacha model. Spare me the grind and constant pressure to spend, just let me have a good time.