Custom Mech Wars takes place in a futuristic dystopia where mega corporations rule the world, and machines have evolved to a point where they can do most of the bidding for humans. The game sees you taking on the role of a pilot in the Four-Seven Squadron’s G-Mech unit as they investigate a case of fellow mechs suddenly going rogue. It’s a very basic plot that is woefully predictable for a mech game, and the bland writing and dialogue doesn’t help in alleviating those concerns either. 

"It’s a very basic plot that is woefully predictable for a mech game, and the bland writing and dialogue don’t help in alleviating those concerns either. "

The game also has an annoying habit of bombarding you with tons and tons of dialogues in between gameplay sequences, you have to take your gaze away from the action to read the subtitles and understand what’s really going on. All in all, it’s a mostly disappointing story that never really manages to impress the player in any meaningful way – so I mostly skipped through those segments to focus on the action. 

Coming to the gameplay side of things, Custom Mech Wars is all about piloting a mech of your choice and duking it out against a host of enemies in large open environments. Much like its obvious inspirations, you can deck out your mech with different kinds of weapons and armaments – and use mobility options such as boosts and dashes to quickly cover large distances and evade enemy fire. It works decently well, but there is some element of jank to the movement and I felt that it was never quite as precise as it should be. I was constantly getting stuck on geometry and missing my maneuvers even after spending quite some time learning the controls, which made the gameplay feel pretty frustrating and unenjoyable at times. 

This issue of imprecise controls and inherent jank is also present within the combat, where I was constantly relying on auto-lock on weapons to minimize the time spent lining up shots and rapidly firing on targets. You can also zoom in to your weapon to create some fine adjustments to the aim, but those options end up feeling worthless when the core aiming lacks the finesse and adjustments that are required to make it work in a fast-paced shooter. 

"This issue of imprecise controls and inherent jank is also present within the combat, where I was constantly relying on auto-lock on weapons to minimize the time spent lining up shots and rapidly firing on targets. "

Custom Mech Wars pits you against waves of enemies that come in dozens, and it can feel really satisfying at first to maul down entire squadrons of enemies without getting hit in the process. But that power fantasy eventually evolves into frustration and boredom, when you realize that it’s not you who is super good at the time – but it’s the AI that just doesn’t have the capability to stand up to you. 

Enemies will take forever to shoot you, but you can easily dodge streams of bullets and missiles by just constantly staying on the move. The game does feature a bevy of different enemy types ranging from air drones that need to be shot down to larger enemies that take quite a lot of beating to trucks that charge and destroy pieces of cover in an instant. There were instances where I felt like the choice of different enemy types was making things interesting, but those moments were spread so far away that they weren’t really enough to redeem this game for me. All in all, the missions are extremely repetitive – and there isn’t motivation to keep going since the story isn’t all too interesting as well. 

But the silver lining to it all is that you have a good amount of options when it comes to building out your mech depending on your choices. Completing missions net you resources and parts that can be used to create deadly mechs that are tailored according to your requirements and aesthetic choices. You can deck out your mechs with individual parts like chest, arms, and legs – and different variants of these body parts offer different advantages along with disadvantages. You also have the freedom to join these pieces of armor in any way you wish, which enables you to achieve just the look that you desire. 

There’s undoubtedly some fun to be had in messing around with these systems, but the issue circles back to the gameplay which is pretty monotonous. You don’t really need to keep upgrading your mechs to take on new enemies, since you could easily keep spamming bullets and get through fights just about as easily as you would if you continue to keep upgrading mechs after each and every fight. 

Switching gears over to the presentation, Custom Mech Wars doesn’t really try to present its world with adequate attention to detail. Publisher D3’s games like Earth Defense Force have never been lookers from a visual perspective, but the environments therein have some element of personality that manages to peep through the mediocre levels of fidelity. But that’s not the case with Custom Mech Wars where we get to see low-poly textures and environmental assets that come together to create an underwhelming visual presentation. 

"Custom Mech Wars definitely needed a lot more time in the oven, but as it stands now it’s a game that falls utterly flat in comparison to its competitors."

Custom Mech Wars also gives players the ability to take on missions with friends through a co-op mode.  It’s possible that some of the annoyances might be mitigated by playing with friends, but that’s not going to be all that effective considering the bevy of design problems that have been outlined in this review.

In conclusion, Custom Mech Wars is a game that has a couple of great ideas under its familiar framework of an action mech fighting adventure, but those merits are buried deep within a plethora of serious problems including but not limited to repetitive mission designs, boring story, and unappealing visual presentation. Custom Mech Wars definitely needed a lot more time in the oven, but as it stands now it’s a game that falls utterly flat in comparison to its competitors. As such, it’s better that you skip it altogether and pick out a better mech game to satisfy your cravings instead.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora

After many open world games that were released in 2023, we have another game that looks to end the year on a high note with Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. Developed by Massive of The Division fame, it sees players traversing the new Western Frontier and meeting the different tribes. Of course, the RDA remains a threat, and thus, the player must fight back.

As a first-person game, players can use firearms and bows to take out enemies. There are other things to immerse players in the experience, from free-running through environments and checking landmarks to finding specific objectives to a mini-game for plucking fruit. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora launches on December 7th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC, and should be a strong end to a year of blockbusters.

Batman: Arkham Trilogy (Switch)

One of the most acclaimed superhero games of all time and one of the best video game trilogies is finally coming to Nintendo Switch in Batman: Arkham Trilogy. It’s out on December 1st and includes Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City and Batman: Arkham Knight with all their skins, Challenge Packs and story DLC. Altogether, it requires 53 GB of space on the Nintendo Switch, with the physical version requiring a download of the second and third games. How performance pans out remains to be seen, but Batman: Arkham Trilogy warrants a look for newcomers on the Switch.

SteamWorld Build

Image and Forms’ SteamWorld series returns with SteamWorld Build, which launches on December 1st for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch. Unlike previous entries, this is a city-builder with elements of Dungeon Keeper thrown in. As part of a group of robot settlers, you build up a town, aiming to excavate Old Tech from the mine to find a way off the dying world.

It’s your job to hire Workers, expand the town, rebuild the train station and mine, bring in Engineers, manage resources and expenses, and much more on the surface. Meanwhile, you mine different resources below, fight off dangerous creatures (including giant worms with an appetite for robots) and explore relatively unknown paths while delving deeper.

The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria (PS5)

Despite its flaws, The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is an interesting take on Tolkien’s world and launches on December 5th for PS5. Set in the Fourth Age, players create their custom Dwarf and venture to Moria to reclaim it. One doesn’t simply walk in, even with the word “friend”, so you must navigate its once-grand halls, desolate caves and abandoned quarters filled with Orcs, Goblins and other nasties.

As a survival sandbox adventure, gathering materials and crafting new weapons and armor is necessary, especially when encountering powerful bosses like the Watcher in the Water. There’s plenty of mining, though staving off the darkness, eating and establishing bases throughout is also important.

Baldur’s Gate 3 (Xbox Series X/S)

Probably the biggest release of the month already available on other platforms, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a headliner for Game of the Year. The game features an intriguing journey with multiple quests, unique consequences and an incredibly reactive world, including the titular city itself.

With hundreds of different ways to play, a typical playthrough can take about 75 to 100 hours, depending on the player. The Xbox Series X/S version is out next month, with the developer to announce a proper launch date at The Game Awards on December 7th. Local split-screen won’t be available for Xbox Series S at launch, but it’s still in the works.

Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance

As a “gritty” real-time strategy game, Slitherine’s Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance focuses on future wars between humans and Legion in the Dark Fate timeline. As the Founders’ commander, you must fight back against the deadly machines, battling across maps and recruiting allies to your cause.

Between different tactics, unit training, vehicles, weapons and more, you can also make decisions that influence a faction’s behavior towards you. If that weren’t enough, physics-based destruction allows for even more mayhem, while Skirmish and Multiplayer allow for playing as the Resistance and Legion. Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance launches on December 7th for PC.

The Day Before

After delays, a shift to Unreal Engine 5, even more delays, a trademark dispute, and – you guessed it – delays, Fntastic’s The Day Before is finally launching on December 7th for PC…via Steam Early Access. Players can explore New Fortune City and its surrounding areas, purchase and customize weapons, scavenge resources and fulfill requests for Woodberry Survivor Colony’s residents.

There’s an extraction shooter vibe, especially since you can encounter other players while battling against hordes of zombies. We won’t believe it until it’s in our hands, but The Day Before has our attention. Time will tell if the gameplay can keep us hooked until more updates roll out.

Custom Mech Wars

Craving mech combat action, especially after clearing Armored Core 6 three times? Need something to fill the void? D3 Publisher’s Custom Mech Wars probably isn’t the answer, but it looks like a fun time. Launching on December 14th for PS5 and PC, you can customize whatever mech you want. It can result in hilarious combinations, from tanks with legs to oversized arms and much more with no restrictions. A story mode with support for up to four players is available, promising a “variety” of missions.

Pioneers of Pagonia

Between SteamWorld Build and Against the Storm, it’s a month of city-builders, and Pioneers of Pagonia is yet another to add to the list. It’s set in a world of numerous islands, as you build a settlement, make alliances and explore the world (with maps procedurally generated). Of course, you’ll need to deal with bandits, wild creatures and more while helping fellow tribes. Launching in Steam Early Access for PC on December 13th, there are over 40 buildings and 70 goods to manage, along with a map creator and difficulty options.

Trinity Fusion

Currently available in Steam Early Access, Trinity Fusion is a rogue-lite action platformer where players control their parallel selves on a mission to save the multiverse. Levels are procedurally generated, with “hundreds” of custom rooms, though some hand-crafted areas and challenges are also in play.

There are three different parallel versions, each with unique abilities, and their worlds offer different biomes to explore, from caverns and labs to cities in the sky. Overall, the visuals look good and the gameplay smooth – we’ll see how the final version fares when it launches on December 15th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC.