I haven't played many SRPGs... When I was a kid I managed to do the worst possible run of FE7 anyone has ever seen. I got stuck on chapter 18 or something and was forever saddened that I had wasted hours dedicated to an unsalvageable run. Ever since then I've shuttered at the idea of playing SRPGs with railroading progression. History has changed though, as I have finally done what I have been scared to do my entire life and finished a playthrough of an SPRG.

The story is nothing special, but it's executed very well. It's an RPG war plot where you have to build a team to go fight the evil empire. Nothing crazy there of course, although the characters were definitely the driving force for me to care about it. They're tropey, but it's satisfying to see their developments play out. They feel like they're all great friends too; kind of gave me some Lunar vibes as far as that goes. Working Designs did good with the localization this time too. I think they added more life into a would-be dull story. Their signature "humor" is present here while they still know how to have their serious moments in the story too. They got a few laughs out of me this time around, but it was equally paired with some cringey moments as well. I have Working Designs Stockholm syndrome though, so I'm biased. There's also different story routes you can take with exclusive characters, maps, and so on. I eventually want to go back for a replay to see the other content since it seems interesting.

The gameplay is different from the SRPGs I've played. You characters pilot "All Terrain Armored Combatants" also known as "Mechs!" Upon entering battles it loads in a new environment as you watch the 3D mech battles play out. They look cool, however I usually like turning this stuff off as I have difficulty remembering my strategies when I have to pause and watch what are essentially cutscenes in-between my movements. One of the most notable things to me at least is that there's very limited ways to heal your team, so you'll have to minimize taking damage in any way you can. I know that's like a "no shit" for video games, but.. yeah. The way you do this is by flanking the enemy from behind so they're not able to counter-attack you and so you do more damage. You're also able to pick a direction upon moving so you can hopefully prevent getting flanked yourself. I was happy to find out upon playing that this game does not have perma-death. If a unit dies they'll just be out of the game until the next chapter. There's no way to bring them back in the current battle, but at least I didn't have to reset constantly when I got RNG fucked a few times. When leveling up you're also able to distribute a few stats to your character. This is a cool layer of customizability since you can dump a bunch of points into a stat that a character is currently struggling with. There's also special moves characters can learn when they reach enough points in certain stats. I wish that was touched on better since I had no idea when I was playing, so just keep that in mind I guess... or don't. There's a bunch of nuances to the combat but I'll let y'all figure out the rest for yourselves. It's fun stuff.

When I was forced to manage EXP better, it did make the experience very engaging. I basically completed the game in a day since I was having so much fun with it. I don't think this game is very beginner friendly though. I was definitely getting my ass beat at the end and thought I wouldn't even be able to finish it. Luckily, from some God-given miracle, I was able to pull through. Vanguard Bandits is definitely worth giving a go despite the challenge. I might just be ass at video games, but even so... put on your thinking cap when you're playing this one.

A massive SRPG where instead of fantasy soldiers you have...Knight Mechs. Fairly entertaining with three completely different storylines, going from one where you can lead a real rebellion and have a huge selection of mechs fighting others, to a smaller group that has some dating sim elements...?

Probably my favorite Working Designs game. Not sure how well it'd hold up nowadays without any ability to quickly speed up battles though.

The MC really needed pants though. I have no idea why some games think a protagonist with shorts was acceptable.

The gameplay of this one just didn't click with me. The AI is terrible, and the go to tactic seems to be exploiting said AI for all it's worth (like skipping enemy unit turns, kiting them from range).
I don't mind choosing your own stats while leveling up (SMT games do that as well), but why are a lot of abilities tied to having specific stats? The game doesn't tell you much about it, so without a guide i was already screwed.

The story is just your average run of the mill empire vs kingdom setting, with a general budget mech anime plot with all the corresponding tropes, and over the top villains. The humor is in it''s own time bubble, but really good regardless. If you don't expect anything deep and want to have fun, it's an enjoyable ride.

There is a support system, but your teammates utter but a single sentence when you talk to him before a mission, and it's not easy to see what the moral of your forces exactly is. Feels a bit tacked on, and it's only useful to prevent a single bad ending.

I give the game credits for having 3 routes (although one of them is completely ridiculous), and even an alternate opening cinematic. The battles are actually decently animated for being 3d in 1998, and there are those fancy looking text balloons while fighting. A lot of lazy animation in the in between scenes (no sprite ever moves a muscle in the talking scenes).

I'm sure it can be a great hidden gem SPRG, but like i said the combat didn't click with me, and that's important in a game like this.

(terminei só a rota "principal")

ritmo ótimo, boa proporção entre batalhas e cutscenes, vibes inexplicáveis

perfeito para jogar num emulador portátil, a duração de cada capítulo é muito boa para sessões de curta duração