Gundam Evolution (2022)

Gundam Evolution is a fun and fast-paced hero shooter that, while not wholly unique, accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do: offer an authentic, competitive Gundam experience for fans of modern shooters. Satisfying gunplay and engaging classes make playing this game worthwhile, regardless of the lengthy grind and somewhat lifeless maps.

Gundam Evolution might have shamelessly lifted some of its presentation and mechanics from other games (and I think it did), but it's still a great game at the end of the day.

As a massive fan of the Gundam franchise, Gundam Evolution is off to a fantastic start. Each of the initial batch of mobile suits all fill different roles on the battlefield; and none of felt like it didn’t have a sufficient counter to it. Sadly, some of the best counter picks are locked behind the pay wall, but players can grind out the currency if they want to save some money. I do wish the grind to unlock new suits and the in game currency wasn’t so slow, and the game is in desperate need of some new maps but even with those issues surprisingly the best Gundam game out right now is the free to play Gundam Evolution, and while I am waiting on the console version to REALLY dig in. Those who play on PC should absolutely check it out, especially if you are a fan of games like Overwatch or Paladins.

Gundam Evolution takes a classic concept and repurposes it into a hero shooter that also hits all the right marks. Fans will be battling each other with their favorite mobile suit in a familiar setup. It has some shortcomings but they are ones that can be resolved over time.

I really like the overall style of Gundam Evolution. The maps are neat and the mobile suits are a decent starting lineup, even if I don’t like some of the omissions from throughout the franchise in both the roster and cosmetic options. There’s also the fact that some of these mobile suits just feel straight-up overpowered compared to certain other niche options in team comp. That said, as a live-service free-to-play game, I’ve never had an issue finding a match in Gundam Evolution and it looks like the groundwork is here for some good improvements, additions, and balancing over time.