Super Robot Wars 30 is the first time a licensed Super Robot Wars game has been available for purchase in the United States officially, ever. Which is almost a shame, because this is one of the more middling games.
Super Robot Wars 30 is the 64th game in the very, [i] very [/i] long running Super Robot Wars series, celebrating it's 30th anniversary. Using a free select mission system similar to Super Robot Wars Compact and it's sequels, this mecha-themed Strategy RPG will take you through the stories of many popular giant robot anime. Other than the unusual story structure, the gameplay is more or less the same as any Super Robot Wars game after V.
The story is a bit of a weak point. Having to account for players going through the missions in any given order, potentially even outright skipping some, leads to the non-key scenarios missing some of the interlock other, more convential Super Robot Wars games have. That said, fear not, it's still plenty compelling. The main shows this game uses for story missions are SSSS.Gridman, Brave Police J-Decker, Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative, Mobile Suit Victory Gundam, Mazinger Z: Infinity, Knight's & Magic, Magic Knight Rayearth, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Ressurection, Majestic Prince, and King of Kings: GaoGaiGar vs. Betterman. These run alongside this game's Original Generation characters, and minor story beats from the other shows in the base roster.
Graphically, these games are very similar to the other games in the "International Era", V, X, and T. Though, I can't help but feel that the animations generally aren't up to the level of those games, and [i] definitely [/i] aren't up to the standards of something like 2nd OG or Moon Dwellers.
Ultimately, do I recommend Super Robot Wars 30? Absolutely. Just the fact that a [i] license-based [/i] Super Robot Wars game is available to purchase on a NA storefront, no questions asked, is a dream come true for many long time SRW fans. Additionally, this game is a treat for long time fans, and a great place to start for new ones. While the DLC is nice, especially the Premium Sound Pack, it's not needed to enjoy the game. It can even end up feeling like bloat, since the DLCs add a lot of characters all together. My advice for those is to just grab the characters that interest you. At $60 you'll probably get your money's worth out of the base game, but my advice is to wait for a sale and pick up at least the Ultimate Edition.
