Forge of Titans: Mech Wars Review

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Game Description

Robot Jox

Forge of Titans: Mech Wars is a somewhat familiar framework of free-to-play real time strategy. That said, it's produced well, looks good, you can actually control where your units go, and there's plenty of stuff to unlock and upgrade. Something something something giant robots, too.

Built to Rule

Giant robots can't win on being giant alone. You need to make sure they, and their pilots, are properly enhanced.

• Always remember to collect gathered resources. From the start you have two factories/reactors/production thingies that will yield two different resources - one for upgrading Titans and pilots, and another for repairing Titans damaged in battle. Tap on both structures whenever you're on the main base screen because you're going to need those resources.
• Collect premium currency (Credits) by completing missions. You can see what missions you've completed and have yet to complete by tapping on the appropriately named building.
• May the Forge be with you. The Forge is where you can spend Credits and vouchers earned by completing campaign missions to randomly draw new Titan pieces or pilots. This is always a good idea because even duplicate Titan parts serve a purpose.
• All the important upgrading and training is done via the Hangar. Here you can repair damaged Titans, Level-Up your Titans by spending duplicate parts and resources, Rank Up Titans (via the Artifacts tab when leveling-up) to further improve them, get a Titan's pilot details, and spend resources and skill points to improve pilot skills (their current level sets the max skill level).
• Set up your Defenses as soon as you're able. Once PvP unlocks (you'll get a notice), go to the main base menu and tap on the Defense building to adjust your base's defenses.
• Use the terrain. Titans can't walk over rocky terrain, and your base has plenty you can hide guns and mortars behind to make life difficult for melee-based invaders.

Crash & Burn

Get good or get scrapped.

• Know your Titans' abilities and pilots' skills. Each Titan is a bit different, with some better ad close range and others better off at a distance, for example. Pilots are also unique, and provide different skills to the Titans they drive. Knowing who does what is essential to making the eradication of enemy forces easier.
• Use Tactical mode. When in combat you can pause the action at any time to ponder your next move and issue commands to your Titans without worrying about anybody wandering off or taking damage as the seconds pass.
• Rush the door. If you don't care about maximizing experience gains, charge at the vault door on the far right of the map - as soon as you bust it down the level ends, regardless of remaining enemy forces. This is a great way to farm for Forge vouchers without using Autobattle, which is limited.
• Replay completed levels to earn more Titan-upgrading goodies.

Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Titans

The strategy behind Forge of Titans' maps and enemy placements is fairly simple, but it's also accessible and plays quickly. On top of that, it's hard to get sick of constantly upgrading my robots and pilots to make them even more formidable in battle. It doesn't require much thought, but watching giant robots punch things isn't all that mentally taxing in the first place.

Forge of Titans: Mech Wars Review

Smash-Up

Forge of Titans: Mec

Some VERY Armored Cores

There's a backstory here but I honestly didn't care enough to sit through the intro screens. It hasn't been much of a problem either, because there's no real follow-up story to speak of outside of that initial blurb. So instead, just jump right in to the bot-on-bot carnage.

Levels in Forge of Titans are rather small gauntlets of impassable terrain and enemy gun emplacements. They're similar to what you'd probably see in many other free-to-play strategy games, but set up in such a way that you only need to scroll left and right to get through them. It's such a simple change but I quite like how streamlined it feels. I can push my way thorough a stage relatively quickly, and even if the defenses are giving me trouble it doesn't take too long to either get by or fail and try again. I also REALLY like that there are no stamina meters. Instead, Titans will take damage and you'll have to spend resources to fix them up again - and you can take damaged Titans into battle if you really want to, so long as they aren't totally wrecked.

I'm also a big fan of how I always feel like I'm working towards something. I can replay levels to earn Titan parts (used to build new Titans or upgrade available ones); Pilots earn experience as they fight and can improve their skills to match; Titans at max level can be ranked-up to further increase their maximum and give them a bit of a cosmetic enhancement. I'd probably be less enthusiastic about this if the strategy bits weren't so fast and easy to replay, but they are so I am.

The simplicity of the gameplay could be seen as a downside to some, though. I appreciate that I can jump in and play without spending several minutes agonizing over a level, but I can also see how some players might desire or expect more. Also, while Forge of Titans does circumvent most of my usual free-to-play quibbles like stamina meters, there is still a random collection element to getting Titan parts that can lead to new robot unlocks taking a while to earn. Again, not a huge deal but an understandable hang-up.

Some Patience is Required

Aside from the agonizing (it's not really agonizing) need to wait for the random parts draws to finally yield something I'm looking for, I've been pleasantly surprised by Forge of Titans: Mech Wars. It's a fun - if a bit simple - little strategy game that's pretty well streamlined for mobile play. Now if there were only a way to customize my Titans' color schemes...

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