War Tech Fighters Review (Nintendo Switch)

A blend of Hollywood Blockbusters and Anime is what War Tech Fighters promises to be. Drakkar Dev and Blowfish Studios have brought users an experience that features high-speed action and lots of customization options in their recent release. This title runs great on the Nintendo Switch and is perfect for quick bursts of gameplay. Don’t expect there to be an engaging story, though. Do expect to come for the mechs and stay for the action.

Fun but Repetitive Gameplay

At first glance, War Tech Fighters is fun, fast-paced action at each turn. Zooming through space and shooting down enemy ships have never been so fun. However, this grows old relatively quickly as new mechanics aren’t introduced that shake up the gameplay. Enemies just grow stronger so it takes a bit longer to gun them down. There are new weapons and armor that can be equipped to help in tight situations but that’s really it. No new move sets or variations come along to make the user think about everything happens. Don’t get me wrong, this can be incredibly fun, there just isn’t much change to make it stay fun after awhile. It’s also great to see the cutscenes that show your mech destroying weakened enemies and it helps contribute to the action while feeling like something found in a Michael Bay film. If you’re looking for something quick to jump into and have some high-speed battles then this is definitely it.

This game isn’t all shooting and flying around, though, there are also sword fights with other enemy war techs. Battles between other mechs turn into big 1v1 sequences but they don’t have a lot of mobility or variability much like the gunfights. There’s only a dodge, swipe, and block button. No different attack combos are found nor does dodging feel intense. It’s much like a mobile game’s controls where you move left or right to find an opening on the enemy. Again, after these initial sequences, it grows tiring. Having big fights seemed great at first but it was tough to keep pushing through when it was the same setup every time. Many of the enemy war techs were pretty tough at times too. These battles can seem simple but the enemies could be deadly so it grows frustrating because of the lacking mobility and variability.

Mechs, Mechs, and Mechs

From the start, War Tech Fighters presents itself as an epic space shooter with tons of thrills along the way. It does start off that way, though. There’s an enjoyable story to be found which has an enemy force trying to take over the galaxy. It’s straightforward but not the main selling point, so don’t expect the story to be a highlight. Levels are much of the same too. Players go to Point A, fight a swarm of enemies, go to Point B, find an item then defend yourself from more foes, then attack the big war tech. The formula here is the same time and time again and fails to offer much in order to be engaging. There is one aspect of the levels that was pretty enjoyable which is found in code-cracking. It feels like the cryptographic sequencer from the Arkham games. They aren’t particularly hard or found in large batches but they can be enjoyable and break up the gameplay.

Customization takes the forefront in this title thanks to all of the options there are to play around with. Users can change the color scheme of different aspects of the mech which makes for some really cool combos. On top of that, the war techs can be upgraded as the game goes on. You’ll earn credits in the campaign which can be used to buy some new equipment to counter stronger foes. These eventually become necessary to survive as the game goes on as the enemies do grow stronger. However, navigating the menus to get to all the upgrades and purchasing them is incredibly cumbersome and feels outdated at times. There’s a lot onscreen to choose from and it isn’t presented in an easy and comprehensible way. I had a few instances where I did have plenty of credits but I did not want to have to deal with the menus so I just pushed forward in the story.

Fit for a Switch

The Nintendo Switch version of the game does run very well. In both handheld and docked mode, there were no noticeable freezes, crashes, or major frame rate dips. Graphics do look better in docked mode but if you’re only playing in handheld then it still looks fine nonetheless. There are some really cool designs found in this game and the graphics help to amplify their features, yet what hinders it at times is the bland color scheme. Levels just looked dull and uninspired when space has so many possibilities. It isn’t a particularly great game to look at for long periods of time but it does play and run smoothly on the Switch. What is great is the soundtrack. Its rock beats are fantastic and a great break from hearing electronic music whenever a game takes place in space.

Pick up and play is fantastic on this game. This is a perfect game to run for a few short bursts and then come back to later. In longer sessions, many of the game’s flaws become apparent but it can be a very fun and enjoyable experience. Not only is there a campaign to mess around with, but there’s also a Challenge and Survival Mode. Players do have variety so they aren’t forced to just experience the story mode. New challenges are unlocked with each completion and survival is just that, survive as long as possible. These are great inclusions and can be loads of fun. These two, especially survival, is what will keep you coming back for more even after the game ends. Unfortunately, there are no online aspects of the game which could have been fun for at least the survival mode but it isn’t a feature that is desperately needed.

Drakkar Dev’s latest title can be incredibly fun and features lots of content to keep users coming back. However, with a repetitive gameplay style and level design, it can become a slog to push through after some time. Although, the game features Survival and Challenge  Modes to keep users coming back for more, especially because these are incredibly fun. War Tech Fighters is a great palate cleanser that is best played in short bursts and offers fun gunfights. For anyone in need of a Gundam-style game on the go, this is definitely it!

Thank you to Blowfish Studios for providing us with a review code!