Btw, I'm about 10-13 stages counting bonus scenarios, and I really like this game a lot. It already feels like the best licensed SRW since Z2-2 (so in a decade?), the OG games otoh have been fine with 2nd OGs & MDs (we don't talk about Dark Prism though).
V so far just feels like the 100% opposite of Z3 which at this point with some distance I can safely say I despised it and it was the worst SRW I've ever played and almost lost me on the series. Z3
just wasn't a fun game. V on the other hand is fast and fun. The systems are broken and fun so you steamroll everything at a quick pacing. The story telling is great and since it's not 2 games it moves quick and there's very little filler. The OG character, at least with the guy is fun. He's basically a worse Crowe, but Crowe was the best so I'm ok with a 2nd rate Crowe.
But yeah, it helps that Yamato is a great anime, and making it the core of the story and staying faithful was really smart. Lots of fantastic BGMs straight out of the anime and it makes the VN parts very good. Having other fun series like Crossbone and Mightgain is great. Even Setsuna seems way less serious here and more fun.
everything seems less serious here and more fun (cue the end of the world earth is destroyed uber depressing Yamato main storyline jokes; but I mean besides that
). Instead of Z3-2's slog slog slog OG storytelling, there's not much OG so far and it's just a fun licensed anime game. It reminds me the most of SRW W which is possibly my favorite SRW of all time. I wish V had Astray in it. Would make it even more fun.
For what it's worth I can see anyone who plays SRW for the gameplay and wants to be challenged disliking the game. It's the easiest SRW I've ever played so far and it's broken in so many ways. I.do.not.give.a.shit. I play SRW to enjoy the visual novel storytelling + awesome animations and feel badass using my characters & their mechs to steamroll grunts and then take out bosses. I'm fine leaving the challenge to OGs. Some of the Z3 restrictions for the sake of balance just made the game way less fun to play.
And thank god they got rid of the long ass pause at the start of every animation that they couldn't fix by the time Z3-2 came out. As someone who leaves most animations on, that really dragged.
Also all the new animations so far are generally great and dynamic and lots of fun with nice sprites. The legacy stuff is still same old, same issues, but I'm fine with the legacy stuff just being the @2 units in @3 thrown in so you get a bigger cast. I'm really happy with all the new stuff which is what the story focus is on anyhow. I hope this is the middleground they stick with for the rest of SRW's life. Not too sharp detailed sprites, but still very good big sprites
with actual good dynamic animation.
Finally, my thoughts on the next licensed game after seeing the sales and what they've done with V. They're on the right track and winning me back as a SRW fan with V, so here's what I think they need to do for the next entry (and I'm sure they'll do the complete opposite because Namco/Bandai calls the shots and they suck grumblegrumble Scamco):
The next licensed console SRW should be a refresh, start of a new trilogy like SRW 1-F, @1-3, Z1-Z3. Because of that it should be 100% entirely new sprites for everything. However, it's clear they don't have the budget for 20 series with good sprites if the games are opening with <200k. That's why they would split the Z games to get closer to 400k opening sales. But splitting kills the pacing. It worked ok in Z2 because it made sense with Gundam 00 S1, Geass S1, Gurren Earth Arc (although they fucked it up by not doing space arc in Z2-2), Gundam Wing TV -> EW. But generally splitting just kills the pacing and drags out the games with tons of padding and not getting unit upgrades at a good pace or even within a single game.
So what's the best solution to this? I think the next licensed SRW should scale back. Have 10 or 11 entries
total with all new sprites on the level of the new series in V done in a single non-split game. Then when they do the X2 or whatever sequel, they add another 10-11 entries and now they're at 20-22 series but the sprites they're re-using from X1 or whatever are great and good to use. To me it makes the most sense with the budget they have to make a good satisfying game. Unfortunately it means NamcoBandai can't market it as having a million series included MOST EVER, etc..., but fuck 'em that doesn't help. Do 10-11 series total and for at least half of them do new entry shows in the last few years that are major players. There's still a ton of mecha anime missing from the last 5-7 years in SRW like G Reco, Break Blade, Build Fighters, Valvrave, Aldnoah, Knights of Sidonia, etc.... plus the new stuff like Gundam Tekketsu & Thunderbolt. And Star Driver would be nice to get a non-mobile entry same day please...; put in at least like half of those with V quality animation and you've got an exciting new licensed entry even with a small roster and build from it. That's my two cents for the direction licensed SRW should go.
Then again if V sells a ton in Asia and brings the total sales up and they have budget to do 15-16 series with 100% new animation next game and non-splitting, more power to them. I'm just giving the realistic 'safe' direction they could and should go imo.
