After 4 years of absence following almost yearly releases from 2017-2021, the Super Robot Wars series finally returns with its latest instalment, Super Robot Wars Y, released on 28 August 2025 for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Steam. Fans have been eagerly awaiting a new console entry into the franchise, especially after the once region-locked series finally expanded to a global audience with its previous instalment, Super Robot Wars 30. Now that it’s arrived, has the long wait truly been worth it?
The Best Kind of Crossover
160 hours into the game and having completed it, Super Robot Wars Y feels like one of the best-written entries in the 30-year-spanning franchise. It’s no secret that, despite the game’s tried-and-true grid-based tactical RPG gameplay, arguably the true appeal of a Super Robot Wars game lies in its crossover aspect. It’s seeing all your favourite characters and robots from different series and shows interacting with one another in impossible scenarios that won’t happen in any other media: Macross meets Gundam. Getter Robo meets Godzilla. If a SRW game’s quality is judged purely on that metric, then Y arguably ranks quite high, with a plethora of fun and well-thought-out interactions to make fans of any of the featured series smile.
Without spoiling too much, take for example, how the enterprising Miorine from Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury becomes the idol group manager to the Walküre girls from Macross Delta. Or how the SSSS.Dynazenon team becomes fast friends with fellow combiner robot pilot teams from Getter Robo Arc and Combattler V. You get your usual lines of crossover dialogue between characters of different series, and the way the characters interact won’t disappoint the fan expectations of how you would imagine those character would naturally interact if they were in the same room, on top of heaps of references and shoutouts.
Because of course Lilis from Heavy Metal L-Gaim, Chum from Aura Battler Dunbine, and Quess from Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack would have a scene together, given they’re all voiced by veteran seiyuu Kawamura Maria. It’s a given that an SRW game would feature fun moments like these, but this time, the quality, volume, and thoughtfulness of said interactions are what make Y feel special.
While there are changes to the gameplay (most notably the addition of the Assist Link system to replace the previous Supporter and Extra Command systems), the game mostly sticks to the formula of Super Robot Wars 30, expanding on the Tactical Area Select system where missions aren’t linear per usual SRW tradition. Instead, players are free to play the missions they want to finish first in any order.
A good addition sees the inclusion of Area Missions without combat, where the characters get to interact with each other without there being a threat of the week to deal with. Not only that, but levelling the Assist Link characters to maximum also unlocks scenes akin to the Ace Chats, where characters that reach a high score get a scene of them interacting with the game’s original protagonist. Overall, there are more scenes and interactions than ever for players to enjoy in an already stacked game.
It’s these extra touches that I appreciate, and make me sad that the game is over once the credits roll, as the cast of characters assembled and dialogue presented is truly enjoyable. Because even when there’s already a plethora of character interactions, I still want to see more. I hope that when some of the series featured in this game return in a future instalment, they’ll keep some of the dynamics established. For example, Suletta Mercury and Freyja Wion feel like they’re destined to be the best of friends in any universe they’re together, and notably any scene Suletta is in where she reacts to the colourful situations the cast gets into is incredibly amusing.
Outside of the character crossover interactions, the main story and original cast of SRW Y are also highly enjoyable. I played using the female protagonist, Forte, and her interactions with Echika as the story progresses are quite heartwarming (Her signature mecha, the ninja-like Lunadrache II, is also a great unit to use with incredible attack animations.) Weaving the many plots and themes of wildly different stories and series into one continuous world/setting is no easy feat, and past SRW entries can be a bit egregious when it comes to how they integrate an entry into its setting. Y, however, forgoes the easy route of hand-waving off a series’ existence in the game as “characters crossing over from a different dimension”. In fact, it succeeds in somehow making sure each series has a considerable impact on the main story, with the series’ casts also feel involved. Perhaps the only exception is Witch from Mercury, since the game only covers that show’s Season 1. Which is unfortunate, considering how entertaining Witch of Mercury‘s cast of characters are.
Despite that, I’m still quite impressed by how there are very few dimension-hopping involved and that notable highlights, story beats, moments, and units from the series featured are so well-integrated into the setting. The memorable elements from each series are given the respect and gravitas they deserve, and in particular, the debuts of Getter Saint Dragon from Getter Robo Arc and Godzilla Ultima from Godzilla Singular Point as enemies feel like it was handled very well. The game properly takes the time to build them up as monumental threats before the story reaches the point where they’re introduced as challenges for the players to take. It doesn’t disappoint in that regard. The result is that each crossover truly feels like they belong in the setting and narrative, and that all of them earn their spot to be included in the game.
On a side note, there’s a surprisingly interesting and poignant subplot involving Chang Wufei from Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz that ties into the game’s greater themes of overcoming conflict and fate. It’s just one out of the many memorable moments that happen in the game, where characters’ fates and the outcomes of often tragic moments from each respective series are altered by the presence of characters from another show, for the better. Enabling miraculous moments like these to happen is a SRW tradition and truly what SRW is for, and why it’s been beloved by fans over three decades.
However, on the gameplay side, not everything is perfect.
Next page: Gameplay that’s starting to get stale?
