Custom Mech Wars

Set in a near-future where a comet’s passing and a subsequent earthquake have caused the autonomous G-Mech robots to turn on humanity, Custom Mech Wars is a third-person mecha shooter. Players take on the role of a security agent tasked with investigating the phenomenon and fighting back against the rogue machines. The game’s core feature is its deep ‘Omega Customization’ system, allowing players to build their ultimate mech from salvaged enemy parts, with near-limitless possibilities for design, armament, and size.

Custom Mech Wars: A Monument of Ambition and Compromise

In the pantheon of mecha gaming, a genre built on the twin pillars of cathartic destruction and intricate customization, every new entry is measured against a legacy of mechanical giants. Custom Mech Wars, developed and published by D3Publisher, arrives not as a quiet contender but as a cacophonous, bewildering, and deeply flawed experiment. It is a game that understands one half of the mecha fantasy with near-genius clarity while fumbling the other so profoundly it threatens to undermine the entire experience. This is the story of a game that built a magnificent cathedral of creation, only to forget to put a roof on it.

Development History & Context: A Rush to the Battlefield

To understand Custom Mech Wars, one must first understand its creator, D3Publisher. The studio is best known for the Earth Defense Force (EDF) series, a franchise celebrated not for graphical fidelity or narrative depth, but for a specific, acquired taste: janky, low-budget, co-operative chaos against thousands of enemies. This “B-movie” charm is D3’s signature. The development of Custom Mech Wars appears to have been heavily influenced by this philosophy, but also by the external pressure of the gaming landscape circa 2023.

The game was released on December 14, 2023, for PlayStation 5 and PC, a mere three months after the genre-defining critical and commercial success of FromSoftware’s Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. The timing is conspicuous. As noted by Forbes contributor Ollie Barder, the game feels like “a rushed attempt at a cash-in,” an effort to capitalize on a renewed mainstream interest in mecha games. This rushed development cycle is the specter that haunts every aspect of the final product.

Built on the Unity engine, the project was led by a team with clear expertise in one area: creating systems for mass-scale combat and loot-driven progression, as honed through years of EDF development. Their vision, as stated in the official blurb, was to create a game where the “only limit is your imagination” through an “Omega Customization System.” The technological constraints were not those of hardware—the PS5 is more than capable—but of time and budget. The result is a game that feels caught between its ambitious, creative heart and the realities of a truncated production schedule.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive: The Silent War

The narrative setup of Custom Mech Wars is, on paper, a classic sci-fi trope ripe for exploration. In the near future, a passing comet has wreaked havoc on Earth, forcing humanity into shelters. Cities are maintained by autonomous robots called G-Mechs. A subsequent cataclysm causes these AI guardians to go rogue, and you, a rookie pilot known only as “Newbie,” join the Four-Seven Security Service to fight back.

The potential for themes of AI rebellion, human reliance on technology, and survival against ecological disaster is immense. However, the game exhibits almost a allergic reaction to exploring these ideas in any meaningful way. The story is delivered almost exclusively through un-translated Japanese voice-over and text boxes that appear mid-mission, often beneath your mech’s feet or lost in the chaos of battle. As Game Rant’s review pointed out, these texts are also riddled with “spelling and grammar mistakes,” further undermining any attempt at narrative immersion.

Characters are referred to only by their roles—”Manager,” “Lead,” “Newbie”—making them feel less like people and more like functional entities in a gameplay loop. There is no emotional weight, no character arc, and no thematic resolution. The plot escalates into absurdity (a comet causing a volcanic eruption that leads to a “zombie virus” in mechs) not as a clever satire, but with the disjointed energy of a child making up a story as they go along. It embraces its B-movie sensibilities but lacks the earnest charm that makes such narratives endearing. The story exists solely as a flimsy pretext for the action, a missed opportunity that renders the 40-mission campaign a soulless grind.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems: A Tale of Two Games

The gameplay of Custom Mech Wars is a stark dichotomy, a Jekyll and Hyde experience of sublime creation and tedious execution.

The Omega Customization System: A Masterpiece of Mayhem

This is where the game not only shines but radiates with blinding, chaotic creativity. The Omega Customization System is arguably one of the most free-form mech builders ever conceived. It is not merely about swapping pre-fabricated arms and legs; it is a true digital sandbox.
* Unprecedented Freedom: You are not building a bipedal robot; you are assembling a combat entity. You can attach multiple heads, arms, and legs in any position or angle. Want a mech with six arms each holding a minigun? You can do it. Want to build a “mech” that is essentially a bullet train with a dozen missile launchers strapped to it? You can do it. The system allows for the creation of Humongous Mecha, Mini-Mecha, and everything in between, including creations that defy traditional classification, often for comedic effect (the infamous Gag Penis drill weapon featured in trailers is a testament to this).
* Meaningful Progression: Parts are looted from defeated enemies, a loop familiar to EDF veterans. Each part has statistical weight, affecting mobility, defense, and energy consumption. The thrill of seeing a new part drop and immediately imagining its place in your next creation is the game’s primary driver.
* The True Endgame: For a certain player, the hangar is the game. The act of creation, of testing a new absurd configuration, is where hundreds of hours could be lost. This system is a triumphant achievement.

The Combat & Mission Design: A Flawed Foundation

Unfortunately, the act of using your magnificent creation is where the game collapses.
* Repetitive Structure: Across 40 story missions, you will do one thing: “Destroy All Enemies.” Missions are set across a paltry four battlefields (a desert, a city, etc.), with the only variation being time of day or fog. Waves of enemies spawn from thin air. There are no tactical objectives, no escort missions, no boss battles with unique mechanics—just endless waves.
* Janky, Imprecise Combat: The shooting mechanics are deeply flawed. As analyzed by Forbes, targeting assists designed for human-scale shooters break down when applied to giant, fast-moving mechs. Lock-on is unreliable, and manual aiming is a frustrating exercise due to awkward hitboxes and a lack of impactful feedback. Firing a battery of 20 rifles feels no more potent than firing one. Melee combat is practically unusable.
* Frustrating Systems: The game features Subsystem Damage, where individual parts can be destroyed. This is a good idea in theory, but in practice, it leads to moments where your meticulously built mech is crippled because a single projectile took out a leg, forcing you to eject and call in a replacement—a jarring break in flow. Furthermore, friendly fire is always active, even at 10% on the easiest setting, making collisions and crossfire with AI allies a constant source of inadvertent failure.
* Uninspired Enemies: Enemy variety is severely lacking. You will fight the same handful of G-Mech designs hundreds of times, with later missions simply increasing their numbers into the hundreds rather than introducing smarter or more complex foes.

The multiplayer co-op mode for up to four players is the sole redeemer for the combat, as sharing the chaotic fun with friends can mitigate the repetition and jank, but it cannot eliminate it.

World-Building, Art & Sound: Aesthetic Whiplash

The presentation of Custom Mech Wars is a study in contrasts.

• Visuals: The game’s environments are shockingly poor, with low-resolution textures, generic architecture, and an overall emptiness that feels last-generation. It is, as Gamerz Gateway noted, reminiscent of “titles from the early 2000s.” However, the mech models and parts themselves are detailed, chunky, and visually distinct. The dissonance between the ugly worlds and the creative mechs you populate them with is constant and jarring.
• Art Direction: There is no cohesive art direction for the world, but there is a brilliant one for the customization suite. The parts range from sleek anime-inspired designs to industrial, utilitarian chunks of metal to outright gag items. The ability to apply vibrant colors and decals to your creations allows them to pop against the drab backdrops.
• Sound Design: The audio is a weak point. Weapon sounds lack punch and bass, failing to sell the power of your arsenal. The soundtrack is generic and forgettable, fading into the background without ever elevating the action. The sole audio triumph is the full Japanese voice cast, which includes notable talents like Kotono Mitsuishi and Nobuyuki Hiyama. They deliver their lines with professional gusto, breathing life into the otherwise forgettable script.

Reception & Legacy: A Niche Within a Niche

Upon release, Custom Mech Wars was met with a resounding chorus of mixed-to-negative reviews. It holds a Metascore of 53 and an OpenCritic average of 58, with only 13% of critics recommending it. Critics universally praised the customization depth while lambasting the repetitive gameplay, poor visuals, and technical shortcomings. Forbes deemed it a “rushed and mediocre mecha game,” while Game Rant concluded it “lacks the overall polish and gameplay elements to justify the time.”

Commercially, it likely performed within D3Publisher’s expectations for a budget-title niche release but was undoubtedly overshadowed by Armored Core VI.

Its legacy is twofold. For most, it will be remembered as a curious footnote, a game with one brilliant idea hamstrung by its execution. It serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of rushed development and the importance of balancing creative tools with engaging gameplay.

For a small, dedicated niche, however, it will be cherished as a unique toy box. It is the Goat Simulator of mecha games—a platform for absurdist creativity first and a “game” second. Its legacy will be upheld by players who share screenshots of their most ridiculous creations online, using the Omega System as a form of digital mecha art. Its influence may be seen in future titles that look to emulate its sheer creative freedom, but hopefully, they will learn from its many mistakes.

Conclusion: The Verdict

Custom Mech Wars is a frustrating paradox. It contains one of the most empowering and inventive customization systems ever designed for the mecha genre, a system that truly delivers on the promise of its name. For players whose primary joy is in the act of creation, in building absurdist mechanical monstrosities for the sheer fun of it, there is genuine magic to be found here.

However, it is bundled with a game that is, in nearly every other aspect, subpar. The combat is repetitive and unsatisfying, the narrative is an afterthought, the presentation is lacking, and the entire experience feels rushed and unpolished.

Therefore, the final verdict is not a simple recommendation or dismissal. Custom Mech Wars is not a good game, but it is an exceptional tool. Its value is not in its campaign but in its digital sandbox. It is worth experiencing only on a deep sale, and only if your expectations are sharply aligned with its strengths. Approach it as a mecha construction simulator with a mediocre shooter attached, and you may find a deeply niche enjoyment. Seek a polished, action-packed mech adventure, and you will find only disappointment. In the annals of video game history, Custom Mech Wars will stand as a monument to ambition and compromise—a glorious, flawed experiment that built a palace of creativity on a foundation of sand.