What Mecha Game Do I Start With First

The best mecha game to start with is Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon.

Diving into the world of giant robots can feel daunting, with countless titles boasting complex systems and steep learning curves. So, naturally, you might wonder, what mecha game do I start with first? It’s a common question for any aspiring pilot.

Luckily, there are accessible entry points within the genre. One recent title, with its fast-paced action and customizable mechs, provides a fantastic first step for newcomers.

What Mecha Game Do I Start With First?

So, you want to pilot a giant robot, huh? That’s awesome! Mecha games are super cool, letting you control powerful machines in amazing battles. But with so many options, it can feel a little overwhelming to pick your first one. Don’t worry, we’re here to help you find the perfect starting point in the wonderful world of mecha games. We’ll break things down and look at some great choices, covering different play styles and levels of difficulty.

Understanding Different Mecha Game Styles

Before jumping into specific games, let’s talk about the types of mecha games you’ll encounter. Each kind offers a unique experience, so knowing what’s out there is super helpful.

Action-Focused Mecha Games

These games put you right in the middle of the action. Think fast-paced combat, quick reflexes, and lots of explosions. You’ll be dodging missiles, firing lasers, and smashing enemies. If you love constant excitement and don’t mind a bit of a challenge, these are often a great place to start.

Key Features: Fast-paced gameplay, focus on reflexes, lots of combat, often have a variety of weapons and abilities.
Good For: Players who enjoy adrenaline-pumping action and a sense of direct control.

Strategy-Based Mecha Games

If you prefer thinking through your moves and planning ahead, strategy mecha games might be your cup of tea. These titles usually require careful planning, resource management, and tactical thinking. You’ll be moving your units across a map, considering your opponent’s position, and using the environment to your advantage. They can be slower-paced than action games, but they offer a deeper sense of strategy and accomplishment.

Key Features: Turn-based or real-time strategic gameplay, unit management, tactical map control, importance of planning.
Good For: Players who enjoy long-term planning, careful resource allocation, and outsmarting their opponents.

Customization-Heavy Mecha Games

Some mecha games let you tweak and personalize your robot to an incredible degree. These are great for players who love getting into the details. You can often change everything from weapons and armor to the color scheme and overall appearance of your mecha. Building and perfecting your ideal war machine becomes a big part of the fun.

Key Features: Extensive customization options, allow players to build personalized mecha, often focuses on resource gathering and crafting.
Good For: Players who enjoy tinkering, experimenting, and creating a mecha that is unique to them.

Story-Driven Mecha Games

Not all mecha games are just about fighting. Some have deep and engaging stories with compelling characters and dramatic plotlines. These games often have a mix of action and cutscenes, offering a richer narrative experience. If you want to feel invested in the characters and their struggles as you pilot your giant robots, these can be a great starting point.

Key Features: Focus on story and characters, mixture of gameplay and cutscenes, often have emotional and dramatic themes.
Good For: Players who enjoy immersive stories and getting to know the characters they are playing.

Top Mecha Games for Beginners

Alright, now that you know the different types of games, let’s look at some specific titles that are great for newcomers to the genre.

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon

While the Armored Core series has a reputation for being tough, Armored Core VI provides a good entry point for new players due to a well-designed tutorial and an engaging progression system. It’s action-focused, offering fast-paced combat. You get to customize your mecha extensively, changing parts, weapons, and even the colors. The missions are challenging, but there is always a good sense of accomplishment when you complete them. The story keeps you interested too, with a lot of lore to learn. It’s great for players who want to experience intense mecha action while still having a reasonable learning curve.

Style: Action-focused with customization
Difficulty: Moderate
Why it’s good for beginners: Clear tutorials, an engaging progression system, exciting action.
Things to consider: It can be quite challenging at times, requires you to learn the different parts, weapons and combat techniques.

Daemon X Machina

Daemon X Machina is another action-packed choice that is great for beginners. It’s known for its over-the-top action, incredible customizability, and awesome mecha designs. You control an “Outer,” a pilot with unique abilities who can jump into a mech called an Arsenal. The game lets you pick and choose your arsenal’s parts, weapons, and even the color scheme, making every battle feel personal. The combat is fast, fluid, and very satisfying. The story, while present, is not as big of a focus as the action and customization, but it’s definitely entertaining. It’s perfect for players who want to jump right into the action and build their perfect fighting robot.

Style: Fast-paced action with lots of customization.
Difficulty: Easy to learn, hard to master.
Why it’s good for beginners: Clear and understandable combat, easy to access customization, focuses on fun.
Things to consider: The story might not be the most engaging for some, the gameplay is a bit repetitive after some hours.

Gundam Breaker 3

If you are a Gundam fan, Gundam Breaker 3 is an absolute must-play. It is all about building, customizing, and fighting with Gunpla (Gundam plastic models). The customization system is incredibly deep, with parts from tons of different Gundam series. You can mix and match parts to create your unique mobile suit, then take it into action-packed battles. The gameplay is simple to grasp but gets more complex as you learn more about different parts and weapon types. It’s a real joy to create your dream Gundam and see it in action. The game doesn’t have the most intricate story, focusing on the fun of creation and combat, making it really approachable.

Style: Customization-heavy action game with a focus on Gundam
Difficulty: Easy to Medium
Why it’s good for beginners: Easy to understand customization system, lots of unlockable content, fun for fans.
Things to consider: May not appeal as much to people who don’t like Gundam.

Super Robot Wars Series

The Super Robot Wars series is a tactical turn-based series that combines characters and robots from many different anime series. While the series has been running for a while, games from the recent era are easier to get into for beginners. You control squads of mechs in grid-based battles, requiring strategic thinking and planning. You’ll move your robots carefully, use special skills, and try to take out your enemies. The stories are usually quite involved, letting you experience the interactions of characters from all sorts of different mecha anime. This series will be a great option if you want a strategic experience with the cool cast of iconic robots from many shows.

Style: Turn-based strategy with strong narrative elements.
Difficulty: Beginner-friendly options available in the most recent games.
Why it’s good for beginners: Turn-based makes it easier to learn, interesting stories, lots of mecha to play with.
Things to consider: Can feel slow-paced compared to action games.

Titanfall 2

While Titanfall 2 is not strictly a mecha game, it has some amazing mecha combat that you shouldn’t miss. You control both a pilot and their titan, which is a giant robot you can call down into battle. The gameplay is incredibly fast and fluid. Pilots can run on walls and use grappling hooks, and titans bring massive firepower to the battlefield. The single-player story is great and lets you experiment with various titans, each having their own unique fighting style. It’s a fantastic choice for those who want a mix of nimble pilot action and the thrill of controlling a heavy mecha. It doesn’t focus too heavily on complicated systems, it’s all about getting in and having a good time.

Style: Fast-paced action with pilot and titan gameplay.
Difficulty: Easy to Medium, single-player is quite manageable.
Why it’s good for beginners: Intuitive controls, exciting story mode, smooth mix of titan and pilot action
Things to consider: It’s a first-person shooter, not a third person mecha game.

Factors to Consider When Choosing

Okay, so you have some ideas for games, but how do you pick the perfect one for you? Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

What type of gameplay do you enjoy most?

Do you want a fast-paced game with tons of action?
Or would you rather have a slower, more strategic experience?
Do you like the idea of customizing your mech with many options?
Or are you more interested in a deep story?

How much of a challenge are you looking for?

Are you looking for something easy to pick up and play?
Or do you want a game that will truly test your skills?

How much time do you have to play?

Do you want a game you can jump into for a quick session?
Or are you looking for something you can spend hours in?

Do you have a particular interest in an anime or manga?

If you are a fan of Gundam or another mecha series, then a game based on that might be the best place to start.

Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment

The best thing about mecha games is that there’s a game for everyone. Don’t feel like you need to pick the “right” one right away. Try out a few different games, experiment with different styles, and figure out what you like most. You might just find your new favorite genre!

Choosing the first mecha game can feel like a big decision, but it is all about finding a game that you enjoy. Consider the style of game you are interested in, think about how much of a challenge you are looking for, and don’t be afraid to try out different games. Have fun piloting your giant robot!

Mech Arena Official Trailer

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, a great starting point is Armored Core 6. It provides a modern mecha experience with customization options. Its engaging gameplay is also relatively accessible for newcomers to the genre.

It does a great job of balancing complexity and fun. This makes it an ideal first step into mecha games. Therefore, for someone wondering ‘what mecha game do i start with first’, Armored Core 6 is highly recommended due to its balance of depth and approachability.