Override 2: Super Mech League

There is nothing in the world that I love more than giant fighting robots. Anything related to Voltron, Gundam, or Transformers is right up my alley, I saw both Real Steel and Pacific Rim more than half a dozen times apiece when they were in theaters, and I will typically instantly fall in love with any video game that gives me the opportunity to control a giant mech. That is how I was with the first few hours of Override 2: Super Mech League as I ran around punching, kicking, and blowing up other robots. Sadly, it didn't take long for it to lose the interest of even someone like me who is hopelessly obsessed with all things mecha.

Unlike the first game, Override 2: Super Mech League doesn't have much in the way of a story or a single-player mode. Instead, the main focus of the game is the League mode that pits you against other players and AI-controlled enemies in several different match types. Oddly enough though there is a fully voiced character named Zoey that acts as the player's agent in the leagues. Zoey provides the only real exposition and context for what is going on with the leagues, which is a little bizarre considering there are no other story aspects to Override 2. Zoey is well voiced and does provide some interesting insight to the world though, so she is worth listening to.

Welcome to The Mech Leagues

The Leagues has the player competing in a variety of match types that each have their own distinct rules and challenges. The main three types are 1 vs 1, 2 vs 2, and a four-player free for all mode that is pure chaos. There are also other match types like King of the Hill that will be worked into the League as you progress further. By winning matches you can work your way deeper into the League and earn things like new match types and money that can, in turn, be used to purchase cosmetics or brand new mechs to pilot.

Combat in Override 2 is radically different than its predecessor but in all of the right ways. Whereas the first game was more focused on using special attacks to obliterate foes, Override 2 forces its players to get up close and personal with their opponents. The control scheme is very unique in that each arm and leg is tied to a specific button press. Pressing each one individually will attack with that limb, but combining button presses together allows you to activate one of several special abilities. Some special abilities are ranged attacks, others can be used to stun foes, while others still can either dodge or counter enemy attacks. At first the controls can feel a little cumbersome, but the ability to have such wide control over mechs is very engaging.

Pick Your Fighter

There are many different mechs throughout Override 2 as well and each of these is more suited to certain playstyles. Whereas one mech may be light and fast to prioritize rushing in for a flurry of blows before running away, another may be better suited to slower but more damaging attacks. On top of this, some of the mechs will be completely built around their special abilities, and others might be better suited for just pure brute force. It's very nice to have such a wide variety of mechs with their own specific mechanics, just because it gives you the ability to develop your own tailored strategies and playstyles.

Override 2 can be fun when things are working correctly, but until its problems are fixed it will be stuck as a lackluster party game rather than the serious competitive brawler its developers were striving for.

One of the bigger issues that I ran into with Override 2 though is that it was obviously not built with competitive multiplayer in mind, and instead feels very much like a goofy party game at times. When fighting against players who understand the game's mechanics very well, it is easy to see that there are certain mechs that have an unfair advantage. Many such mechs have spammable attacks that make it near impossible to fight back or block. Players who also manage to get the timing down can also create a near-endless loop of picking up their opponent, throwing them against a wall, and then picking them up as soon as they stand up again. This can make things pretty frustrating when trying to compete in the league.

An Online Game Without Any Players

By far the largest problem with Override 2 is that there aren't enough people playing the game currently. Since the whole League mode was built to be an online experience, there are serious issues when trying to fight against other players in the 2 vs 2 and free-for-all modes. Most of the time I would be incredibly lucky to find even one other person to fight against let alone two or three. When this happens you can sub in AI-controlled enemies to fight against, but the AI is so bad it's laughable. Half the time they just stand there as you pummel them, so you miss out on a lot by not being able to play against other real people.

Override 2: Super Mech League is a blast when it works correctly, and it's obvious that the developers took a lot of the criticisms of the original game to heart. In the current state of the game though it is incredibly hard to recommend. In order for Override 2 to be where it needs too many of the mechs will need to be rebalanced, AI will need a serious rework, and frankly, more people will need to be playing it. Until these issues are fixed Override 2 will be stuck as a lackluster party game rather than the serious competitive brawler it was striving for.

TechRaptor reviewed Override 2: Super Mech League on PlayStation 4 using a code provided by developer Modus Games. It can also be played on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.