IMPORTANT NOTE: This review was written with the DLC content and expansion pack included for consideration since portions of the story lack full context without these being added to the base game. Also, the English version of the game has some unorthodox translations and this led to some lost in translation issues when coming up with the moral section of this review, these instances will be noted in more detail. Finally, this is an import title for the Nintendo Switch, based on the Hong Kong region version of this game, based primarily on the English language translation only unless otherwise noted.

Also, shortly after publication, a Reddit user noticed an error in the opening paragraphs of this review which has been corrected. Another concerning an error in the lede has also been addressed.

In the latest Asian English territory attempt to make it easy for people to get into Super Robot Wars, we get a tactical RPG with many things that would greatly appeal to a western audience. We also get further improved engine tweaks since Super Robot Wars V and Super Robot Wars X, though with only a few problems, Super Robot Wars T (stands for "Terra") has delivered another great entry in this crossover franchise.

The game is set in the Twilight Era of the New Universal Era circa NUE 200. Ever since the Golden Age where space development was its peak and human potential seemed limitless, things have regressed. Governments have become corrupt, technology has stagnated, crime has become so rampant official law enforcement needs to deputize extra help to deal with it, and threats both new and old not only plan to further drag humanity into the darkness, they ultimately plan to spell the doom of everything in existence. In the followup expansion set after the main story, while the former Golden Age shows signs of being reborn, threats both new and old want to snuff out the light of hope for good unless your heroes ensure the light of hope never goes out.

Like many games in the franchise, Super Robot Wars T is a turn-based isometric RPG where you move units like chess pieces in stages against the enemy, combined with battle scenes that often use frame-by-frame recreations of things borrowed from the media crossed over into the story. You not only get to experience a new story using these crossover media to tell it's own story, you also get to change a lot of history from the source stories to be far more hopeful, like saving those who should have died. In-between the combat are visual novel style cut-scenes that further the story and intermissions to upgrade units and pilots to deal with new challenges better.

The following media are included, in whole or in part:

It's worth noting this game does several new firsts. Cowboy Bebop is a very atypical show not normally associated with mecha combat, but they adapt it in such a way it makes sense. Magic Knights Rayearth had a very small mecha focus originally but again is adapted to give it a more prominent focus. Finally, Captain Harlock is a franchise that is mostly known for its titular spaceship than anything else but is also adapted to work in the context of a mecha crossover plot.

Another odd deviation from the usual norm is the fact that many series that received an American dub will use the American dub names in the English translation for this title. While the overall quality of the script is excellent, this does lead to some translation errors and things lost in meaning, which I shall elucidate further in this review.

From a graphical standpoint, the Switch version of SRW T is identical to the PS4 in terms of quality (insofar as the Switch is comparable in graphical power). I played on a handheld Switch and found the graphical fidelity to be crystal clear, and graphically the developers made few if any mistakes. Aside from some reused art that nonetheless got some touch-ups (the Char's Counterattack material in particular), there is lots of new animation for the new series included, most of which looks ported frame by frame from its source media, though unlike Super Robot Wars V, they did a better job keeping it from looking out of place compared to content returning from previous games.

Sound is excellent, with many returning soundtracks and the new ones are quite accurate to the media they were taken from. Of particular note was the remix of the vocal theme of Magic Knight Rayearth, with synth and violin music blending beautifully with the stirring guitar that replaces the vocal portions of the original theme. The voice acting remains clear and distinct, and this deserves some note because it's often at odds with the English script, as the voice acting largely matches up with the original Japanese dubs of all the properties in question. That said, it's still excellent. Sound effects remain true to the series they borrowed from as always as well.

Controls remain very accessible, and there are options to reconfigure your input until you are quite comfortable with moving units around, though the stock controls are very intuitive and easy to pick up in minutes. As I played on a handheld Switch, aside from some hand cramps from long periods of play, the buttons were mapped well so I didn't have trouble accessing anything important.

The stability I'm pleased to note was great. This game runs at a smooth 60 frames, there were no glitches or bugs (any that were present were fixed in the original PS4 version), and despite being an Asian English title, I had no trouble downloading DLC on an American Switch for use in-game.

Morally, this game has a fair degree of issues, and since some of these are related to some translation errors; I will go into more detail where needed.

Violence is RPG style, mostly against robots and non-sentient space monsters, though some sentient beings are willing to fight back. Your team has a standing ethic to attempt to request the enemy to stand down, only fighting back when that cannot be achieved. Some heroic characters lost loved ones and seek revenge, though thankfully they do learn throughout the plot justice and vengeance are not the same thing and do mellow out considerably. There are three or four minor displays of blood, generally to denote illness or injury and only present during plot-critical moments.

Language is pretty on the heavy side of earthy, with every Teen rated swear word in existence used more than once, generally by the Getter Robo cast. There is also one villainous female character whose battle dialogue is drenched in sexual innuendo, but she is only ever fought in a few stages, DLC included. Otherwise, most language stays out of the gutter, though in the female protagonist route some lines could be interpreted as gay flirting, though the context of many of them is very vague, but it's just enough on the fence to be of note.

Sexual content is fairly restrained. The female character noted in the language section has some super suggestive battle poses that resemble pole dances and show off her cleavage, but it's thankfully watered down a bit from the source media it hails from. There is a beach DLC that has some swimsuits (with nothing worse than a two-piece), and some dialogue involving some guys trying to perv on some ladies, though the guys in question get called on it and chewed out by multiple parties.

Further, there are two instances of sex outside of marriage, though neither gets depicted positively; one by a heroic character, one by a villain. In the case of the heroic character, this is shown to be to their moral detriment, and as they attain character development they realize they need to make this right, especially given they have fathered a child with the woman they had extramarital relations with, and by the end of the expansion pack it's unequivocally stated they plan to make up for this to be a proper father to their child. As for the other, if the player attains the true ending route, the villain character and the person they slept with (who even in the normal route realize they are fallen) find the courage to break free of their sins and make known their intentions to atone. The game otherwise promotes positive married heterosexual relationships via many characters and makes it clear these characters are stronger in all senses for maintaining their fidelity and marital honor.

The translation has what looks like a case of blasphemy, since Magic Knight Rayearth used the American dub term "Rune God" for their machines instead of the Japanese term "Mashin", though the latter is still heard in relevant voiceovers. The term "Rune God" is not a remotely accurate translation. Further, this series is given a tie to the plot of Mazinger: Infinity, whose titular Mazingers derive their name from the term "Majin", a similar term to Mashin that can mean "god or devil". Given the crossover shows both series inspired key events in the other, and given frequent reference to the Mazinger moral theme of how one can be "a god or a devil" (or choose between good and evil), the translation cripples the intended meaning that both the Mashin and Mazingers share this moral due to their similar origins thanks to this translation error.

Magic and the occult have some presence in the crossover plot, especially due to the Aura Battler Dunbine series, Magic Knight Rayearth, and some of the Super Robot Wars X content in particular. While the vast majority of the magic references are purely made up with no real world counterpart, a lot of the actions of the villains revolve around use of necromancy and tampering with souls. None of this is depicted in a good light and is condemned without question as an explicit defilement of the natural order, but it's a prevalent enough plot element to be noted. Otherwise, the good guys with supernatural powers all share a common theme their fictional powers exist and should be used for justice and restoring the order the villains defiled. Several positive implicit Christian themes are also noted in support of this, with frequent condemnation of selling one's soul to evil and how the lust for power is a corruption that should be avoided.

From an ethical standpoint, this game has a lot of good things going for it. Themes of morality are a constantly recurring plot element, with a very unsubtle moral evil perpetuates evil and if good people do nothing, all the misery said evil creates will only perpetuate. Given at least three of the villains are in some way an outright analogue for the Devil, this moral is quite prominently shown and told to the player as a reminder their actions are not remotely justifiable and all that doing wrong does is create more pain and suffering. Further, themes about how authority should be upright and responsible are repeatedly emphasized, with upright and honorable authority figures praised and the corrupt and those who fall to corruption called out for it. As for your heroes, doing the right thing is never not an option for them, and many of the best secrets in the game like the true ending (and all content of the expansion pack) hinge on emphatically rejecting what is immoral to do what is right.

Overall, from a gameplay standpoint, Super Robot Wars T has a great crossover plot that brings a lot of new and interesting series to the table and further refines the engine used since the last two games. From a moral standpoint, if the language, sexual content, and references to the supernatural don't trouble you, this game has a lot of moral lessons included alongside that content. If you are an older teen or older, this would be a perfectly appropriate title.