Previewed on PS4

There’s something cathartic about seeing giant robots pummel each other. As you’d expect, then, there’s something just as enjoyable about controlling said giant robots and being a part of the action. The original Override: Mech City Brawl was popular for its straightforward giant mech action, which mirrored old school titles like Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee and War of the Monsters. That’s why Override 2: Super Mech League is such a promising title. After going hands-on with it, it’s hard to deny that it’s a lot of fun, rough edges notwithstanding.

Robotic Fists of Fury

The premise of Override 2 is actually quite simple: Like the first game, it’s an all-out mech free-for-all. This simplicity works in its favor, giving you exactly what it promises and doing a good job of it. Though the mechs feel heavy and sometimes clunky, pulling off light and strong attacks, combos, and ultimates is smooth and easy to do.

There’s a very minor learning curve to keep in mind when playing Override 2. Since these are big, hulking mechs, you’re not going to be flying around the screen and moving rapidly as you deal out attacks. Sure, there are some mechs that move faster than others, but these are still huge robots, so you’ll feel a heftiness to the characters’ weight while playing. If you’re looking for a fast-paced brawler, this could be a problem for you. If what you want, however, is crazy giant robot action, Override 2 gives you just that.

After playing a few rounds both against AI-controlled adversaries and human players online, I got a good feel for the action of Override 2. Though it lacks the B movie cheese of War of the Monsters, the game still has a cool sense of style. It’s less like a ‘50s giant monster movie and more in line with, say, an anime — or a cartoon-y version of Pacific Rim.

Pulling off big moves is easy to do. You can perform combinations of weak and strong attacks, shoot projectiles, and grapple your enemies. It’s a great deal of fun grabbing other mechs and tossing them into the destructible environments — of course, if you’re on the receiving end, you’ll probably get annoyed by your opponents doing it over and over again pretty quickly.

Speaking of which, there’s a high level of interactivity in Override 2. Aside from crushing the stages themselves, you’re able to tear pieces of architecture from the ground and bash your opponents with them. There are also weapons you can pick up scattered around the levels. I especially enjoyed grabbing a giant shotgun and continuously blasting an opponent who was trying to advance on me during an online match.

Even Mechs Have Wrinkles to Iron Out

Though the gameplay of Override 2 is a lot of fun, I did notice some spotty connection issues when playing online. There was a noticeable bit of lag when engaging in a four-player match, as well as a one-on-one online match. It wasn’t too bad, but it did cause the action to appear choppy. Plus, if you’re going to be playing online multiplayer, lag is definitely your biggest enemy.

It’s worth noting that this issue occurred while playing the PS4 version of Override 2. As I didn’t play the PS5 or PC versions, I can’t comment on those.

A Promising Start

There’s quite a bit to be stoked about in Override 2. You’ve got one-on-one, two-on-two, four-player free-for-all, and king of the hill matches. In addition, career mode is being touted as a fully online component that will allow you to fight as part of a league and earn rewards.

Above all, though, it’s the action of Override 2: Super Mech League that really stands out. It’s a bit of a throwback, but the combat is really smooth. So long as the connection issues are ironed out, we could be looking at a really exciting niche online fighter.

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