PATLABOR the Case Files

As someone who still regularly replays PS2 and PS3-era anime-based mecha games, it pains me to say that Patlabor: The Case Files is a bad, half-baked game even by those standards. I thought I couldn't avoid playing this game because Patlabor is my favorite anime and the Ingram is my favorite giant robot. This might describe you, too. But I have played everything this game has to offer and I will forever think about all the ways this game is bad. I even booted it up again, to squeeze more life out of it, wondering, "is this really it?" You don't need to pay $30 for receive this curse. There are some highs: I was happy to hear my favorite voice actors, even those who have passed on (via archive recordings). The one-on-one Labor combat, involving careful dodging on a limited battery, is actually pretty neat once you get used to it. But that's all for my positives. There just isn't very much to do in this game. You'd think the TV series would inspire many different mission types, but a majority of the TV series-based missions are duels with the Griffon (3 "missions" alone are fighting the Griffon at the Labor Expo using three different machines). It feels like the designers built a …

I really gave this game a shot, but I just cannot recommend it outside of a $5–$10 sale. I don't even know where to start, so I guess I'll begin with probably the most offensive thing: the amount of content. I wasn't even two hours into the game, and I had already beaten half of it. I've done 10 missions so far, and every single one is a 1v1 that lasts literally less than five minutes. And I haven't even gotten to the PS2-era graphics or the terrible controls yet. I tend to go pretty easy on Japanese developers because I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff, but this game really pushes that button hard. You know, $35 is A LOT of money nowadays, and the fact that this game doesn't respect either your money or your time is pretty frustrating. Honestly, I think it plays worse than most PS1 games. Hell, it's worse than the original Armored Core, and that game came out before dual-analog sticks were even a thing. I just cannot recommend this game in any capacity. There are hardly any Labors either, which is especially disappointing. I really wish this game had missions where I could run around a city and fight multiple enemies. It doesn't even need to be open-world. Just give me missi…

There was a period during the 2000s when tie-in video games for anime were accepted as inevitable fact. Low development costs and the plethora of small studios meant- for a small investment- a piece of software could make it out onto the market onto a well-established platform. While they weren't always comprehensive, they did a decent job at being a small slice of whatever media it was a spin-off of. Gameplay took a back seat to presentation, but now and again there was a gem that balanced gamefeel with adaptation. KR Kabuto, MSG Zeonic Front, DBZ Budokai, etc Despite being made 20 years removed from this time period, Patlabor: The Case Files is a PS2 game, and I mean that in only the most affectionate way possible. Presentation is the first priority. The menus are stylized to represent a Shinohara Heavy Industries OS, with slick transitions between screens into layouts that are minimalist yet modern; representing a cross between the clunky yet charming aesthetics of the Web 1.0 era but keeping a slight futuristic edge. It perfectly reflects how Patlabor's setting is wedged in a gray area between the then 'present' of the late 80s and the unknown frontiers of technology yet…

The game has interesting content for fan of the series but the controls are ABYSMAL. I do not understand how someone in 2026 decided to make them like this. Its like it was made by someone who never played a video game after the PS1, feels like they just discovered the dual stick model and are trying their own thing. It dishonors my fingers. The game is hard and easy at the same time, the enemies are not smart or particularly hard, the controls are fighting you harder. It would be nice if that was actually used as a progression, better Ingrams get better controls, etc. The visuals are ok, very ps2 like but does not detract in any way from the potential fun. The robot models are the nicests assets in the game and do look cool.

not gonna impress general audiences and definitely for fans of the series— but even by that metric, wait for a sale

Somehow harder than some souls bosses. 10/10 got to play with my beloved Brocken.