A team-based third-person mech PvP game sounds like exactly the kind of intense action people want. Who doesn’t love large robots armed with a variety of powerful weapons? Point me at someone who hates that idea and you will be pointing at a rumor and a coward. Despite this, multiplayer mech games have historically had trouble finding much of a foothold in Western markets. Meet Mechabreak, the latest game that aims to break this situation.
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Created by Chinese developer Seasun Games, Mechabreak is a new mecha IP that focuses on unique machines with unique abilities and characteristics. It’s a role-based team shooter like you’ve seen in Overwatch and other multiplayer games of a similar camp, but wrapped in stylish sci-fi robots and the like. While the ashes of Gundam Evolution are still warm, a game comes out with a famous IP that burned out without attracting a large audience. Mechabreak will have to be great to succeed in the current free-to-play death tornado that has left many games culled on true merit.
With that in mind, the good news is that Mechabreak is undoubtedly fun to play. There’s no question about that. While playing the game, I found myself immersed in the various machines on the basic list. A slow, sturdy tank machine that can withstand overwhelming firepower through judicious use of shields and other protective abilities. The lightweight aerial alternative of taking to the skies in jet mode and raining down on enemy players was also appealing. Ultimately, my mind settled on the axe-wielding melee mecha, which allowed me to crush players who got too close. Here’s a plate to suit any palette.
Trying out all of these features in the standard PvP objective game mode gave us a glimpse into the team cohesion that is at the heart of Mechabreak. Like other games in the same subgenre, it’s all about choosing the right role for the specific goals you want to achieve. One of the matches we played, a variation of King of the Hill, required us to capture items and transport them to a central command point.
The winning team (not us) was able to dominate the game with a mix of very heavy and particularly fast machines, each protecting points and transporting items. Our team, too interested in messing around with the coolest looking machines, fell short. But it’s hard to be too mad at myself or my compatriots for fumbling with their bags. It’s incredibly flashier when the two machines dance while fighting. Each match tests your ability to escape unnecessary but exciting fights.
We also got a glimpse, albeit a small one, at how the game itself will be supported. Of course, there is also a battle pass. This is practically as much a core feature of free-to-play multiplayer games these days as guns and music. However, this unlocks alternate color choices, new machines, and various other cosmetics. The cosmetics I use are part of this kind of gaming deal. But we don’t yet know how much all this will cost and how difficult it will be to get the pass underway. Getting washed out of a game like this can be terribly discouraging.
So Mechabreak is fun, at least in the little play sessions we had together. The elephant in the room is, perhaps unfairly, somewhat separate from that. Do you have an appetite for this type of game now? Of course, Gundam games still dominate Eastern arcades, and Overwatch 2 continues to totter around. But we’ve seen games like this come out. The same goes for good games. Perhaps you could argue that in the post-Armored Core 6 world, we live in a greater hunger for mech PvP. But the flip side of that coin is that people who crave a fast-paced, competitive mecha experience are probably still AC6 players.
Anyway, that’s not a fair comparison. But if you place Mechabreak in the same role-based shooter pond as its close relative, it doesn’t even look particularly good. Sure, Overwatch 2 is still doing well, but plenty of other games have died trying to eat its scraps. Most of this happened years ago! One could argue that this opens up space for eager newcomers, but I’m still leaning more towards the belief that players who are passionate about these kinds of games are more entrenched in their favorite games than ever before. Getting them out will be harder than ever.
Ultimately, what I’d like to see from the Mechabreak team is a lot of marketing, if they have the budget. They must do their best to capture their audience on day one, and then work to retain their audience. The game is solid. Seriously, there’s a nice charm to it. All you have to do is entice people to see it for themselves. I think this will be the hill where Mechabreak lives or dies.
There is currently no release date for Mechabreak, but the game is currently on Steam and you can add it to your wishlist now. For those who consider themselves fans of team shooters and are looking for the next exciting thing, it’s worth a try.