Developer Amazing Seasun Games, so far only know for their 3rd person shooter gacha game Snowbreak: Containment Zone (see other posts covering this game), launched a playtest for their upcoming game Mecha BREAK on Steam.
The test phase, which started last weekend and is still available until August 13th, received majorly positive feedback from players and has reached over 50,000 concurrent players in the last few days.
Mecha BREAK is a PvP focused, multiplayer mecha-battle game, that is estimated to be released in 2025 as a free-to-play title. Inspired by classic japanese mecha and gundam themes, players can steer one of 13 unique mechas into battle during the playtest, called “Break Strikers”, which all provide distinct movesets and playstyles.
The playtest provide an overview of what can be expected from the full release, but only a selection of gameplay modes are available at this point. The focus is clearly set on the multiplayer experience (with some additional challenge gameplay), even though the official Steam page describes pilot focused story lines that can be expected to provide a more single player and story driven experience.
Furthermore, as is to be expected of a free-to-play title, the methods and amounts of monetization will only be in effect in the release version of the game. There are already implementations of a gacha system (for paint used for customization) and a battle pass, but the currency needed to try these systems is provided to every player in abundance after finishing the tutorial, presumable for the efficacy of the playtest.
Technically, the game is at a good point, especially considering the early state of the build, which means it is already far more polished than most modern AAA releases. While the official requirements are on the higher side, and the frame rate tends to fluctuate as well during certain scenes, the main gameplay parts of the game run well even on older hardware, as long as it was decent for it’s time and you spend some time tweaking settings.
Visually, the game presents futuristic / post-apocalyptic maps for the varied game modes. The environments are detailed enough to present a fitting background for the fighting action, even though the fast paced combat doesn’t allow for much sight seeing. The most visual fidelity is of course found in the roster of Break Strikers, which all feature distinct designs fitting their weight class (light to super heavy) and their combat role.
Effects and UI are nice to look at and easy to tell apart, and sounds and music always underline the current situation fittingly. The only thing that could do with an upgrade is the soundtrack itself. While it is feasible and inoffensive, there are also no memorable songs or distinct themes.
Customization options seem to be a big part of Mecha BREAK, as there are not only a huge number of different paints/color tones to apply in a very detailed mecha paint menu, but also a no-less detailed character editor to create your personal mecha pilot.
While the pilot from this elaborate creation tool is currently only visually utilized in menus, load screens and respawn scenes during the match, it is not unlikely there will be more to do with the pilots in the release version of the game, e.g. in the at the moment absent other game modes.
The gameplay itself, in which the test players find themselves after a very brief tutorial, is rather hectic and can be overwhelming in the beginning, especially as many mechanics are not explained in detail. But as this is only a playtest before the full release, an extensive first tutorial section is likely to be present later.
The PvP gameplay always happens in 6vs6 mode, where two teams of six Break Strikers pilots compete in various modes against each other, ranging from classic modes like Team Deathmatch and King of the Hill, to modes inspired by other team shooter games, like Payload Escort and Central Capture the Flag.
There are a handful of maps and modes available during the playtest, each map being linked to a single mode. As each Break Striker has a distinct playstyle and strategic options, and different mecha also soft-counter each other during the fight, playing on the same map still manages to feel fresh when experiencing it in a different Break Striker.
Conclusively, the playtest of Mecha BREAK can be seen as a success without larger technical problems, giving us a good first impression of what to expect from the game when its release date in 2025 arrives. If you haven’t tried it yet, the playtest is open for everyone who is interested until August 13th, 2024 on Steam.
