| Mecha BREAK | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | Pre-Order & DLC | Review |
Mecha BREAK is holding its Open Beta for both PC and Xbox. Read on to see what's new and what changed between this version and the previous playtest.
Mecha BREAK Open Beta Review
Fleshing Out the Steel Giants—With Money
The year’s most anticipated mecha shooter game (thanks in no small part to SYNDUALITY: Echo of Ada's recent faceplant) is holding another playtest—an open beta that will be available from February 23, 2025, and will last until an unannounced future date. Fortunately, it’s not just some network stress test, which would have been quite ironic considering the servers momentarily tripped due to extreme load shortly after the open beta went live. February’s open beta for Mecha BREAK brings with it a slew of new content, in addition to delivering a bit of a reality check to some of its players, thanks to the less-than-generous freebies this time around.
Now, the overall state of the game hasn’t changed much since the previous playtest. Mecha BREAK is still the 10/10 mecha shooter I’ve always dreamed of getting since the repeated heartbreaks from Gundam (except Gundam Breaker 4. That was pretty good). Its potential for customizability, particularly regarding character and mecha cosmetics, is still mind-boggling, which is totally expected from a game developed by Amazing Seasun. But most importantly, the weapons still make no practical sense—a fact that just makes playing the game even more immersive and satisfying.
Hangar Exploration Brings Some Much-Needed... Humanity
Before you go scrolling down to our comments and asking, "Why the hell would a mecha game need any hint of humanity?" I’ll go ahead and answer you right now: it really doesn’t. However, it’s not the kind of thing the game shouldn’t have.
Mecha BREAK delivers this touch of humanity through its Hangar Exploration feature—a completely optional (for now) activity players can do whenever they’re not keen on pressing the queue button or staring at their mech all day. There are only a few things you can do right now, though, which include… some very fine activities for the cultured gentlemen.
For example, you can check out your mech up close and personal by going to the Bridge, talk to your peers, or… watch your character sleep… or take a bath…
Depending on how you view these activities, though, it may disappoint you or come as a relief that some of them cannot be repeated. Like, I haven’t found a way to take a second look at the shower scene after the mandatory one at the beginning of the game (which is a shame). The same goes for watching your character sleep in their underwear.
Other than that, there’s not much else to talk about. What really matters is that the foundation for a more expansive experience is here. Maybe in the future, we can invite other players into our hangars? Or maybe more plot-related events will happen inside our headquarters? The possibilities aren’t exactly endless, but there’s a lot to look forward to.
Mashmak Mode Shakes the Formula a Bit
Previously, Mecha BREAK only offered PvP experiences through its 6v6 Operation VERGE and 3v3 Ace Arena modes. Considering the various objectives players can encounter in each round, though, it’s not as if repeatedly engaging in those modes gets boring quickly. For example, Operation VERGE has escort missions, point capture objectives, etc.
While the game could certainly use more maps to segregate each objective into its own mode, the addition of a PvPvE extraction mode called Mashmak is still a welcome sight. After all, the gameplay isn’t vastly different from Operation VERGE or Ace Arena—it just adds the usual extraction shooter elements like looting, coordinated actions, and the dreaded extraction phase.
My only issue with the mode is its lack of proper onboarding. See, unlike Operation VERGE, where everything’s as straightforward as "kill the enemy, cooperate with allies, interact with the shiny objective," Mashmak actually introduces some far less intuitive gameplay objectives. For example, enemies can now drop loot… which matters to you, how? Sure, hovering your mouse over each item provides a tooltip, but is that really something you should be making players do in an environment where they can be shot down while looting?
The experience is diluted even further depending on what kind of teammates you get. If you’re like me and don’t have any friends (sad reality) to play with, you’ll likely rely heavily on public matchmaking for Mashmak. And as you can imagine, taking your time looting battlefield casualties isn’t really an option if you’re matched with players itching to get to the next objective.
Bonus points to the whole public matchmaking experience if you get blamed for their deaths as they rush off without you.
Fortunately, though, once you get the hang of the mode (and get some friends to play with), Mashmak might actually be one of the most engaging experiences Mecha BREAK has to offer. Not only does it provide the occasional fast-paced PvP encounter whenever you run into enemy teams, but the PvE phases are no joke either. Enemies will swarm you if you don’t coordinate properly, and enemy reinforcements are a constant threat in fortified locations.
As a bonus, the game also has environmental effects that significantly impact your entire existence, such as Corite Pulse Storms that appear and roam the world to ruin your day.
Common Currency Isn’t Very Common
Unfortunately for those planning to play Mecha BREAK without spending a single penny—or even for dolphins with a limited budget—the game’s Open Beta gives a glimpse into its economy… and it’s not great.
For reference, the game’s common currency, Matrix Credit, is used for everything from buying new Striker mechs to purchasing cosmetics for both your pilot and your robot. In other words, you need them to expand your gameplay experience and enhance your team’s audiovisual appeal. You can obtain these by simply playing the game or reaching certain milestones.
You don’t earn much, though—at least not enough to actually matter in the short run. Mechs can cost anywhere from several thousand to 68k, while cosmetics can go up to 15k, including makeup, accessories, and, most importantly, hairstyles. The same applies to mech paint schemes and accents.
Multiply that by the number of mechs and the sheer variety of pilot cosmetics available, plus the unlockable weapons and modules (yes, unlocking them also costs Matrix Credits), and you’ll find that the game’s currency system is far more restrictive than it seems.
How much do you earn per match? Surely a significant amount, right? Maybe four thousand?
Try less than two thousand on average. And we haven’t even talked about the Battle Pass, which has a weekly cap of six thousand Merit Points—yet requires 18,000 to unlock the season’s new mech. In other words, players will need three weeks of maxing out their weekly cap to unlock the mech, with even more grinding required for the pilot outfit and accessories.
Monetization Needs a Complete Redesign
Honestly, why do mechs have different price points? Setting the Falcon’s price at 3.2k Matrix Credits, while the Skyraider costs 45k, implies that the latter is vastly superior. Functionally, that’s actually true, too. As a hero shooter, that’s a terrible idea. Every mech should be balanced so that players can pick whichever they like and personalize them without feeling like they’re wasting currency or time.
Every mech should cost the same Matrix Credit amount—without exception. Better yet, they should just be free, with players spending on cosmetics instead. Players will drop absurd amounts of money for skins, anyway, as long as they’re for characters or mechs they’re attached to.
Mecha BREAK’s monetization model, at least from what we’ve seen so far, is its only major problem. The balance issue is an unfortunate casualty of this system, creating a clear disparity between mechs to push players toward the expensive ones.
If the game manages to rein in these issues before launch, I have no doubt it will be a massive success. But until then, its amazing gameplay and fantastic visuals might never get the recognition they deserve.
