Developer: Crafts & Meister
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch
Tested on: PS5
GUNDAM BREAKER 4 – Review
We can easily state that New Gundam Breaker wasn’t received well by the fans of the GUNDAM BREAKER series. The game was disappointing in nearly all aspects and was a massive step back from the main series entries. Many fans were hoping that the next main installment would pick up where GUNDAM BREAKER 3 left off, albeit with some minor upgrades and possibly even more Gunpla kits being available in the game itself. This is exactly what you’re getting with the subject of today’s review, GUNDAM BREAKER 4. The game is currently available on PC, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo’s Switch hybrid console. We were quite eager to delve into this latest Gundam title, and for the most part, we very much loved the experience.
Story
The story revolves around a new player on an online app called Gunpla Battle Blaze: Beyond Borders, otherwise known as GBBBB. It’s basically the story of the new kid on the block who is still learning the ropes but quickly rises to fame. During the story missions, you’ll come across other players who are also starting out, but you’ll soon find yourself on the radar of high-ranking players and even other famous icons in the Gunpla scene. It’s a basic premise, but it’s lighthearted, it serves as a great tutorial for newcomers and veterans alike, and most importantly, it’s very accessible.
Graphics
Keeping in mind that GUNDAM BREAKER 4 is a multi-platform release and was also developed with Nintendo’s Switch in mind, things still look pretty good. All Gunpla parts look clean and detailed, and it was simply so much fun seeing all the different types of builds. While this might also be considered gameplay, the developers truly added so many different parts and models that it was a delight swapping out parts. The characters you’ll encounter also look good thanks to their detailed old-school anime-like portraits. The game’s main hub and the actual stages look a bit bland, empty, and sometimes even a bit boring. Luckily you’ll always be engaged in combat, leaving little time to actually take in the backdrop or the rest of the environment(s).
Sound
The sound design is decent across the board. We enjoyed the voice acting during the story segments, the supporting soundtrack was quite nice, and the sound effects provided great audio feedback. It’s the minor details here that make the difference, such as impact sounds, the SFX of your weapons, and so on. Even though the music is not that memorable, it’s all quite enjoyable nonetheless.
Gameplay
GUNDAM BREAKER 4 is equal parts hack-and-slash combat as it is a Gunpla simulator. The balance will probably be different for those who want to focus more on the action, while other players may spend a lot more time designing their own unique Gunpla. The offset itself is quite straightforward, as you’ll simply go through different battles, perform as best as you can, and hopefully unlock new parts in the process. The game is very inviting to newcomers thanks to the slow-ramping story mode, and it’s also very interesting for series veterans. We didn’t have that much experience with the series yet, and we found our bearings easily. That being said, we were perhaps a bit overwhelmed with the customization options at first, but gradually we started getting more comfortable with trying new builds and swapping out parts from our digital Gundam.
The combat in GUNDAM BREAKER 4 is quite basic, but it’s also rather satisfying. Combat consists mostly of fending off waves of enemies, and it does get a bit repetitive after a while. The battles revolve around keeping a combo chain going, and you can do this by using your melee attacks, ranged attacks, and an arsenal of skills. You can equip a different melee weapon for each arm, and you can also equip a different ranged weapon for each arm. By combining all those moves and going from target to target, you can easily go for combos that have over several hundred hits. That being said, the targeting system isn’t always that precise, and at times the combat feels a bit rough around the edges. Nonetheless, the overall experience is entertaining, and it’s extremely satisfying to break your personal combo records. With the different weapon options available in the game, you also have a lot to experiment with. This creates quite a bit of replay value to figure out your favorite build. The better you perform in missions, the more buffs you will get during combat, and the more Gunpla parts you can earn.
Customization plays a big part in the GUNDAM BREAKER 4 experience, as it’s all about winning new parts and trying them out. Eventually, it’s your goal to end up with the ultimate Gundam. There is an impressive amount of parts in the game that will offer you better stats, new ways to fight, and new skill options. Things become even more interesting when you find out that every single part can be customized even further with different types of paint. This makes it a Gunpla builder’s dream. We spent quite a few hours just picking and matching parts, to then coloring them exactly how we wanted them to look.
Conclusion
Even though it’s extremely satisfying to aim for the highest possible combo during each mission, GUNDAM BREAKER 4 does have its repetitive moments. Luckily, the game has a perfect balance between combat missions and customization options, allowing players to spend time grinding for new parts or creating their own perfect digital Gunpla. We found this fourth installment to be great for both veterans of the series and newcomers. The latter will be eased into the experience thanks to the many tutorial screens, but even without these, the experience is very intuitive.
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