Gundam Breaker 4

When it comes down to it, Gundam Breaker 4 is all about the bits and pieces. Literally. If you’ve ever put a Gunpla kit together you understand how long it takes, how it feels to put the parts together, and how awesome it is to pose and admire the finished kit. A video game version of that is obviously different, and this game takes full advantage of those differences. When the laws of reality and resource scarcity don’t apply, Gunpla can be something completely different, exciting, and fun in its own ways. Drop some fun combat and multiplayer capacity on top and you have a formidable time sink. You get out what you put in, and there’s an admirable amount of space to let that mean different things to different players, and it all feels rewarding.

Overall, Gundam Breaker 4 is a fantastic game for fans of Gundam as a whole, whether you are or are not acquainted with previous entries of the series or even the anime. If you’re just a fan of the mecha genre in general and customizing your own mech, I don’t think I could recommend Breaker 4 enough. It’s got excellent customization, fluid combat with enough depth to reward you for getting a feel for multiple attack possibilities, and plenty of reasons to continue to play. The developers have stated that there will be free and paid DLC released throughout the game’s life cycle, so be sure to stay tuned for new updates.

As a Gundam fan I went into Gundam Breaker 4 really wanting to love it, and while I enjoyed parts of the game; ultimately it didn’t hit the spot for me. The story felt that it may have been aimed at a younger audience and the combat, as great as stomping around in a mobile suit is; it just became very repetitive. What Gundam Breaker 4 does extremely well though is offer an almost endless number of parts and suits to chase, build and customize. There is even a diorama that players can unlock where they can set up their own scenes featuring any suits they may have built. This is a game that clearly knows its audience, and if you are a gunplay fan then this is THE Gundam video game for you.

Gundam Breaker 4 is more than just another game based on an anime franchise. It caters to Gunpla modeling enthusiasts and those who might no longer have space for model kit boxes. The premise is entertaining without needing to be profound, and it makes an excellent effort to provide you with the tools to create your perfect Mobile Suit, something you might not be able to achieve in the real world.

Gundam Breaker 4 is like watching an old friend rebound from tough times. It may not be as great as its mainline predecessors in some regards, but it is a solid course correction from the last few dire entries. The repetitive stages and diluted weapon options are a noticeable step back, yet so many quality-of-life improvements to this new entry in the gunpla action RPG series make it much a smoother experience to play. While completing the main story took me roughly around 17 hours, I'm just about to reach the 60 hour mark because I keep making entire new gunpla builds to take on the highest difficulty stages on their own. It takes virtual model kit building to the next level and the potential of crafting something truly masterful, or horrific, is only limited by a person’s imagination.