Yes I am still here. Think this is the longest time between posts yet. Just haven’t finished a game in quite some time now. Well, I am here now to talk about a remarkably unremarkable game, “New Gundam Breaker.”
I will start off by saying I really have no connection with “Gundam” as a franchise. I have seen a couple of random episodes of various “Gundam” series and read a single volume of a “Gundam” manga but, that is about the extent of my “Gundam” history. I have never really given it enough of a chance to form a strong opinion on it. As such I don’t really know how well “New Gundam Breaker” caters to fans and am only able to really judge the game as an independent property.
So what is “New Gundam Breaker” about? The game follows a new transfer student in a prestigious private Gunpla school. Students in this academy are each given a rank based upon their merit as a Gunpla battler. Students are expected to battle it out to improve their ranks in officially sanctioned battles.
A small rebel group led by a childhood friend has formed with the goal of dismantling the hierarchical structure of the school. In the hopes of building a system that values creativity and enjoyment in Gunpla over pure strength in battling.
The gameplay of “New Gundam Breaker” involves battling customizable miniature robots known as Gunpla. During a battle the player is given a variety of quests which involve completing simple tasks such as “break 10 containers” or “Destroy 20 neutral forces.” After completing several quests the player is given a main quest which typically involves destroying the enemy Gunpla.
The player is given a small arsenal of moves from basic melee and range attacks to powerful special skills which can be utilized to destroy the opponent. The available skills are determined by the parts attached to the players Gunpla. Which brings us to what is in my opinion the most interesting part of the game, Gunpla customization. Between battles the player may customize there Gunpla with various pieces such as arms, legs, guns, heads and more. Each piece has different abilities and stats. This customization is neat but not groundbreaking. What is truly fascinating is in how parts are obtained and can change mid-battle. When the player takes significant damage in combat, parts will fall off the Gunpla. When this happens the player is no longer able to use the abilities associated with said parts. However, defeated enemies also drop parts which the player can then pick-up and use them as a replacement part. Thus giving the player a dynamically changing set of moves that encourages experimentation. Collected parts can also be kept when the battle concludes and used in future Gunpla customization. In my opinion this mid-battle part swapping system is incredibly neat. Unfortunately, it is the only glimmer of light, in an otherwise dismal game.
Every battle in “New Gundam Breaker” is sadly more or less the same despite the variety of different parts the player picks up. Destroy waves of mindless neutral Gunpla that do little more than chase the player around. Then fight a slightly more unique looking Gunpla whom also does little more than chase the player around.
The controls of the game are absolutely horrendous. I found myself spending more time fighting with the camera than the enemy Gunpla. I felt lucky every time I actually managed to lock onto the correct target. Jumping and boosting would have weird button press memories that would result in me jumping or boosting several seconds after the intended time because a previous action was being completed.
The game also damages itself by providing no real penalty for death. If a player dies they respawn three seconds later with all their parts reattached. The foes do not regenerate any health and the player loses nothing. This results in there being no point in approaching the enemy with strategy since sooner or later the enemy will fall and it doesn’t matter how many times you are destroyed along the way.
The Ranking
Overall “New Gundam Breaker” is a dismal game with some good ideas that are let down by poor controls and repetitive battles. Lucky for “New Gundam Breaker” it does not fit into any of our current lists and as such gets to be number 1 on our brand new anime game list. Hopefully, it does not get to hold that glory for very long…
Platform: Sony Playstation 4. Time to Beat: 3 hours 21 minutes 31 seconds.
How to play “New Gundam Breaker?”
“New Gundam Breaker” can be purchased from our e-commerce website Intergalactic Games and Collectibles.
Gaming Conquest 