Over 300,000 gamers on Steam is a large success – however Mecha Break is already going through a steep crash.
Mecha Break; has shortly catapulted itself to the highest of the Steam charts – not less than when it comes to participant numbers. The brand new multiplayer mecha shooter from Superb Seasun Video games attracted over 317,000 simultaneous gamers in its open beta inside only a few hours.
Which means that the sport outperforms even heavyweights like GTA 5 and ranks simply behind long-running favorites like Counter Strike 2, PUBG: Battlegrounds and Dota 2. However whereas the participant numbers are spectacular, the Steam critiques look bleak: Solely 33 % of the critiques are presently constructive.
Mech battles with frustration elements
Mecha Break was revealed on the finish of 2023 on the Recreation Awards and brought about a stir with its fashionable mech design and explosive results gameplay. The open beta, which began on February 23, ought to now additional gas the hype – however as an alternative, it’s met with criticism.
The primary main level of frustration for a lot of gamers is the tutorial, which proves to be surprisingly prolonged and unhelpful on the identical time. Some report spending almost an hour on the introductory part and two pressured AI matches earlier than they might even enter the precise recreation.
One other hotly debated subject is the usage of a kernel-level anti-cheat, which intervenes deeply within the system and have to be eliminated manually after uninstalling the sport.
This kind of anti-cheat software program has a nasty fame within the gaming group, as it’s typically thought-about a safety threat or evenChinese adware Some gamers additionally report blue screens which may be associated to the anti-cheat resolution.
Monetization is inflicting fear strains
Though Mecha Break, with its mixture of Titanfall, Armored Core and Gundam, has struck a chord when it comes to gameplay, many gamers are additionally involved in regards to the monetization. Whereas the primary beta was nonetheless perceived as truthful, some gamers are actually accusing the developer of creating a possible Pay2Win mannequin with battle passes and in-game currencies.
A very important level is unlocking new mechs, which, in keeping with some gamers, is unnecessarily grind-heavy. Sure items value extraordinarily excessive quantities of in-game forex, so Free2Play gamers might must play for weeks whereas Battle Move patrons get direct entry.
One consumer writes:
I actually need to like this recreation, but when it continues to develop on this manner, will probably be laborious to maintain up.
Comparisons with Gundam Evolution – a failed mecha shooter that shortly misplaced gamers as a result of its monetization technique – are already being drawn.
After all, not all voices are unfavourable: many reward the precise gameplay, which feels quick, dynamic and highly effective. Some even evaluate Mecha Break to a Dragon Ball Z in mech type, whereas others enthusiastically rejoice the combo of various mecha video games.
The large query now’s: Can Superb Seasun Video games mitigate the criticisms earlier than the official launch in spring 2025? Or will Mecha Break observe the unhappy destiny of many different formidable multiplayer video games that failed as a result of monetization and design choices?
After Marvel Rivals just lately impressed with its truthful monetization and might nonetheless look again on robust consumer numbers virtually three months later, many gamers are more likely to have even much less want for Pay2Win and extreme grind.
