Gundam Breaker 4 (PS5) Review – Kitbashing Fan Service That Could Use More Flair

There is a vibrant culture that has been built around the hobby of snapping together model kits of various robots that has fascinated the world since the 1980s. What was once a way for Bandai to cleverly market the vast array of Mobile Gundam Mobile Suits, vehicles, and weaponry has since evolved into a synonymous part of the franchise to the point that there are series that revolve around building models and battling them. The hobby is collectively known as Gunpla and it is represented rather well in Gundam Breaker 4 but I wish there was a little more flair than the mission-based game has to offer in its current form. 

Game Name: Gundam Breaker 4
Platform(s): PS5 (Reviewed), PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC
Developer(s): KIWIWALKS
Publisher(s): KIWIWALKS
Release Date: August 29th, 2024
Price: $59.99 (Standard), $89.99 (Deluxe Edition), $99.99 (Ultimate Edition)

The premise of Gundam Breaker 4 will be familiar to anyone who has watched any toy-driven or card game-related anime over the last 20 years or so. At the outset, our faceless protagonist has just joined a new online game called (NAME) and enters a world of leaderboard-climbing clans, various shops, and desks run by cute Beargguys, and takes on quests through mission-based gameplay. Players of NAME build their Gunpla, scan them in, and play them alongside their pilot avatars. The game’s story revolves around the various players of this in-game game much like the stories of Sword Art Online or .hack, though I much prefer the story told within those shows than what’s presented here. What results is a surprisingly satisfying gameplay loop of taking on combat missions, earning hundreds of new parts, and steadily improving one’s build for maximum performance or just to look cooler than everyone else in the lobby. 

The lobby hub is comparable to the early villages found in classic Monster Hunter, serving as more of a connection point with various shops and systems rather than replicating an actual community. Unfortunately, the online functionality of Gundam Breakers 4 was not available during our playtime for this review which is a shame because discovering builds and busting up bots with friends sounds like a solid time, especially for fans of this franchise. 

That said, we were able to get a feel for the game’s story missions and build some truly monstrous mechas. 

The Good

A lot of mecha games get this gameplay loop right but I was impressed by the sheer amount of designs represented within Gundam Breaker 4. I have built several model kits over the years and I often browse the newest kits online so I am familiar with most mobile suits either through those storefront updates or from watching the associated anime. It did not take long for me to build a Shining Gundam and explode enemies in brilliant green explosions. 

There was a moment about halfway through the first chapter where I discovered that one can even build Armor Girls which look hilariously out of place. That and SD models are represented though I only found a few as of this writing. I tried to use an SD build but the damage output was abysmal so hopefully there are better SD kits to find later on.

The customization system has enough depth to keep one hooked, always curious about what new kits one might discover through third-person anime violence. While the combat system gets the job done, I was far more intrigued with kitbashing. At one point I unlocked a tattered cloak and audibly giggled with glee. The cloaked robot trope is one of my all-time favorite images in Mecha anime. There is even an in-depth photography and diorama system that will delight anyone with creative tendencies. 

I hope that there are simple ways to share one’s builds, photos, and dioramas with other players. The more approachable that system is, the better for the longevity of Gundam Breaker 4 because the game’s plot and gameplay won’t keep players coming back. 

 

The Bad

The majority of one’s time will be spent in third-person hack-and-slash combat with ranged weaponry and various abilities with cooldowns. Each part has an array of stats that can be upgraded but some parts carry special moves such as the ability to go Hyper Mode or activate the Trans-Am system. Nearly the entirety of the PS5 controller is mapped to a function and while it can be confusing at first, I was able to find effective move rotations that dealt immense damage after about an hour of practice. I did immediately pull back the game’s camera in the settings for better comfort; there are lots of options to tinker with and adjusting the game to one’s preference is recommended.  

Despite the simplicity of the combat, there are many different types of attacks that I deeply enjoyed putting together builds from a sheer gameplay perspective. Those into stats might really dig this system as there are plenty of percentages and points to consider but for the most part building with parts with the highest rarity usually leads to victory. Thank goodness each mission has an adjustable difficulty. 

Even though the game is simple, not having the right gear can extend the amount of attacks it takes to bring down an enemy mobile suit. The massive bosses, while awesome visually, are the biggest offenders and I found myself bringing things down to the easy difficulty just to get through these skirmishes quicker. General mobs will also spawn right on top of the player and there is usually very little indication of the barriers of the small maps. The simple compass that only shows the general location of enemies doesn’t help either. 

Furthermore, Gundam Breaker 4 uses a randomized loot system for every part and two parts of the same name can have vastly different stats and passive abilities. I have never liked this approach to items in games and since I amassed almost a thousand parts during my time with the game there is just too much to look at. Scrolling through these parts takes forever too and the sorting system could be improved. 

At the higher levels of play, I imagine this loot system would transform into a nasty pile of numbers that would undoubtedly give me a migraine. 

When not engaging with the core loop, the game’s story weaves a typical tale of one-note characters trying to be the very best like no one ever was. Think Beyblade, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Pokémon, Medabots, but with none of the interesting characters or larger-than-life scenarios that make those shows so engaging. There is some character development but there’s not enough personality to really make the cast shine. Luckily, this is a story that is easier to follow compared to other games of this nature; all of the voice lines are in English so the mid-mission conversations are much easier to follow. There is a slight sense of mystery that has yet to pay off but the pacing is so terribly slow that I doubt I’ll push to see the conclusion. 

 

The Verdict

For fans of Gunpla, Gundam Breaker 4 is an interesting time-waster. I love the fact that most of the model kits are represented by little boxes that use their actual artwork from the products. Seeing the retro covers next to the modern stuff is fascinating and helps highlight the history of this franchise. When new mini-bosses appear they even burst out of their boxes. It’s cute. 

I cannot wait to see what other players create. I was able to mock up some Evangelion-style mobile suits and every new part opened up my imagination to the potential of this system. I used to swap parts with my Gundam action figures as a kid since most of the connections were usually compatible with each other so there’s a nostalgic element to Gundam Breaker 4 that I am drawn to. 

However, the snail’s pace of the story, simplistic hub, flat characters, and predictable nature of the gameplay will make this hard to play for all but the biggest fans of Gundam. It is a tough game to love and I wasn’t able to engage with the multiplayer, which might be this game’s biggest selling point. Yet, I’m glad to have played it and I might come back to it periodically just to make cool robots. 

Review Disclosure Statement: Gundam Breaker 4 was provided to us by Bandai Namco for review purposes. For more information on how we review video games and other media/technology, please review our Review Guideline/Scoring Policy.

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