My first Mecha BREAK hands-on showed me that this is the free-to-play multiplayer mech game everyone has been waiting for

I recently attended a special preview event for Mecha BREAK, a free-to-play mech multiplayer title set to release this Spring as a timed Xbox console and PC exclusive.

Mecha BREAK has already grown a strong fan base, thanks to a few beta testing rounds. In fact, at the time of writing, it is the 8th most wishlisted game on Steam.

Just this last Sunday, another open beta introduced the brand new PvPvE Mashmak mode. The beta reached a peak of 317,522 concurrent players on Sunday, beating out Marvel Rivals for a bit to make it the fourth-highest-played game on Steam.

That's pretty damn impressive.

During my hands-on, I was fortunate enough to check out the game's three modes (3v3, 6v6, and Mashmak) and even played with Kris Kwok, CEO of Amazing Seasun Games and Executive Producer of Mecha BREAK.

There's no shortage of mech games out there, like Armored Core and Titanfall, but I can say that Mecha BREAK does something special and manages to stand out as the mech game of mech games.

Mecha BREAK: Free to play at Steam

Squad up while controlling a giant robot. Each Striker mech has its own playstyle, so you can go in guns blazing, provide support for your team, take on the role of a sniper, hold your ground as a tank, and more.

Get at: Steam | Xbox

What is Mecha BREAK about anyway?

Mecha BREAK - Game Mode Trailer | The Game Awards 2024 - YouTube

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As is a common theme within the mech genre, the story behind Mecha BREAK revolves around human survival on an increasingly hostile Earth.

Things are bleak, but following a catastrophe, a strange "carbon-silicon mineral known as Corite" has been spreading around the planet. It's a valuable energy source despite its pathogenic nature, so obviously, everyone is fighting over it with their giant mechs known as "Strikers."

Mecha BREAK offers three multiplayer modes that each revolve around collecting Corite:

• 3v3: You team up in groups of three in this PvP mode and attempt to complete objectives to get the highest points before time is up.
• 6v6: This is another PvP mode where you team up in groups of six and test your mettle against other players while trying to complete objectives. The team with the highest score at the end wins.
• Mashmak: The newest mode is a PvPvE extraction mode played on a massive 16km by 16km map (256km or 159 miles total). I was told that it would take 10 minutes to get across the whole map if I had unlimited energy. Teams work to claim extraction points while taking down hostile NPCs, fighting bosses, gathering resources, avoiding Corite storms, and defeating enemy players.

Why you should trust me

Why you should trust me

Rebecca Spear

I've played hundreds of games in a vast range of genres, so I know what to look for when evaluating a new title. Mechanics, visual presentation, and a game's overall refinement all go toward my analysis.

13 Strikers with different playstyles (and more on the way)

There will be 13 Strikers when Mecha BREAK launches, but most will need to be unlocked with in-game currency that can be earned from playing one of the three modes. Each Striker caters to a different playstyle and offers unique attacks or abilities.

The starting Striker, Alysnes, is a light attacker who wields a shield, sword, and gun for both melee and ranged combat.

Meanwhile, Illuminae is a supporter who can heal allies and debuff enemies. Then there are heavy defenders like Hurricane, who move slowly but can lay down a barrage of firepower for high damage.

If you prefer to keep away from the main skirmish, you might want to play as Aquila, a heavy sniper.

The plan is to bring additional Strikers to the game as time goes on, offering even more playstyles and unique abilities to choose from.

Of course, every Striker has its own strengths and weaknesses to keep multiplayer balanced, so it's best to coordinate with your teammates and choose a set of Strikers for your Squad that work well together and can help each other out.

I know for a fact that one of the reasons my team won one round was due to the unfailing healing efforts of a teammate effectively playing as Illuminae.

When I asked Kwok which Striker was his favorite, he told me that he had spent hundreds of hours with each working on designing their weaponization and that they are "all like kids to me," so there was no way he could choose a favorite. That said, it seems Falcon is the fan favorite of the bunch.

Fast-paced controls and strategies that keep you coming back for more

Mecha BREAK - Global Storm Open Beta Preview - YouTube

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After spending time playing this game, I can corroborate with my colleague, Michael Hoglund, that Mecha Break is a fantastic game that manages to feel like a faster-paced Armored Core.

When talking with Kwok, he told me that he himself is a major Armored Core fan and has personally put at least a hundred hours into the series. So, naturally, Mecha BREAK feels familiar, but with some much needed differences from other mech games.

Something the Mecha BREAK team really nailed is giving these machines a balanced sense of power and maneuverability while still feeling like a massive multi-ton tank. I can quickly dodge or boost horizontally or vertically as long as I have enough energy to spare. The Strikers don't feel as sluggish as mechs do in some other games, but they also don't feel weightless either.

This refinement makes it feel like you're really controlling a powerful machine that can seriously do some damage. The destructible assets on the map further drive this point home.

found myself intentionally bowling over pine trees and smashing semi-trucks simply to satisfy my own destructive desires.

The game always ran smoothly, and I never experienced any stuttering, delays, or in-game complications. I especially appreciated the effort that went into ballistic calculations, given that the game even played smoothly when there were multiple explosions, lasers, missiles, and other effects going on all over the place. Technologically and visually, the game is extremely polished.

So, what are the three modes like? In one 6v6 round, my squad and I were dropped onto the Cape Blanc Observatory map, with the objective being to dismantle Corite extractors. This required getting to a designated area, fighting off the incoming fire, and staying near the Corite extractors long enough without taking damage to actually dismantle them. Successfully doing so provided our team with points.

Depending on the Striker, some players went in for ranged or melee kills, others deployed shields to prevent incoming damage, and some sniped enemies from a fair distance away. It immediately became apparent that, at the very core, you need to work together with your team in order to be successful in Mecha BREAK.

In another 6v6, my team was dropped into Palmbay Harbor and tasked with escorting transport vehicles to an end destination while also seizing key areas along the way. The transport moves forward when someone on my team is in contact with it but heads back toward its origin otherwise.

As you can imagine, this led to frenetic encounters between my squad and our opponents.

What ensued was some truly fast-paced maneuvering, strategic shield placement, and prudent healing, and sometimes ended in absolute slaughter. But gameplay always felt balanced and fair, even when I was destroyed by an opponent.

During Mashmak, my team dropped onto the massive 256km map and concentrated on defeating NPCs and bosses to get loot while heading toward an extraction area.

The thing with Mashmak is that you need to make sure you aren't so distracted with fighting bosses and looting NPCs that you fail to notice actual players firing on you.

Additionally, Corite storms generate after a while if certain beacons on the Mashmak map are not destroyed in time. These swirling purple clouds quickly do damage to your Striker, so it can be worth your time to take these beacons out before they do their job.

There's a lot going on, but that just adds to the fun.

Another form of strategy comes into play thanks to the types of airdrops players can call onto the battlefield. You can summon gliders, rockets, weapons, and more. You might be playing as a slow tank, but call in a Glider drop, and you can increase your Striker's speed.

But airdrops aren't just for upgrading. If someone on your team gets felled in Mashmak, a remaining player can call for a Summoning Beacon, which basically revives a fallen member. You can also call a Service Depot Beacon, which releases repair drones to heal your team up.

Knowing when to call an airdrop and what kind to request is key to playing well.

Fulfill your inner Warhammer painter and customize your Striker (and your Pilot)

Whenever I got back from missions, I earned currency and got to look at all of the goodies I looted. From here, I was able to upgrade my Strikers with the new parts I just got. I could also purchase cosmetics for my Pilot, such as earrings, hats, masks, accessories, and more.

It's worth noting that Mashmak rewards players with a specific type of currency, so you can only purchase certain cosmetics if you actually participate in that mode.

When I asked, I was told that there is no "pay-to-win" since the items you purchase are purely cosmetic.

Each of the Strikers can also be cosmetically altered with different paint colors, designs, and emblems as long as you have the points to purchase them. It makes for some fun customization, and I can bet some players will spend a lot of time tweaking their Strikers to get them looking just right.

An amazing mech game for Xbox and PC

Mecha BREAK is definitely a game you should check out if you're into mech games or simply like competitive multiplayer titles. There are plenty of strategic facets to keep the game interesting, and players can choose a Striker that specifically fits their playstyles, with plenty of opportunities to upgrade their machines or unlock different ones.

Plus, I thoroughly appreciate how polished and refined the gameplay is despite there being a million things happening at once. The Strikers look amazing, and the effects are fantastic.

Even if you're not sure whether or not this game will catch your fancy, you might as well try since it's free-to-play and coming to Xbox Game Pass.

Mecha BREAK FAQ

NVIDIA ACE | Mecha BREAK - Digital Human Technologies Showcased In First Game - YouTube

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Source: NVIDIA