Platform(s): PlayStation 5 (version reviewed), PlayStation 4, PC
Genre: Action, Hack-and-slash, Build-A-Gundam, GunPla

Figurines and models based on anime and pop culture characters are common and healthy hobbies to have (in moderation). As such, making video games out of them can prove to be lucrative if done right. Of course, for every LEGO game there’s going to be one cash-grab title using the Funko license just made for the sake of filling out a quota.

Over the years, Gundam model kits (or GunPlas) have stood the test of time since the 80s. So it’s only natural for game-makers Bandai Namco to farm out a game based on that concept. Enter the Gundam Breaker series, probably the first Gundam license game I actually enjoyed back on the PlayStation 3 and made me appreciate these mechas more. It featured a lot of Gundams to assemble and play as, and the beat-em-up action aspect is a lovely-if-kinda-brain-dead stress reliever. There are nuances to the gameplay -you need special equipment and setups to break enemy GunPlas and steal their pieces for your own- but you can get by by boosting up your stats with different GunPla pieces, or leveling them up via sacrificing lesser pieces to power up a piece you like.

Is the fifth game in the series, Gundam Breaker 4, striving to break new ground? Of course not, and that’s OK, given the fact that the last game -New Gundam Breaker- was a colossal waste of time.

Bot Con

Gundam Breaker 4 is essentially an action game -a mecha-filled beat-em-up in 3D- where you make your own Gundam (through the wonderful world of GunPla kits), go to any of the long-running series’ backdrops and areas (cities, space, volcanos, the usual), and go through three or more waves of enemy GunPla hordes all wanting to end you and your team. Whatever robot you get to bring to the battlefield is really up to you, because you can build your own Gundam and take it out to the field. And I mean “any” in the series’ long-spanning history from the first anime to the recent one with the witches and same-sex couple stuff on the forefront. Also, you get to fight AND build Gundam robot maids, a concept I didn’t know existed until 10+ hours later with Gundam Breaker 4.

Whether you like the Death Scythe or Tallgeese Mobile Suits, or that one cool Gundam with the angel wings, you can either build an exact replica of those iconic mechas or mix-and-match parts when you assemble it in the game’s Room. Gundam Breakers 4 is the title where your Frankenstein’s monster of a Gundam/GunPla can make a difference, regardless of whether the parts are incompatible with the anime series’ logic. You can even attach bits onto your GunPla for added EX and OP skills; the former requires you to build a meter to activate while the latter can be used for free but comes with its own cooldown timer(s).

New to the series include the ability to dual-wield weapons, equip individual arms for your GunPla, and a plethora of customization options. This entry features over 250 base kits and more (most likely as future DLC), and that’s already more than enough to create as many GunPla as possible for your own usage. The fact that you can arm yourself with two different guns and two different melee weapons means that you get to mix up your attacks while also breaking down parts for your use easily. Certain weapon combinations work well, like an Axe/Whip combo or even a Lance/Saber combo where the latter lets you close the gap and get within saber-slashing length.

Coupled with the game’s simple-yet-effective movement and dashing/boosting techniques, and it’s hella fun invading the personal spaces of GunPla enemies. Chaining attacks means keeping the Breaker and Combo meters running, which adds more buffs and bonuses to your GunPla as long as you keep it up. The game throws a lot at you so that you can keep the action going with your many attacks and combos; it never lets up until the end of the wave, and I’m glad for it since that is a selling point for a beat-em-up.

The game’s targeting system in combat is radically fixed from the last few games. You can switch between single lock-on or front view lock-on; the former is meant for duels while the latter is for multiple enemies in front of you. Your long-ranged attacks will automatically track your primary target, so you can usually fire and forget while homing in onto your enemies close for the melee beatdown. Having said that, a few giant Perfect Grade bosses are so huge and have multiple body parts, that the targeting system can have trouble keeping up with what you want to break apart.

And you’ll have tons of opportunities to build and fight, as the game offers 35+ story missions. While the mission variety is typical of a hack-and-slash title -from “kill all mobs” to “defend this dome-shaped rocket from mobs”- their three-act structures don’t take up a lot of your time. Your skirmishes lasts between 10 to 15 minutes at best, which is ample time to amass parts and items that help level up your GunPla parts (via the Synthesize option). The story tacked onto these missions takes place in a beta program called GB4, and it involves you and a player named Tao recruiting to form a guild.

Basically it’s an anime MMO story with some twists and turns, as well as some surprise appearances from past Gundam Breaker titles’ story. At the very least, it’s a plot catering to those who keep track of GB lore while still keeping the bright shonen aesthetics intact. Even if you’re done with Story Mode, you can still replay missions on harder settings and better rewards (minus the cutscenes and straight to the waves), do bounty missions that are shorter and quicker to complete, and go through Survival mode and see how many waves you can withstand before you and your team meet your inevitable end.

But really, the real meat of the game is still the fast-paced combat and the customization. It all clicks and feels really good to play, especially when you get into a state of dopamine-fuelled adrenaline when you keep the Break meter going with your bazookas and scythe attacks up-close, while opening fire with your OP skills. And if you want to take a break from combat, you can take photos of your GunPla in dynamic poses and even set them up in Diorama mode. This isn’t my cup of tea as I prefer just having quick bouts of skirmishes rather than play dress-up darling Gundam, but hobbyists who want to take things digitally will find a lot to love here due to its wealth of options and the game’s many, MANY base kits.

Where Does All The Plastic Go?

Gundam Breaker 4 is a return to action-slash-build-a-Gundam/Mobile Suit form after a long hiatus; the less said about New Gundam Breaker, the better. The combat is fast, frenetic, and fun, with great controls and speedy gameplay to match. The staggering amount of GunPla base models and bits means no two Gundams online will be the same, both in aesthetics and practical use. The story mode is a great introduction to the Gundam Breakers process, though its missions could use more variety beyond the mob-killing variants.

But a few dud pieces aren’t going to ruin the whole model. Power on through, and you eventually will gain access to the MG (Master Grade) Gundams which are essentially playable mecha giants in the GunPla kingdom you can build up and go to town with. There’s something cathartic about revisiting past stages in a bigger Gundam than everyone else in the field, making every mecha enemy your plastic b*****.

Gundam Breakers 4 is clearly a must-play for anyone who wants to get into Gundam without the context, if only because you want to combine Tallgeese and Big-Zam parts and make your own Mobile Suit abomination go hog-wild, either on the battlefield or in diorama form. You may need to play the game in short spurts rather than in a long haul because its bite-sized action moments can get old if you keep at it for hours non-stop.

Pros

• Loads of GunPla pieces and bases to mix and match.
• Action and Gundam-building/customization feel good and intuitive to manage.
• New mission modes are fast and rewarding.
• Cute-if-stock anime story that pays tribute to past titles.

Cons

• Story mission objectives can get repetitive over time.
• Some odd user interface omissions.
• Targeting and lock-on for giant foes needs work.

Final Score: 70/100

Review copy provided by publisher.