Gundam Breaker 2

Based on the hugely popular Japanese model robots, Gundam Breaker 2 will have you build and battle with your favorite plastic mobile suits. If you like collecting tons of parts to customize your finely-tuned fighting machines, and can tolerate some clunky controls from time to time, then you’ll surely have a blast with this game.

Featuring over 100 unique model kits to mix and match, this game is every Gunpla builder’s dream come true. While the combat might be a bit lackluster, the sheer amount of personalization is astounding, making this a game that anyone can pick up and enjoy, as long as they have the patience to understand some of the more obscure gameplay mechanics.

Pint-sized mechas

The Gundams featured in Gundam Breaker 2 are not the usual, 18-meters-tall mechas that some fans are used to. Instead, these robots are based on the Gunpla models: toys made for hobbyists to assemble. These popular models aren’t much taller than a cellphone, and Gundam Breaker 2 does its best to make confrontations between these toys feel just as epic as they do in the show.

Customization is the main gameplay mechanic of Gundam Breaker 2. Players destroy, or “break” parts from their opponents to customize their own mechas. Each part has a special attribute and resistance values, meaning that rarer parts are the most desirable.

If you’ve ever played games like Custom Robo or Armored Core, you pretty much already know what to expect from Gundam Breaker 2 in terms of customization. However, this game goes a bit further, allowing players to customize colors and decals of their mechas, truly making every Gundam unique.

Combat mechanics

After you spend hours tuning the perfect Gundam, then you’re ready to challenge the game’s story mode. In it, you’ll face hordes of enemies that provide new parts for your Gundam. At some points, the game can feel a bit grindy, but the addicting customization makes up for the combat’s repetitiveness.

What can cause some issues, however, are the shallow combat controls. No matter how much you tune your mecha, Gundams all feel very similar to control, with little to no difference based on their weapons or leg parts.

Thankfully, the revamped awakening system now allows for flashier fights that break the monotony of the usual combat encounters a bit. After entering Awakening Mode, players will be able to unleash a powerful Burst Action that usually allows them to break an enemy Gundam in a single swoop.

And while we’re on the subject of special abilities, each attack feels properly powerful thanks to the game’s excellent visuals. Each Gundam piece is properly rendered and can be customized right down to its materials. Metallic Gundams reflect light differently than plastic ones and so far, creating an even deeper customization experience.

Previous knowledge optional

At first glance, the world of Gundam, with its complicated naming conventions and tons of differents mechas, can feel impossible to understand for a newcomer. Thankfully, Gundam Breaker 2 is its own thing separate from the show and toys, letting any player, regardless of how familiar they are with the franchise, enjoy the game’s customizable action.

Pros:

• Amazing amount of player customization
• Excellent models
• Very little clipping with parts from different models

Cons:

• Shallow combat
• Controls can be unresponsive at times