This week has catapulted itself into the steam charts-at least as far as the number of players is concerned. The new multiplayer mecha shooter by Amazing Seasun Games attracted over 317,000 simultaneous players in its open beta within a few hours.
The game itself exceeds heavyweights such as GTA 5, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and Marvel Rivals.
Mecha Break was unveiled on the Game Awards at the end of 2023 and caused a stir with its stylish mech design and brilliant effect storm gameplay:
Mecha Break is currently on PLatz 8 of the most favored Steam games to Wishlists.
Mech fights with frustration factors
The open beta/demo, which started on February 23, should now heat up the hype - but instead there is criticism.Only 34 percent of the ratings was positive.
The first big frustration point for many players is the tutorial, which proves to be surprisingly lengthy and at the same time very helpful. Some report that they spent almost an hour with the introduction part and two forced AI match before they could even get into the actual game.
Another hotly discussed topic is the use of a kernel-level anti-cheat that intervenes deeply into the system and has to be removed manually after uninstalling the game.
This type of anti-cheat software has a bad reputation in the gaming community, since it is often a security risk or even asChinese spyware
is considered. Some players also report bluescreens, who may be connected to the anti-cheat solution.
Monetarization ensures worry lines
Although Mecha Break plays a nerve with its mixture of Titanfall, Armored Core and Gundam, many players are also worried about monetization. While the first beta was still perceived as fair, some players now accuse the developer of establishing a potential Pay2win model with Battle passes and in-game currencies.
A particularly critical point is the activation of new Mechs, which, according to some players, is unnecessarily grinding. Certain units cost extremely high amounts of in-game currency, so that Free2Play players may have to gamble for weeks, while buyers of a battle passport are directly accessed.
A user writes:
I really want to like this game, but if it develops this way, it will be difficult to stay with it.
Compare with-A failed mecha shooter who quickly lost to players due to his monetarization strategy.
Of course, not all voices are negative: many praise the actual gameplay that feels quick, dynamic and massive. Some even compare Mecha Break with a Dragon Ball Z in a mech form, while others enthusiastically celebrate the mixture of different mecha games.
The big question now is: Can Amazing Seasun Games defuse the criticisms before the official release in spring 2025? Or does Mecha Break follow the sad fate of many other ambitious multiplayer games that failed on monetization and design decisions?
After Marvel Rivals recently enthusiastic about strong user numbers with his fair monetization and can also look at strong user numbers almost three months later, many players should have less desire for pay2win and excessive grind.
