Mecha BREAK, a sci-fi mecha shooter game developed by Chinese studio Seasun Games, launched globally on Wednesday across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox platforms. Touted as a beacon of hope for AAA-quality Chinese mecha games, the title saw a peak of over 130,000 concurrent players on Steam in the past two days.
Despite (or perhaps because of) the hype, Mecha BREAK has received a tepid reception from players so far, holding a mixed rating on Steam with over 6,000 reviews and a modest 63% approval rate.
Diverse mecha designs and gameplay modes
Set in a near-future world ravaged by the carbon-silicon substance EIC, Mecha BREAK follows elite mech pilots fighting to save humanity from an escalating existential threat. The game features three core gameplay modes: 6v6 Edge Battlefield (strategy-focused team combat), 3v3 Ace Sequence (death-match), and PvPvE Marsh Mark (loot-and-extract survival mode).
Mecha BREAK is free-to-play but offers in-game purchases for game skins, season passes, gears, extra bonuses, and other premium content. The current version offers 12 free mechs. They are divided into five roles: assault, melee, sniper, defense, and support. Each mech also falls into a weight class of light, medium, or heavy, which affects its movement speed, armor durability, and skill cooldowns.
UI issues disrupt the experience
Many players on Steam have criticized the user interface, describing it as cluttered, confusing, and poorly organized. Key functions are buried in deep menu layers, while overlapping prompts create an overwhelming experience, especially for first-time players.
Poor color contrast and low icon recognizability, combined with interaction logic that ignores typical PC game conventions, have led some players to complain that the game “feels like a mobile UI ported directly to PC.”
Monetization discomfort and unsatisfying combat feedback
Early Steam reviews have also voiced strong dissatisfaction with the game’s monetization approach, particularly the instant pop-up of a RMB 288 ($40) limited-time offer immediately after the tutorial. Some players argued that the early emphasis on spending detracts from the gameplay experience and breaks immersion.
In an interview with TechNode, an online gamer known as Phantom Core criticized the game’s combat compared to titles such as Armored Core VI. He described the hit feedback as “plastic”, saying that the sound and visual effects are not properly matched and that the attack impacts are underwhelming.
Core gameplay balance faces questions
The game’s 6v6 battlefield mode has drawn criticism for balance issues. Steam players report a clear disparity in mech performance, which makes fair competition difficult. Heavier defense-focused mechs offer disproportionately high firepower and survivability, whereas lighter units intended as assassins are under-powered and poorly tuned, Phantom Core said.
The PvPvE (Player vs Player vs Environment) mode also brought complaints on Steam for resource imbalances. Players who invest more time or money can quickly power up their mechs via boss drops and lootable upgrades, while average players fall behind in progression. This system translates directly into PvP combat power gaps, leading to a “grind (or spend) more, win more” experience that widens the divide between veteran and new players, Phantom Core explained.
Can Mecha BREAK defy the drop?
Despite ongoing controversy around the title, the development team is expected to continue refining the gameplay and system mechanics in response to player feedback. Whether the game can break away from the common pattern of early hype followed by rapid decline and disappointment remains to be seen.