I've played about an hour of this when it came out and abandoned it after being greatly disappointed in it. Dunno why I've picked it up once again today and...urgh, I shouldn't have done it.
Story isn't something I'm really interested in, but let's compare the narrative structure of all Gundam Breaker games:
* the first doesn't have one.
* the second has likeable characters each piloting a different model, you face MAs from all Gundam series, and the sotry featured some good old Gundam staples
* the third had you save a shopping district, go to an orbital elevator, and ride a "real" RX-78 in space
* the fourth (this game) has you as a high school student fighting an overl strict student council
While the other games only had one storyline, New Gundam Breaker has four storylines you can tackle, and in in less than two hours I've completed one of them. Maybe completing the other three unlocks more story missions, but to be honest when you say "high school where Gunpla building is the most sought-after subject" immediately turns me off. Especially if the big-bad-endgame boss is more ridiculous than everything Gundam Build Divers has offered up till now, and even G Gundam would say to tone it down.
Completing missions rewards credits that...I don't know what their use is. No really, I haven't see a "shop" or "upgrade" option in the whole game, maybe I need to complete more missions but I don't really want to do it, New Gundam Breaker is incredibly dull.
Instead of giving a number of primary and secondary objectives, mission in NGB all have a time limit of ten minutes during which the game randomly assigns tasks, like collect and deliver parts, destroy enemies, destroy a specific target, defeat a powerful enemy, or open some containers.
Stages are larger and more complex than before but are way less in number and more confusing to navigate, and in one occasion my AI companions were able to clear a mission because they knew where to go and kill enemies while I didn't.
To collect MS parts you first have to destroy something, then collect parts they've dropped and deliver them to a container that moves every time you do so. This is kinda stupid as to expand your collection of parts you have to disengage from combat and stand still for a few seconds near your dropbox, and enemies can still hit you and make you drop parts you're delivering. The whole process is incredibly tedious and I wonder why you can't simply collect all parts you pick automatically. You can also carry a maximum of five parts at a time.
Combat is almost the same as before, two close attacks and one ranged attack with whatever rifle/bazooka/machine gun you have equipped. Dash and jump are on the same button and it feels very clumsy to use them, and movement is rather slow. Firing your rifle is incredibly inaccurate unless the target is very close, even against large Mobile Armours, as everything is automatic and you can't compensate for very simple lateral movement.
There are several special attacks I still haven't understood how they work. Special attacks are specified by the parts you're using but can only be used once your skill level is high enough; skill levels start anew in each mission and increase by collecting bits, but I don't really know the rationale behind this, as at times I've unlocked attacks and other healing actions.
These are the impressions after less than five hours of playing the game, but I must say this is the worst of the Gundam Breaker games. The first was simple but it worked, the second is still my favourite, and the third was inferior to the second but at least had a bonkers storyline. New Gundam Breaker? It feels like half of the previous games with a lot of complex mechanics than only bog down the game with no upside to them.
Story isn't something I'm really interested in, but let's compare the narrative structure of all Gundam Breaker games:
* the first doesn't have one.
* the second has likeable characters each piloting a different model, you face MAs from all Gundam series, and the sotry featured some good old Gundam staples
* the third had you save a shopping district, go to an orbital elevator, and ride a "real" RX-78 in space
* the fourth (this game) has you as a high school student fighting an overl strict student council
While the other games only had one storyline, New Gundam Breaker has four storylines you can tackle, and in in less than two hours I've completed one of them. Maybe completing the other three unlocks more story missions, but to be honest when you say "high school where Gunpla building is the most sought-after subject" immediately turns me off. Especially if the big-bad-endgame boss is more ridiculous than everything Gundam Build Divers has offered up till now, and even G Gundam would say to tone it down.
Completing missions rewards credits that...I don't know what their use is. No really, I haven't see a "shop" or "upgrade" option in the whole game, maybe I need to complete more missions but I don't really want to do it, New Gundam Breaker is incredibly dull.
Instead of giving a number of primary and secondary objectives, mission in NGB all have a time limit of ten minutes during which the game randomly assigns tasks, like collect and deliver parts, destroy enemies, destroy a specific target, defeat a powerful enemy, or open some containers.
Stages are larger and more complex than before but are way less in number and more confusing to navigate, and in one occasion my AI companions were able to clear a mission because they knew where to go and kill enemies while I didn't.
To collect MS parts you first have to destroy something, then collect parts they've dropped and deliver them to a container that moves every time you do so. This is kinda stupid as to expand your collection of parts you have to disengage from combat and stand still for a few seconds near your dropbox, and enemies can still hit you and make you drop parts you're delivering. The whole process is incredibly tedious and I wonder why you can't simply collect all parts you pick automatically. You can also carry a maximum of five parts at a time.
Combat is almost the same as before, two close attacks and one ranged attack with whatever rifle/bazooka/machine gun you have equipped. Dash and jump are on the same button and it feels very clumsy to use them, and movement is rather slow. Firing your rifle is incredibly inaccurate unless the target is very close, even against large Mobile Armours, as everything is automatic and you can't compensate for very simple lateral movement.
There are several special attacks I still haven't understood how they work. Special attacks are specified by the parts you're using but can only be used once your skill level is high enough; skill levels start anew in each mission and increase by collecting bits, but I don't really know the rationale behind this, as at times I've unlocked attacks and other healing actions.
These are the impressions after less than five hours of playing the game, but I must say this is the worst of the Gundam Breaker games. The first was simple but it worked, the second is still my favourite, and the third was inferior to the second but at least had a bonkers storyline. New Gundam Breaker? It feels like half of the previous games with a lot of complex mechanics than only bog down the game with no upside to them.
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