Gundam Breaker 4 Review – Steam Deck, Switch, and PS5 Tested

Back in early 2016, while hunting for PS Vita games with good import potential, I frequently encountered *Gundam Breaker*. For the uninitiated, imagine a vibrant blend of hack-and-slash action, RPG elements, extensive customization, and an unbridled passion for Gunpla. Around that time, Bandai Namco announced an English release of *Gundam Breaker 3* for PS4 and PS Vita in Asia, prompting me to purchase both versions. It became my gateway into the Gundam universe, a love affair that blossomed into importing and playing *Gundam Breaker 1* and *2* on PS Vita, and eventually experiencing nearly every English-localized Gundam game across various platforms. The announcement of *Gundam Breaker 4* earlier this year, confirmed for simultaneous global release across multiple platforms, remains one of 2024's most delightful surprises. Now, with roughly 60 hours logged across different platforms, *Gundam Breaker 4* on Steam, Switch, PS4, and PS5 is finally here, and while I adore it, it isn't without a few minor issues.

*Gundam Breaker 4*'s significance extends beyond the game itself; it represents a monumental leap for the series in the West. No more waiting for Asian English releases! Remember *Gundam Breaker 3*, an Asia-only English release confined to PlayStation? The days of hoping for English dubs are over; *Gundam Breaker 4* boasts dual audio and multiple subtitle options (EFIGS and more). But what about the gameplay and cross-platform experiences? This extended review will delve into that, and also chronicle my journey into Master Grade Gunpla construction (for the uninitiated, these are Gundam Plastic Kits), following my experience with High Grade (smaller, simpler kits).

The narrative in *Gundam Breaker 4* offers a mix of satisfying moments and some slower stretches. Early pre-mission dialogue occasionally felt drawn out, but the latter half of the game delivers more engaging character reveals and dialogue. Even newcomers to the series will find it easy to follow, though the significance of certain characters might be initially unclear. Due to embargo restrictions, I can only discuss the first two chapters, which felt fairly straightforward. While I grew fond of the main characters by the end, my personal favorites appear much later.

However, the true allure of *Gundam Breaker 4* lies not in its story, but in the exhilarating process of crafting your ultimate Gunpla, consistently upgrading it, acquiring superior gear, and growing stronger to conquer increasingly challenging quests and difficulties. While you begin with the basics, the depth of customization is truly remarkable—a point underplayed in the marketing. You can adjust individual parts (left and right arms, ranged weapons for each arm, dual-wield melee), and even manipulate part size and scale. This opens up the possibility of integrating SD (super deformed) parts into your standard Gunpla, resulting in unique and creative designs.

Beyond the core assembly parts, *Gundam Breaker 4* expands customization with builder parts offering additional enhancements and unique skills. Combat utilizes EX and OP skills, determined by your parts and weapons. Later, you unlock ability cartridges with various buffs and debuffs. As you progress through missions, breaking parts and earning S-rank rewards, you gather materials to level up and enhance your parts' rarity, unlocking more skills and allowing you to strategically utilize older parts.

While I dedicated time to optional quests for extra money and parts, the game's balance feels well-tuned, eliminating the need for excessive grinding on normal difficulty. Three higher difficulty levels unlock as the story progresses, significantly increasing the challenge and recommended part levels. If you choose to skip most optional quests during the main story, be sure to check for new unlocks, as some optional quest types, particularly survival mode, are incredibly fun.

Beyond part customization, you can adjust your Gunpla's paint schemes using unlocked colors or DLC options. You can also apply decals and weathering effects. *Gundam Breaker 4* truly caters to Gunpla enthusiasts, but how does it play?

The gameplay is superb, providing consistently engaging combat throughout story missions, side content, and boss fights (with one exception). Even on normal difficulty (which leans towards the easier side), I never grew tired of the combat, experimenting with various weapons before settling on a greatsword. The variety of skills and stats keeps things fresh. Boss and mini-boss encounters are creatively presented, emerging from Gunpla boxes before engaging in battle—a consistently enjoyable element, made even better by facing a boss based on one of my own creations. Most boss fights involve targeting weak points, managing multiple health bars, destroying shields, and other familiar mechanics. While I encountered some minor difficulty with one boss's weak points using certain weapons, switching to a whip quickly resolved the issue. The only truly challenging boss fight involved facing two of a specific boss simultaneously. (I won't spoil specifics, but the AI presented some difficulties in this particular encounter.)

Visually, *Gundam Breaker 4* delivers a mixed bag. Early environments feel somewhat sparse, but overall variety is decent. The focus is clearly on the Gunpla models and animations, which are exceptionally well-rendered. The art style isn't realistic; don't expect the visual fidelity of *Gundam Evolution*. The aesthetic works well, scaling appropriately on lower-end hardware. Effects are impressive, and the scale of many boss fights is truly epic.

The soundtrack is a mixed bag, ranging from forgettable tunes to some truly excellent tracks in specific story missions. The absence of music from the various anime and movies is disappointing. I also haven't seen any announcements regarding music packs as DLC, unlike previous titles. Custom music loading, a feature present in *Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs Maxiboost ON* on PS4, is also absent.

Voice acting, however, is a pleasant surprise. I played through the game entirely in English on one save and spent about a dozen hours with the Japanese voice option on another platform. Both were excellent, though I preferred the English voices during missions due to my preference for avoiding subtitles during action sequences.

Beyond a particularly annoying mission type (thankfully infrequent) and a few bugs, I encountered no significant issues. If you're new to the series and dislike replaying missions for better gear, you might find some repetitive elements. I've always viewed *Gundam Breaker* similarly to *Earth Defense Force* and *Monster Hunter*, where post-story completion is focused on building the perfect Gunpla. Bugs encountered included a save issue with certain names, and a couple seemingly specific to the Steam Deck (long return-to-title screen time and a mission crash that only occurred when docked to my monitor). These issues might be related to performance penalties in docked mode, but I can't confirm this.

Online play was tested extensively during the PS5 and Switch network tests, but only briefly on the PS5 retail release. The PC version's servers were offline pre-launch, preventing Steam Deck testing. This will be updated once online functionality is verified.

Regarding my Gunpla building project, I made progress on the RG 78-2 MG 3.0, completing five runner sets before a small mishap nearly resulted in breakage. A guitar pick came to the rescue! I'll resume this project after the review embargo lifts.

Now, let's discuss platform differences and features:

Gundam Breaker 4 PC Port Controls – Keyboard, Mouse, and Controller Support

The PC version is the only one supporting over 60fps (PS5 is capped at 60fps, Switch hovers around 30fps). It offers mouse and keyboard support alongside controller support with multiple button prompt options. On the Steam Deck, Xbox prompts were displayed; using a DualSense controller on my monitor showed PlayStation prompts correctly. Prompt switching is automatic based on input. The only controller issue was the game's failure to consistently detect reconnected controllers.

Three controller presets and a custom option are available, with independent keyboard, mouse, and controller settings. Adjusting camera sensitivity and distance (in Player Mode) is highly recommended.

Gundam Breaker 4 PC Graphics Settings and Display Options

Multiple resolutions and frame rate caps are supported. On the Steam Deck, it runs at 720p (not full 800p) and 16:9, with frame rates ranging from 30fps to 360fps (unlimited). I used 120fps on my Steam Deck OLED. V-sync is toggleable. Graphics settings adjust textures, anti-aliasing, post-processing, shadows, effects, brightness, and motion blur.

Gundam Breaker 4 Steam Deck Performance – Does it Work Out of the Box?

It works flawlessly with Proton Experimental and default Proton, even invoking the on-screen keyboard. I anticipate Steam Deck Verified status soon. My 35 hours of gameplay on my Steam Deck OLED demonstrate this. With settings at High (except shadows), it easily hit 60fps, but I aimed for higher performance. Medium settings resulted in 80-90fps, with minor drops to the high 60s in late-game missions. Cutscenes experienced performance hits (50-70fps). One minor issue involved brief assembly section drops to 1-3fps, occurring only a few times.

Minor visual issues included slightly smaller or less crisp fonts in some menus and icons, possibly due to the game's higher-resolution design.

Gundam Breaker 4 Switch vs. PS5 – What to Buy?

I focused on Switch (Lite and OLED) and PS5 versions (no PS4 testing). The PS5 version looks amazing and runs smoothly at 60fps, though I didn't reach the most visually demanding late-game missions. The Switch version, while playable, suffers from downgraded resolution, detail, and reflections, impacting both environments and Gunpla parts. A friend described the visual difference as HG vs. RG Gunpla. Performance aside, the Switch version lacks detail like decals and weathering effects.

I expected 120fps on PS5 given the visuals. The 60fps cap might be due to multiplayer considerations with the PS4 version. Decent rumble support and PS5 Activity Card support are present (hopefully extending to online play). Switch load times are significantly longer than PS5 and Steam Deck.

The Switch version's assembly section and diorama mode are sluggish, impacting the overall experience. While mission performance is better, it's still not a consistent 30fps. If you played *Gundam Breaker 3* on PS Vita, you'll likely tolerate this, but I expected better. Optimization improvements are hoped for in future updates. I recommend the Switch version only for portable play if you don't own a Steam Deck.

I enjoyed playing on my Switch Lite despite some menu text size issues, but it's sadly the last game I played on it before screen issues developed.

Is the Gundam Breaker 4 Ultimate Edition Worth It?

I accessed some DLC from the Deluxe and Ultimate Editions. Story DLC couldn't be assessed yet, but early unlocks aren't game-changing (level 1 parts). Builder parts were more helpful. Diorama content seemed incomplete but enjoyable, particularly with the cel-shaded filter. More items would be welcome.

The Gunbarrel Strike Gundam parts were appreciated. I even pre-ordered the collector's edition.

Is Gundam Breaker 4 Worth It for the Story?

While the story is fine, the game's core appeal lies in customization, battles, and Gunpla building. For a story-focused experience, consider *Megaton Musashi*. I found *Gundam Breaker 4*'s gameplay more engaging.

My plan to build an MG 78-2 Version 3.0 kit alongside playing the game was unfortunately hampered by other game releases.

Building the Gunpla alongside playing the game provided a new appreciation for the kit design process. I look forward to completing this and my next RG kit.

The wait for *Gundam Breaker 4* was long, and its arrival is spectacular. It's my favorite Steam Deck game of the year (since *Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance*), and I look forward to playing it extensively.

**Gundam Breaker 4 Steam Deck Review: 4.5/5**