Mecha BREAK, a mecha-based third-person shooter from Amazing Seasun Games, is quickly picking up momentum during its Steam open beta. The game that features both 6v6 objective-based multiplayer matches and a PvPvE mode that combines extraction shooter with battle royale reached 317,000 concurrent players during its first day.
Just days before the start of the open beta, Insider Gaming was invited alongside other media to the developer’s North American office in Irvine, California. During the event, we got to try out the game’s tutorial, its 6v6 mode, and couple matches of the PvPvE mode, Mashmak.
We also got the chance to sit down with the company’s CEO and Mecha BREAK’s creator, Kris Kwok, to talk about the game’s audience, his unique approach to player feedback, and new content fans can expect over the next couple months. During the interview and during Kris’s earlier presentations, one thing became very clear: this is the game he’s always wanted to make.
Mecha BREAK Creator Kris Kwok Says All The Mecha’s Are His “Children”
The following interview has been edited slightly for clarity and length.
IG: You said you’ve always wanted to make a mecha game. What challenges have arisen in trying to make a game that appeals to both mecha fans and the more general gaming audience?
There’s two sides: I have an emotional drive to make this game, and a [more] rational side. At the very beginning, rationally speaking, we weren’t that confident about reaching out to non-mecha fans. Earlier on [around 2021], we were only aiming at the 6v6 mode, but what surprised us and gave us a confidence boost was that in China, which isn’t known as the capital of mecha fans, we still got about a million views within three days on one platform. The reason we’re so confident in the project is that the more we do, the more positive feedback we get.
On the emotional side of things, no matter how good the FPS you make [is], the main vehicle of expression is the person. You’re shooting as a human. So a lot of games, despite other features, kind of feel repetitive. So in this project, what we’re seeking is a novel experience: operating as a mecha to gain that differential from traditional shooter games.
We’re not aiming at a wider audience [by including an extraction shooter]. We would like to bring the experience of operating a mecha to people who like mecha and who like extraction shooters. We’re still serving the core audience of mecha fans first. So we’re doing what we’re good at, which is making the mecha gameplay good. If both [mecha and non-mecha] fans really like it, they’ll naturally introduce it to other people via word-of-mouth.
IG: Mecha BREAK has undergone years of various testing periods. What piece of player feedback from those tests most heavily influenced the current state of the game?
Technically speaking, if the world is behind in the sense that everybody’s running [with] a horse carriage, then they wouldn’t advise you to invent a car yet. They don’t know what they want. So, despite what [players] say, I’d much rather spend time watching how they play. I spent a lot of time watching players’ livestreams and replays. I’m almost addicted to people playing the games I’ve created. A lot of problems were discovered just by watching those replays. In general, players are adequate in providing bug feedback and accessibility feedback, [but] in terms of big visionary direction, they’re just not equipped.
At the beginning we only had 3v3 and 6v6, and could have gone into official launch last year. During a trip to Japan, I realized in the 3v3 and 6v6 matches that players tend not to communicate with each other. And every time they died they got really frustrated. That opens a space that the Japanese players really wanted: a PvE area where they can either solo it or play with a couple friends casually. That’s how we arrived at the decision to make Mashmak. Originally it was teams of six broken down into sub-squads of two or three, but they would get lost in the map very quickly. And with a team of six it’s even harder to coordinate. That’s why I emphasize observation over verbal feedback.
IG: When you first play the tutorial, it almost feels like it’s setting up the story for a single player campaign? Was that something you ever considered for Mecha BREAK?
“We don’t have any official plan to implement a campaign mode, yet. And we are probably not going to go into the traditional linear narration. Instead, most stories are told from fragmentary sources: you go into the Hangar, you interact with the NPCs and the world environment, learn about the lore, and you’ll get to do missions as special characters.
IG: We were told you put hundreds of hours of playtime into each mecha. Which one is your favorite?
Being not only the producer, but the designer of all the weapon and skill sets and ability designs of all the mechas: they are my children. So I can’t pick a favorite. It wouldn’t be fair. The best answer I can give you right now is who I play with more at any given time: whichever one is the weakest [at the time], that’s who I play the most.
IG: How many more mechas do you have in the works? What’s the eventual roster size you want to see?
During the initial rollout, we’re going to have 13 playable mechas, there are six other ones that are completely finished and ready to ship, and three more that are a work in progress. The rollout frequency will be about three mechs per season, so we’ve got the first three seasons reserved already. It’s hard to say how many in total the roster will be, but honestly, once you have more and more they’re likely going to have functional overlaps. But I’ll try my very best to provide different expressions, visually, control-wise, and mobility-wise.
Are you one of the thousands playing Mecha BREAK during the open beta? Let us know in the comments or on the Insider Gaming forum.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the how close Avowed came to being a “multiplayer Skyrim.”
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