Astebreed

89%
Game Brain Score Based on 526 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Astebreed Game Cover
Starting at €19.99Buy now
Get on Steam

Astebreed is a single-player Science Fiction Shooter game with a spectacular story, stunning gameplay, and awesome graphics. The Definitive Version includes major updates such as new "Arrange Mode," improved graphics and 3D models, additional episodes and music, and optimized controls, available for PC and priced at $19.99. As Roy Becket, a young pilot, experience a thrilling story with intense shoot-em-up action, beautiful visuals, and a spectacular soundtrack.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

89%
Audience ScoreBased on 526 reviews
story68 positive mentions
stability6 negative mentions
  • Astebreed features stunning graphics and a unique blend of gameplay mechanics, combining shooting and melee combat with a dynamic camera perspective.
  • The game offers a fun and engaging experience with a variety of attacks and a forgiving difficulty curve, making it accessible for newcomers to the bullet hell genre.
  • The anime-style story, while somewhat cliche, adds charm to the game, and the voice acting enhances the overall experience.
  • The game is quite short, with a campaign that can be completed in under two hours, which may not justify the full price for some players.
  • The dialogue is entirely in Japanese, making it difficult for non-Japanese speakers to follow the story during gameplay, as subtitles can be hard to read amidst the action.
  • Some players may find the controls less intuitive, particularly when using a keyboard and mouse, as the game is better suited for a controller.
  • story274 mentions

    The story of Astebreed is a fast-paced, anime-inspired narrative that intertwines themes of loss and redemption within a mecha setting, reminiscent of classic sci-fi anime tropes. While it attempts to deliver emotional weight, many players find it difficult to follow due to the chaotic gameplay and reliance on Japanese dialogue with small English subtitles, leading to a somewhat incoherent experience. Overall, the story is considered short and somewhat cliché, but it adds a unique flavor to the gameplay for those who appreciate the genre.

    • “The story doesn't take itself too seriously, but it does attempt to have emotional weight to its more serious scenes.”
    • “The story is quite good (like an old sci-fi anime like Gunbuster and the mecha genre in general) but you could still disable the talk during the gameplay.”
    • “Astebreed is a bullet-hell style shooter that is driven by a deep and powerful backstory about loss, pain, love, and redemption.”
    • “The story is nigh impossible to follow while playing the game, which is a bit of a shame because I found the characters likable.”
    • “The story itself is extremely rushed, and it rushes through super generic mecha story tropes.”
    • “The story was hard to follow since the dialogue is spoken in Japanese while you are fighting for your life from the relentless enemies, so you can't really read the subtitles at the bottom.”
  • gameplay175 mentions

    The gameplay in Astebreed is a dynamic blend of shoot 'em up and hack 'n slash mechanics, featuring a mix of ranged and melee attacks that require players to master various techniques for optimal performance. While the game offers a visually stunning experience with engaging mechanics, it can be overwhelming due to its fast-paced nature and the complexity of its systems, particularly for newcomers to the genre. Overall, the gameplay is praised for its depth, fluidity, and the challenge it presents, making it a rewarding experience for both veterans and those new to shmups.

    • “The gameplay is fast-paced, action-packed, and chaotic.”
    • “Astebreed features deep and rewarding scoring mechanics on top of all the other great features, so if you enjoy score chasing and leaderboards there is a lot of meat here.”
    • “Great mechanics that are easy to learn but hard to master, dynamic gameplay and bosses that allow you to approach in different ways, and an overall challenging and fun experience.”
    • “The gameplay is boring even for scrolling shooters, and it's impossible to read the English text and play at the same time, meaning you will not be able to partake in the storyline and play simultaneously.”
    • “The lock mechanic really gets in the way of the flow of the game and can't be turned off, so it ends up as a button masher.”
    • “Confusing gameplay, stupid story, no replay value, don't waste your money, buy Crimzon Clover or Ikaruga instead.”
  • graphics132 mentions

    The graphics in this game are widely praised for their stunning anime-inspired art style, smooth 4K visuals, and dynamic effects that enhance the gameplay experience. Players appreciate the clean and detailed designs, including impressive enemy models and atmospheric backgrounds, which contribute to an engaging and visually appealing environment. Overall, the combination of beautiful artwork, fluid animations, and cinematic perspectives makes the graphics a standout feature of the game.

    • “The graphics are clean and smooth in 4K.”
    • “The jaw-dropping visuals only complement the relentless action on screen, and the different attack patterns are so much fun to use according to the situation.”
    • “The graphics are absolutely amazing, and the gameplay reminds me of Salamander and Hyper Duel.”
    • “Playing around with the game, I found the controls weren't as precise as I'd prefer in a shmup, the visuals and style didn't appeal to me, and worst of all, I was bored.”
    • “Graphics in Astebreed are not impressive technically, but the art style is amazing and makes this game very cool to look at.”
    • “Hack and slash your way through a bullet hell cutting down literally thousands of enemies in your mechsuit to high-tension music as you travel through top-tier locales that prove the graphical capacity of the game is less important than what you do with it.”
  • music70 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its energetic and fitting soundtrack, enhancing the overall gameplay experience with a vibrant and catchy score that resonates well with the anime and mecha themes. While some players find the music unforgettable and exhilarating, others note minor issues like audio bugs or forgettable tracks. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “A perfect soundtrack and a perfect game for anime and mecha lovers.”
    • “The polished visuals and beautiful soundtrack just transport you right into the action.”
    • “It's exciting, scintillating hyper dance music with solid tunes, and the final boss music makes everything 100x more badass and was honestly what kept me going when I tried and failed to beat the final boss so many times.”
    • “However, one problem I do have is the buggy music audio.”
    • “Some sound effects, even when turned down or off, are still louder than the music and dialogue.”
    • “Music, on the other hand, is decent and fits into the game perfectly.”
  • replayability31 mentions

    The game offers varying levels of replayability, primarily through high score challenges, multiple difficulty settings, and achievements, appealing to players who enjoy score-chasing and mastering mechanics. However, its short campaign length (around an hour) may deter some players from returning, as the replay value largely hinges on personal motivation to tackle harder modes. Overall, while many find it fun and engaging for repeated play, others feel the limited content does not justify the price.

    • “The game is relatively short and can be beaten in a single sitting (50 minutes to 1 hour) but features extremely high replayability in the form of difficult achievements and online leaderboards to aim for.”
    • “Replayability comes in the form of beating all the modes with all the mechs, 1ccing hard mode, and improving your global score.”
    • “There's replayability if you want to go through different difficulty modes and get all the different achievements, which will extend your playtime a bit.”
    • “But it is a bit too short, and replayability is practically zero.”
    • “Once again, it's a short game and the only replay value is for beating the scores.”
    • “Confusing gameplay, stupid story, no replay value, don't waste your money, buy Crimzon Clover or Ikaruga instead.”
  • optimization9 mentions

    Overall, optimization feedback is mixed; while some players appreciate performance improvements and enhanced features in certain editions, others report significant issues such as crashes, poor resolution support, and clunky gameplay. Many users express frustration with the game's inability to run smoothly on various setups, particularly outside of 1080p resolution.

    • “Instead, it mitigated its shortcomings (the plot) and optimized what mattered (the unique perspective gameplay).”
    • “[i]astebreed: definitive edition[/i] offers a major performance overhaul from the original version with a splash of added content that adds another layer of replayability.”
    • “Additional cutscenes, and in-depth art gallery (that includes models, concept art, lore, and timelines), and more optimized resolution and filtering options all enhance this exciting anime-styled bullet hell mech shooter.”
    • “They dare to raise the price when this 'optimized' update has done no more than mess up the game.”
    • “Enjoyed the story, but the game could use some better optimization with a clunky feeling at certain parts.”
    • “My only complaint is that it's not really optimized if you aren't using a 1080p monitor.”
  • humor8 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by its witty dialogue and amusing storytelling, which often elicits laughter from players. Many find the combination of humorous character interactions and the absurdity of the game's challenging mechanics to be particularly entertaining, making for a uniquely funny experience. Overall, the game's humor adds a delightful layer to its fast-paced gameplay.

    • “This game is hilariously hard.”
    • “The ending also had me laughing my ass off.”
    • “Storytelling is funny, and I have no idea what the story is because it happens during radio conversations while I play.”
  • stability7 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while it generally runs smoothly at 60 fps, players report significant issues such as audio glitches, particularly with surround sound, and frequent crashes that can affect system performance. Many recommend waiting for patches to address these bugs before playing for a more enjoyable experience.

    • “The game runs great too, very smooth 60 fps.”
    • “I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs, which is impressive.”
    • “The stability of the game allows for an immersive experience without interruptions.”
    • “This game is so buggy it crashed my Windows and forced me to reinstall Windows!”
    • “However, this game suffers from audio glitches when using 5.1 surround sound with constant crashes... please fix ASAP.”
    • “I recommend getting it for later on, but if you'd rather wait, which I would advise, some until the glitches and crashes are fixed to enjoy it more.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    The game balances humor with emotional depth, featuring serious scenes that resonate despite a somewhat convoluted narrative. Players appreciate the engaging and heartfelt storytelling, noting that the game's mechanics enhance the overall emotional experience.

    • “The story doesn't take itself too seriously, but it does attempt to have emotional weight in its more serious scenes.”
    • “It jumps right into an engaging and emotional story, plus the mechanics are awesome.”
    • “Everything about this game looks and feels like it had been crafted very carefully and heartfelt by people who knew how to make a truly great game.”
  • atmosphere3 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly immersive, featuring stunning graphics with lush skies, detailed enemy designs, and beautifully crafted 3D models. The use of cutting-edge particle effects and Japanese mecha aesthetics contributes to a captivating sense of beautiful destruction. Overall, the visual presentation creates an unparalleled atmospheric experience.

    • “The atmosphere is immersive.”
    • “With lush skies, atmospheric space clouds, galaxies, and pretty detailed enemy design, there's nothing really wrong with the graphics.”
    • “Using lovingly crafted 3D models, cutting-edge particle effects, and Japanese mecha designs, it delivers an unparalleled atmosphere of beautiful destruction.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players note that the game lacks exploration and grinding elements, making it feel restrictive. However, it can provide a challenging experience for those seeking a more intense, teeth-grinding gameplay on normal mode.

    • “Overall, good if you want the teeth-grinding experience of normal mode.”
    • “The grinding feels endless and tedious, making it hard to stay engaged.”
    • “I spent hours grinding for resources, only to feel like I made no progress.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development in the game is highlighted by its fantastic visual design and unique ideas, contributing to a small yet enjoyable story. The character design is particularly praised, enhancing the overall experience despite the limited narrative depth.

    • “The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with each character.”
    • “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making their journeys feel personal and impactful.”
    • “The depth of character backstories and their growth over time adds a layer of emotional engagement that is truly remarkable.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

85% average critic score

Buy Astebreed

Play time

2hMedian play time
2hAverage play time
2-2hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games

Game News