BREAK ARTS II
- February 8, 2018
- MercuryStudio
- 12h median play time
Get on Steam"BREAK ARTS II" is a fast-paced futuristic racing game where players build and customize their own unique mech racers. Compete in high-speed races and battles, using a variety of weapons and abilities to take down opponents. With a deep customization system and intense multiplayer modes, "BREAK ARTS II" offers a fresh and exciting take on the racing genre.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The mech customization is incredibly in-depth, allowing players to create unique and visually stunning designs.
- The game features fast-paced racing with a thrilling sense of speed, making it exciting for players who enjoy high-octane gameplay.
- The graphics and soundtrack are impressive, contributing to an engaging atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
- The difficulty spikes significantly in later races, making it frustrating for players who are trying to progress.
- The AI can be overly aggressive and unbalanced, often targeting the player specifically and making races feel unfair.
- The controls can be clunky and unresponsive, especially when using a keyboard and mouse, leading to a less enjoyable racing experience.
- music42 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives high praise for its spectacular soundtrack, with many players describing it as gorgeous and fitting perfectly with the racing experience. While some find the high-speed techno tracks overwhelming, the option to adjust the volume is appreciated. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, enhancing the game's atmosphere and enjoyment.
“The music in the building studio is some of the most mild and beautiful piano music; I get lost in it and feel tranquil.”
“The soundtrack is amazing and really captures the old school Gundam vibe mixed with high octane race music on some courses.”
“The game looks amazing, has a ton of customization options, and an amazing soundtrack.”
“The music is also disgusting, just high-speed techno played at ear-splitting volume by default.”
“So you are basically relegated to single-player mode only, which would not be a problem except for the horrible quality of the graphics, the terrible music, the ridiculous targeting and AI, and the complete failure of any performance optimization.”
“Tip: mute your in-game music and listen to some Initial D music, it helps a lot.”
- graphics40 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning visuals and detailed customization options for mechs, while others criticize performance issues and optimization challenges that lead to frame drops and visual inconsistencies. While some players find the art style appealing and reminiscent of classic racing games, others report that the overall aesthetic can be marred by intrusive effects and a lack of polish in certain areas. Overall, the graphics are described as beautiful but demanding, requiring a powerful system to fully appreciate their quality.
“The visuals and soundtrack are amazing, and it sparks creativity with its immensely detailed customization.”
“First of all, I just want to say this game is amazing, the visual effects are 10/10, the customizations and different varieties of machines that you can build are limitless.”
“Graphics are on point, the customization is awesome, but there are a few things that are bugging my friends and me.”
“At the end of my fourth race (spread out over two sessions of play for the day), I could literally taste the vomit in the back of my throat from those awful graphics that essentially have the same effect as strobe lighting but with none of the fun associated with strobe lights.”
“Turning the graphics settings down does not fix the problem; it only makes the robots look as ugly as the track. On 'beautiful' settings, the robots themselves actually look pretty nice, but everything else is ugly.”
“Unfortunately, the racing graphics are ugly, the AI is horrible, the multiplayer is dead, and your weapons auto-target the enemy farthest away, which is almost always not the one you want to shoot at.”
- gameplay38 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a mix of fast-paced combat racing and mech customization, offering an engaging experience for players who enjoy building and racing. However, many reviewers noted that the gameplay can feel shallow and repetitive, with auto-acceleration and auto-targeting mechanics simplifying the racing experience. While the customization options are praised for their depth, some players feel that the overall gameplay lacks sufficient content and variety, particularly for solo players, leading to a sense of grindiness and a need for further development.
“Just starting up the race, feeling that awesome music pumping through my headphones, seeing the interface boot up, 'you're an artist: imagine'... from start to finish, the gameplay of Break Arts II is an absolute adrenaline rush that I haven't really seen often in racing games.”
“The gameplay is fun, and while it's also difficult, that just keeps me going back to my frame and making constant adjustments.”
“It delivered for the most part, with fun gameplay and a really in-depth customization system that I've been having a lot of fun with.”
“Shaky optimization aside, the gameplay itself is fairly simple: it's a combat racing game with auto-acceleration and auto-targeting, so all you'll have to care about are your racing line and when to open fire - and the latter can also be taken off your mind by a specific weapon part, but more on that later.”
“The customization option is cool but most of the custom parts are locked behind a level wall and I don't want to put in 40 hours of gameplay to unlock them.”
“The concept is great and I love the visuals... however, the gameplay is completely mediocre.”
- optimization12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is widely criticized, with players reporting significant performance issues such as frame drops and instability even on capable machines. Many users feel that the graphics quality, AI, and targeting systems are subpar, detracting from the overall experience. Suggestions for improvement include better balancing of performance metrics and a ranked race system to enhance competitive play.
“I do think there is a node or power module separate from the frame that can be installed that enhances performance in certain aspects depending on which frame you use.”
“If you compare the cost/benefit ratio of a piece you start with unlocked and one unlocked at rank 3 or 4, they are the same performance-wise.”
“Shaky optimization aside, the gameplay itself is fairly simple: it's a combat racing game with auto-acceleration and auto-targeting, so all you'll have to care about are your racing line and when to open fire.”
“It is just ugly and poorly optimized.”
“So you are basically relegated to single-player mode only, which would not be a problem except for the horrible quality of the graphics, the terrible music, the ridiculous targeting and AI, and the complete failure of any performance optimization.”
“-some optimization problems (random frame drops from 60 down to 30 then back up to 60)”
- grinding7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be significant, often describing it as "very grindy" or "a lot grindy," particularly in relation to rank progression and unlocking new equipment. While some appreciate the opportunity for customization and the enjoyable gameplay, others criticize the grind for being excessive and compounded by issues like unfair AI and poor controls. Overall, the grinding experience is polarizing, appealing to dedicated players but potentially frustrating for others.
“Rank progression, which you improve by beating missions, is very grindy.”
“But what I got was unfair AI, absurd grinding, bad controls, and clueless developers.”
“The game is super grindy to unlock new equipment to build mechs with.”
- story5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is criticized for being unengaging and overly reliant on grindy rank progression, leading to a lack of excitement and depth. Players find the AI behavior inconsistent, ranging from easy to frustratingly difficult, which detracts from the overall experience. Many users express a desire to focus on content creation rather than the narrative or racing elements, indicating that the story does not hold significant appeal.
“I can't really suggest this as a pickup - it's not the next AC or Front Mission; unless you're desperate for content, you'll be bored fast.”
“I just want a 100% save so I can continue creating stuff... I didn't buy this for the story or the racing.”
“Track layouts can be janky at times; the AI difficulty suddenly spikes in later missions, which could quickly catch many new players off guard.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is currently experiencing significant stability issues, with users reporting numerous bugs that hinder gameplay. However, players have noted that the developers are responsive and typically release patches within a week of reported problems, suggesting a commitment to improving stability over time. Despite these challenges, many still find the core gameplay enjoyable.
“A word of warning though, the game is currently really buggy, but if you report your findings to the devs with what's going on, they will patch it in a week at least from my experience so far.”
“Currently, after half an hour of troubleshooting, I cannot get the game to even function to the point where I would call it a 'game'.”
“This is a fun mech racing/constructing game, and though at this point it's a bit buggy and weird, at its core it's a really good game.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its lack of microtransactions, loot boxes, and cash grab elements, allowing players to progress solely through their own efforts without the typical monetization pitfalls found in many mobile games.
“Have no fear, this game features no microtransactions and all the progress you make in the game is purely from you playing it. This game does not have the typical nonsense that most phone games force you to put up with.”
“The game doesn't have loot boxes or any additional cash grab items.”
“Have no fear, this game features no microtransactions and all the progress you make in the game is purely from you playing it. This game does not have the typical BS that most phone games force you to put up with.”
