For those of you who need a little mecha shoot ’em up action for your PC, Playism has just the thing for you. They have recently released the English translated version of Astebreed, a doujin PC SHMUP created by Edelweiss. You take control of the titular Astebreed mecha and shoot and slash your way through waves of of alien hordes, known as the Filune. What separates this game from other SHMUPs is the larger focus on melee which is not only used to slice up your enemies, but is also used to tactically defend yourself against certain types of attacks. Of course, this is also used in conjunction with your typical long range attacks to deal massive damage while building up your score multipliers. It’s a very pretty game visually and the gameplay really intense and satisfying when slicing away at enemy hordes and giant bosses. It took me about 2 hours to play through the first time, constantly dying while trying to figure out boss patterns and whatnot, but in the grand scheme of SHMUPs in general, it isn’t too hard. It also carries several achievements and unlockables such as character art and mechanical models. If you’re interested, the game is currently on sale at the Playism store for $15.99 and Steam keys will be available for the game when it is later released on Steam. Until then, check out the gameplay trailer below!