Into the Breach

I never write reviews, but in this case I'll make an exception: I played FTL and it was too hard for me, even on easy. Into the breach is much better balanced plus the gameplay is very satisfying when you click with it - might even try normal mode :)

This is a terrific game and an absolute blast to play. ITB feels a little like Laser Squad Nemesis but a lot more accessible. I took about 10 minutes to understand how to play really and since then I've enjoyed this title more than any other game (even AAA titles) in many years. I can see myself playing this for a long time to come. The fact that you can beat it in around an hour is not a negative but is a testament to the design but what is more of a testament (for me personally) is that I keep coming back for more. The graphics are perfect for this game i nthat you can instantly see whats going on but nothing detracts from the chess-like strategy. Deceptively straight forward but very, very deep gameplay.

If your idea of a computer game is something that you spend ten minutes on before doing something else, you will like Into the Breach a lot. If you like depth to your games, if you think they should be more involved than a board game with a simple, random dice roll, if you like having something you'll invest time in, something you can really sink your teeth into... Well, if that's the case, you might be better off trying something else. And, no, I'm not saying Into the Breach is a bad game. The artwork is beautiful, the concept is fresh and the "gameplay" is fast and straight forward. It's just that it's also shallow and, ultimately, unrewarding and kinda boring. In streamlining the gameplay, they've also managed to streamline the game out in the process.

Looks great so far. It feels like a fun game that challenges the player and is almost puzzle like. I like the time travel mechanic which makes sense with the start over nature of the game, similar to FTL. For updates I would like a setting for the mouse speed, which seems very slow from my normal. I would also like to be able to use the artillery on a blank area as a pusher.

In a lot of roguelikes, FTL included, you can sometimes get royally screwed by RNG. Not this time. You know that every time your run goes south, it's your own damn fault. It's infuriating, having your crew die and your energy depleted, knowing that the only one you can blame is yourself. Oh well, let's rewind time and try again. Into the Breach plays like a bizarre chess game where you know what your opponent is about to do, and it is your job to disrupt their plans. Initially when looking at videos and screenshots of the game I thought the scope was far too small, and I would have liked a bigger board and more units, but after playing it for a couple of days I must say that I was entirely wrong about that. The balance is perfect, it allows for a lot of variey but avoids getting clogged. It looks quaint, but keeping those pesky critters away can be a real handful. All in all solid and incredibly reasonably priced entry from Subset Games that will inevitably spawn a host of clones, just like FTL did. I can't wait for what they will come up with next.