Not all puzzles make the most sense and the writing drags out sometimes but otherwise it's another compelling, and likewise disturbing, game in the Stasis-verse with the kind of story Stephen King might write if he were into sci-fi. The game is not generous with auto-saves so remember to quick save from time to time.
Once again Subset Games have managed to pack a lot of engaging gameplay into a small game with simple graphics that feels fresh. Even though Into the Breach feels more like a puzzle than tactics game it's very satisfying when you pull off a combination of actions that allow you to neutralize your enemies while preserving your own assets. Basic gameplay is very simple but the amount of mech and skill options as well as situations that arise from mission to mission create complex problems that require some creative thinking. The game can be played in short bursts and doesn't swallow up your time but there are more mechs and pilots to unlock and special challenges to overcome so you can keep at it for a long time if you want and there's a lot of undiluted fun to be had imo.
Some people have described SiS's art style as cartoony. I prefer to say it's comic book-like. It's colorful but not exaggerated or caricature-ish. Regardless don't let the visual style make you think it's a "kiddie game". On the surface SiS is a pretty straightforward space 4x with a streamlined strategic layer and more focus on turn based combat. When you look closely there are many neat little details and features that make it a lot more interesting. For example, planets are not simply Icy or Desert. Most planets contain multiple climate zones which provide degrees of suitability for different races allowing even multiple different ones to coexist on the same planet and make use of the different zones. Pirates will raid your planet and abduct your people and you can pay them off to stop but you can also buy slaves from them and hire their ships as mercenaries. There are multiple minor races with different strengths and dispositions which may help or hinder your colonization efforts. Different means of boarding allow you to capture ships and keep, scrap or use reverse engineer them for research. While made with a small budget SiS is rich with flavor and interesting features and is arguably the best Master of Orion 2 "remake" to date with just enough of its own additions feel new. The weakest part of the game is probably the interface which is still lacking in hotkeys and polish and can be problematic for new players.
