Humanity is doomed. Again. It’s time to go back in time and fight the Vek again to find a way to defeat them and break the circle. Do you want to know the result? Check it out in the review of Into the Breach, the latest work from the creators of FTL.
Sometimes when I was playing an all-for-all game in Into the Breach , it seemed to me that I was in a simulation of the Kobayashi Maru , that tactical exercise from Star Trek where you were presented with a situation of an impossible battle to win. The same thing happens here, sometimes. As much as you think about all the possibilities for each turn, there is simply no way to complete the mission and call it victory.
In a way, it’s very reminiscent of FTL . Logical, since they are the same creators of that little gem capable of exasperating the most temperate of players. Into the Breach surprises like his previous work. After a simple, but very attractive visual section , the same strategic mechanics is hidden again that when it connects with you, it inevitably catches you. A very simple formula that gives rise to extreme situations where your best weapon is patience and the constant review of multiple turns played, first, in your head.
The approach is the following. We are part of a unit tasked with defending the last strongholds of humanity on a few islands from the threat of the Vek . But the truth is that these gigantic insectoid creatures have already wiped out civilization countless times, and each time they destroy us, our job is to go back in time to avoid it . It is very reminiscent of the premise of the novel All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka that Tom Cruise played in the film Edge of Tomorrow .
Gameplay
10 minutes of Into the Breach gameplay
Its structure of play is not only an excuse to start over from the beginningThis temporary travel structure is not a simple excuse to replay a game from the beginning, like all Roguelike, but it has some consequences, since one of our pilots will have the experience accumulated in the following timeline. However, we will lose everything else that we have accumulated. A hard blow when you have progressed in a good game and have to start from scratch. Into the Breach has no mercy.
Edge of TomorrowIt’s hard to put into words how to play Into the Breach (you’d better watch our gameplay, you’ll get the hang of it quickly). But it is important to note that the most important thing here is not to get out of situations alive , but rather to protect the abundant buildings that inhabit the islands and the people who live in them. On many occasions, we will have to sacrifice in order not to lose one of the tanks that make up the energy of these buildings, because when the bar reaches zero, the game is over and we will have to start over.
To avoid disaster, we have a good handful of curious mecha capable of facing the gigantic creatures. Each one specialized in a type of attack, be it short, long range or with surface-to-air missiles. In addition, as we unlock certain achievements, we can buy new packs of more specialized units . Suffice it to say that each one has a specific function and in many cases attacking is not the most effective, because throughout our turn we can alter the Vek’s predefined attacks to make, for example, fail their offensive to a building or that attack each other.
The game board is governed by squares. Understanding the consequences of each attack is vital to the success of each mission.
Economizing movements is the key to the game. We only have three units, while the Veks are more and more numerous . That is why in a single shift we will have to find the most efficient way to deal with them. For example, hitting an enemy to collide with another, while our position prevents a new Vek from emerging from the ground and, through the carom we have made, one of the enemies plugs another conduit.
Victory is not to kill all enemy units, but to protect map objectives to get more equipment.
The higher our efficiency, the better the game will go and the better the rewards we will achieve after securing the area. We will be able to achieve energy (our life bar); safeguard temporary capsules, with succulent rewards ; increase our reactors, which will allow us to enhance our abilities; or reputation, some stars that will allow us, once each island is liberated, to buy improvements for our mecha.
Everything in Into the Reach works like a glove and the synergies the game achieves are downright amazing. We do not care that the result is punishing, as FTL was like that and when you manage to finish the game successfully, the reward is unique. However, Into the Reach is often chaotic in development , and here we return to the example we started with, that of the Kobayashi Maru. Situations in which, no matter how much you think, you cannot win.
Into the Breach features certain scenarios where you always have to take the hit. Sometimes the enemies are so numerous or they attack in positions where it is impossible to cover all fronts. It is not serious, because the game is made so that we have to face some defeats . The problem is the snowball effect that it can have in some games, especially the more advanced ones, in which no matter how good you are, you are going to lose.
Touch functions are not a simple alternative. Give them a try and they can quickly become your go-to choice.
It’s happened to us a few times already and it can be frustrating when you’re on your way to victory. Somehow, it seems that the game tries to level itself so that the first games are impossible to win and as you unlock pilots and new mecha, it becomes somewhat easier, which indicates that not everything is strategy in Into the Breach , but also dedicating a certain number of hours and have some luck to achieve the master game. This is something that could also happen in FTL, but somehow in that game it felt more logical. Fairer.
As soon as you enjoy the fast and challenging tactic, Into the Breach is made for youWith all this, and as soon as you enjoy the fast and challenging tactic, Into the Breach is made for you. It is clear that the guys from Subset Games did not just have a stroke of luck with the creation of their previous video game, because the present is at a very high level. It has enough variety through the different mecha to unlock and replayability to last you a good handful of hours, although somehow it seems a work somewhat smaller in gameplay possibilities than what FTL supposed. Its quality, however, is far from doubt.
“Excellent”
Into the Breach
Into the Breach is a very well thought out and well planned game. Quick strategy, but one that squeezes your brain by raising all the possibilities of each of your actions. It seems somewhat shallower than your previous job and sometimes losing seems inevitable, but the fun it gets is only matched by the addiction it produces.
- The satisfaction that comes when you make a perfect turn or game.
- Very replayable. Each game generates different situations.
- A game very well raised, both for its mechanics and unit management.
- Situations in which it is impossible to respond to the offense correctly.
- Four islands plus a final can make its development somewhat hasty.
