Backlog Beatdown: Going into the breach with Into the Breach

I picked up Into the Breach roughly a year ago, having been made aware of it by the adverts on the Steam info page for FTL: Faster Than Light (both games have the same developer,) and an article on Rock Paper Shotgun where Into the Breach was at the top of its list of the 50 Greatest Strategy Games. I was intrigued by the idea that a game stripped back to the essentials of what makes a strategy game should be such a compelling experience.

Artillery blasts are always fun...

Into the Breach is an absolutely brilliant game. It is a turn-based strategy game where you control a squad of three “mechs,” who have gone back in time to free what is left of the planet from the Vek, an alien race of giant insect-like monsters who are destroying what remains of the planet’s population. The game presents you with four themed islands, which have several stages you must get through in order to clear the island and defeat the boss – usually a variation on an enemy you’ve already fought with more health and a different colour palette. The mission takes place on a 16x16 square grid and is usually quite simple: Stop the Vek from destroying too many civilian buildings, as they are forming a power grid that powers your mechs. What’s great about the battle system is that your mechs move then attack – the Vek attack, then move, then telegraph their next attack. Once you realise that your attacks move the Vek when they hit, you discover that this is your opportunity to strategically plan your moves so that the enemy does as little damage as possible. If enough of the power grid and at least one of your mechs is still operational at the end of four or five turns, you win the battle.

Don't think I've used this weapon before...

Variety is added to the missions by completing additional objectives: Protect specific buildings, destroy certain parts of the environment, avoid killing a ‘Volatile’ Vek that will explode if it takes enough damage are just a few. Your reward for completing these is either more power to your grid, or reputation points that can be spent at the end of an island to kit out your mechs. Once you’ve cleared at least two islands, you can attack the Vek on their base island, and if you can beat that mission you win the game. This mission scales in difficulty based on how many islands you’ve beaten, so you can’t fully level up your pilots and kit out your mechs and hope for an easier time – it’ll be a challenge either way! The game takes an hour to two hours to beat, and there is a plethora of stuff to unlock as you’re going along; I’ve beaten the game, but it will take much longer than that to complete!

The Final Mission is a blast!

The graphics are of a 4^th/5^th (console) generation pixel art style; it doesn’t look particularly special, but it will still look that good in ten years! The sound effects are of a similar standard, with the exception of the soundtrack. The music in this game is wonderful; it strikes the balance of being atmospheric and ambient enough to support the game without getting in the way of the action, but memorable enough to stick in the mind long after you’ve finished playing. Subset Games have a very talented composer in Ben Prunty!

Into the Breach is an excellent game with a lot to offer. While the fact that it is a turn-based strategy game might limit the appeal initially, its presentation makes it accessible to most people. The interface is fine; there’s very little clunk and it doesn’t take you long to figure out how everything works. There is a deeper plot than the one suggested, but apart from the fact that most of the characters have quite distinct personalities, you’re left to discover the intricacies of the plot on your own. The game allows you to uncover its weapons, upgrades and ideal paths at your own pace, and your reward for doing so is addressing the challenges the game presents using whatever option it gives you on each run. A fine game, and one that everybody should at least try.

Final Score: 5/5: Beyond excellent.