Into the Breach

Last updated

Into the Breach
Into the breach cover.png
Developer(s) Subset Games
Publisher(s) Subset Games [lower-alpha 1]
Designer(s)
  • Justin Ma
  • Matthew Davis
Writer(s) Chris Avellone
Composer(s) Ben Prunty
Platform(s)
ReleaseMicrosoft Windows
February 27, 2018
macOS
August 9, 2018
Nintendo Switch
August 28, 2018
Linux
April 20, 2020
Stadia
December 1, 2020
iOS, Android
July 19, 2022
Genre(s) Turn-based strategy
Mode(s) Single-player

Into the Breach is a turn-based strategy video game developed and published by indie studio Subset Games, consisting of Justin Ma and Matthew Davis. Into the Breach is their second game, following FTL: Faster Than Light . It features writing by Chris Avellone and music composed by Ben Prunty. It was released for Microsoft Windows in February 2018, for macOS and Nintendo Switch in August 2018, and for Linux in April 2020. A version for iOS and Android mobile devices was published by Netflix in July 2022.

Contents

Gameplay

Into the Breach is set in the far future where humanity fights against an army of giant monsters collectively called the Vek. To combat them, the player controls soldiers that operate giant mechs that can be equipped with a variety of weapons, armor, and other equipment. The game uses a turn-based combat system, allowing the player to coordinate the actions of their team in response to enemy moves and actions that serve to telegraph their attacks. [1]

In combat, the player controls three different mechs against the Vek, and will be given an objective for that map along with a fixed number of turns to complete that objective. The principal goal for any map is to protect civilian structures which support the power grid that supports the mechs, but additional objectives may be presented. Should a civilian structure be damaged or destroyed, the power grid is weakened. On each turn, Vek forces will move across the board and attack. The player is shown the direction of the Vek unit's intended attack and information on the number of moves the Vek unit is able to take and its remaining health are available on screen. The appearance of new Vek follows each turn. This gives the player the ability to then move each mech and fire one of its weapons as to either defeat the Vek unit, push the Vek off a line of attack, avoid an attack, intercept newly spawning Vek or an attack on civilian structures. Mechs can only take a limited amount of damage during battle before becoming inoperable, though a player can have a mech idle a turn to repair some damage; battle damage is otherwise completely repaired between maps. [2] Pilots of mechs that defeat a Vek gain experience points, which can be used to unlock new skills. The gameplay of Into the Breach has been compared to that of chess, as it is less about overpowering the opposing forces and instead about maintaining position control and sacrificing units to gain a larger advantage; this comparison is further enforced by the grid structure of combat scenarios, where fights are broken into 8x8 squares. [2] [3] [4]

Similar to FTL, the game is broken into a sequence of islands each with a number of scenarios (based on island sectors) to complete; while the islands remain the same each game, the scenarios themselves are generated procedurally in a roguelike manner. After completing the first island, the player is given the choice of which islands in the sequence to protect next; islands have various conditions that can affect combat scenarios, and more hazardous conditions can gain greater rewards from completing the scenarios on each. [3] Should the player lose any scenario, either due to their three mechs becoming disabled, losing their power grid, or failing to protect a specific target for that scenario, then the player has the option to send one of the pilots back in time prior to the start of the first mission – effectively starting a new game – retaining their current experience and abilities to give an edge in the next battle. [3] Reviewers for the website Rock Paper Shotgun described the gameplay as a mix of Pacific Rim and Edge of Tomorrow due to the time-traveling elements. [4] Other permanent improvements, such as new pilots or sets of mechs, become available as the player completes various milestones.

Development

Justin Ma (left) and Matthew Davis at the 2019 Game Developers Choice Awards Subset games justin ma matthew davis gdc 2019.jpg
Justin Ma (left) and Matthew Davis at the 2019 Game Developers Choice Awards

Into the Breach came out of ideas that Ma and Davis had following the success of FTL. They had tried various prototypes for a game, including one for a grid-based tactical system, which they recognized was seeing a resurgence in the video game industry due to the success of XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012). However, they still needed some type of hook to differentiate their game. This came as a response to films like Man of Steel and Pacific Rim , where "the whole city gets demolished, but no one cares because the good guys won", according to Ma. [2] They set about to make the game focus on the impact of collateral damage so that defending buildings and other structures would become a priority rather than just winning. [2]

Subset included the effects of giant mechs-vs-giant alien battles on the landscape as the game time progress, with mountains being torn down, forests destroyed by fire, and buildings razed. To emphasize this in gameplay, they include the mechanic that mechs are powered from local power nodes in the buildings, so that if these buildings are destroyed, they may not be able to power their mechs. This created tough decisions for players, such as whether to destroy a building to get a short-term edge in battle or to prevent a catastrophe to a larger number of buildings. To further help emphasize the need to care for these buildings, Avellone's story was written to remind the player that as they fight with the mechs, there will be people cowering for safety in these buildings, and to create emotional impact when these people are killed when a building is destroyed. [2]

In contrast to XCOM, where a simple battle may take up to an hour to complete all objectives, Subset wanted each battle to be relatively short in terms of gameplay time. The limited turn counter was used to keep battles short, and Subset found that telegraphing the Vek's movements further helped to hasten the pace. They developed scenarios and situations to require the player to devise new strategies on the fly which they anticipated that players would build upon in later parts of the game. [2]

Development of Into the Breach started mid-2015, after all of Subset's commitments to FTL were completed, providing them with the financial security to move forward onto this project. [2] The game, announced in February 2017, was expected to be released on Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems, though Subset did not expect this to be a simultaneous release. [5] Subset said at the time of its reveal that Into the Breach was still a ways off from release, as they had enough in place to show off the game's ideas and preliminary art, but they still lack a lot of content for the game, and prefer to perfect the game at their own pace. [2] Rock Paper Shotgun considered an early preview copy they had played in November 2017 as nearly complete outside of art assets and game balance issues, and reported that the game is expected to release in early 2018, [4] and was eventually set for February 27, 2018. [6]

In addition to Avellone and Prunty, Subset Games has obtained help from Isla Schanuel for community management and user testing, Power Up Audio for audio work, and Polina Hristova to assist Ma in art assets. [2] Ben Prunty, who had composed the FTL soundtrack, provided the music for Into the Breach. Like with FTL, Prunty and Subset wanted to use a style of music not normally associated with the narrative genre, but had difficulty in deciding which direction it should go, particularly that they felt that music for a strategy game should be soft and quiet. Ma shared with Prunty 2Cellos' take on Hans Zimmer's "Mombasa" from Inception: Music from the Motion Picture , which gave Prunty the inspiration to create the game's first music track, used in the game's teaser trailer. [7] In addition to the digital score, Prunty added some guitar riffs atop the music, creating a motif that appeared throughout the tracks. Further, Prunty helped Subset to determine when music should be used in the game; rather than music playing constantly, he suggested to have music only start when the player completes the deployment of the mechs on a map, creating a dynamic for the game going forward. [7]

The Windows version of Into the Breach was released on February 27, 2018. [8] The macOS version followed later that year on August 9, 2018. [9] The Nintendo Switch version followed later that month on August 28, 2018. [10] A native Linux version was released on April 20, 2020. [11]

A free Advanced Edition update to the game was released on July 19, 2022, for personal computers and Switch versions, adding more content including new squads, pilots and enemies, and an "Unfair" difficulty level. Additionally, a mobile version for iOS and Android was released the same day by Netflix. [12]

Reception

Into the Breach received praise upon its release, holding a 90 out of 100 on review aggregation site Metacritic [13] and is the site's best reviewed PC game for 2018. [19] Critics lauded the simple but strategic gameplay, high difficulty, artstyle and soundtrack. [20] The editors of Popular Mechanics named it the best video game of 2018, writing that it "is a refreshing take on the turn-based strategy game and represents the most inventive evolution of the genre." [21]

Accolades

The game was a runner-up for "Best Debut" and "Best Game of the Year" in Giant Bomb's 2018 Game of the Year Awards. [22]

YearAwardCategoryResultRef
2018 Independent Games Festival Competition AwardsSeumas McNally Grand PrizeNominated [23] [24]
Excellence in DesignNominated
Golden Joystick Awards Best Indie GameNominated [25] [26] [27]
PC Game of the YearNominated
Ultimate Game of the YearNominated
The Game Awards 2018 Best Independent GameNominated [28] [29]
Best Strategy GameWon
Gamers' Choice Awards Fan Favorite Indie GameNominated [30]
Titanium Awards Best Indie GameNominated [31]
Best Game DesignNominated
Australian Games AwardsStrategy Title of the YearNominated [32]
2019New York Game AwardsOff Broadway Award for Best Indie GameNominated [33]
22nd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Game of the Year Nominated [34] [35]
Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year Won
Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game Nominated
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design Nominated
National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers AwardsDesign, New IPNominated [36]
Game, StrategyNominated
Original Light Mix Score, New IPNominated
SXSW Gaming Awards Excellence in DesignNominated [37]
Game Developers Choice Awards Best DesignWon [38] [39]
15th British Academy Games Awards Game DesignNominated [40] [41]
Original PropertyWon
Italian Video Game AwardsBest Indie GameNominated [42]

Notes

  1. Netflix published the iOS and Android version of the game.

Related Research Articles

<i>Fallout Shelter</i> Simulation video game

Fallout Shelter is a free-to-play construction and management simulation video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios, with assistance by Behaviour Interactive, and published by Bethesda Softworks. Part of the Fallout series, it was released worldwide for iOS devices in June 2015, for Android devices in August 2015, for Windows in July 2016, for Xbox One in February 2017, and for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in June 2018. The game is also available on Tesla vehicles. The game tasks the player with building and effectively managing their own Vault, a fallout shelter.

<i>Prey</i> (2017 video game) 2017 video game

Prey is a 2017 first-person shooter video game developed by Arkane Austin and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on May 5, 2017.

<i>Divinity: Original Sin</i> 2014 video game

Divinity: Original Sin is a role-playing video game developed and published by Larian Studios. The fourth main entry in the Divinity game series, it is a prequel to the original game Divine Divinity, and to the other main games in the series. It was first released on Microsoft Windows on 30 June 2014.

<i>FTL: Faster Than Light</i> 2012 video game

FTL: Faster Than Light is a real-time strategy roguelite game created by indie developer Subset Games, which was released for Microsoft Windows, macOS and Linux in September 2012. In the game, the player controls the crew of a single spacecraft, holding critical information to be delivered to an allied fleet, while being pursued by a large rebel fleet. The player must guide the spacecraft through eight sectors, each with planetary systems and events procedurally generated in a roguelike fashion, while facing rebel and other hostile forces, recruiting new crew, and outfitting and upgrading their ship. Combat takes place in pausable real time, and if the ship is destroyed or all of its crew lost, the game ends, forcing the player to restart with a new ship.

<i>Final Fantasy XIV</i> 2013 video game

Final Fantasy XIV is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed and published by Square Enix. Directed and produced by Naoki Yoshida and released worldwide for PlayStation 3 and Windows in August 2013, it replaced the failed 2010 version, with subsequent support for PlayStation 4, macOS, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Final Fantasy XIV is set in the fantasy region of Eorzea, five years after the devastating Seventh Umbral Calamity which ended the original version. In the Calamity, the elder primal Bahamut escaped from his prison, an ancient space station called Dalamud, unleashing an apocalypse across Eorzea. Through temporal magic, the player character of the original version escaped, reappearing at the start of A Realm Reborn. As Eorzea cements its recovery, the player must fend off a reignited invasion from the Garlean Empire.

<i>Donut County</i> 2018 video game

Donut County is a puzzle video game developed by American designer Ben Esposito and published by Annapurna Interactive in 2018. The player moves a hole to swallow objects, which makes the hole increase in size. The concept originated in a game jam based on pitches from a Twitter account parody of game designer Peter Molyneux, and later added a mechanic similar to that of Katamari Damacy. Other inspirations for the game included Hopi figurines—a theme Esposito later relinquished—and locations from Bruce Springsteen songs. Donut County was released in August 2018 for iOS, macOS, PlayStation 4, and Microsoft Windows platforms while versions for Xbox One and Nintendo Switch were released in December 2018. It also released for Android in December 2020.

Undertale is a 2015 2D role-playing video game created by American indie developer Toby Fox. The player controls a child who has fallen into the Underground: a large, secluded region under the surface of the Earth, separated by a magical barrier. The player meets various monsters during the journey back to the surface, although some monsters might engage the player in a fight. The combat system involves the player navigating through mini-bullet hell attacks by the opponent. They can opt to pacify or subdue monsters in order to spare them instead of killing them. These choices affect the game, with the dialogue, characters, and story changing based on outcomes.

<i>BattleTech</i> (video game) 2017 video game

BattleTech is a Mecha turn-based strategy video game developed by Harebrained Schemes and published by Paradox Interactive. It was released on macOS and Windows on April 24, 2018, with a Linux release on November 27, 2018. The developers set aside US$1 million to create the game, and turned to Kickstarter to secure funding for additional features, including a single player campaign, an expansion of that campaign, and a player versus player multiplayer mode.

<i>Overland</i> (video game) 2019 video game

Overland is a turn-based tactics video game by Finji. It was released in September 2019 for iOS and macOS through Apple Arcade, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One, and in December 2022 for PlayStation 5.

<i>Civilization VI</i> 2016 video game

Sid Meier's Civilization VI is a turn-based strategy 4X video game developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K. The mobile and Nintendo Switch port was published by Aspyr Media. The latest entry into the Civilization series, it was released on Windows and macOS in October 2016, with later ports for Linux in February 2017, iOS in December 2017, Nintendo Switch in November 2018, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in November 2019, and Android in 2020.

<i>Celeste</i> (video game) 2018 platform game

Celeste is a 2018 platform game developed and published by indie studio Maddy Makes Games. The player controls Madeline, a young woman with anxiety and depression who aims to climb Celeste Mountain. During her climb, she encounters several characters, including Part of You a personification of her self-doubt who attempts to stop her from climbing the mountain.

<i>Nidhogg 2</i> 2017 video game

Nidhogg 2 is a fighting game and sequel to Nidhogg by indie developer Messhof. It was released for Microsoft Windows, macOS and PlayStation 4 in 2017. An Xbox One version was released in July 2018 and the Nintendo Switch version was released in November 2018. The game received generally positive reviews from critics upon release.

StarCrawlers is a dungeon crawler and role-playing game that was released for Windows, macOS, and SteamOS on 24 May 2017. It was the first game produced by Juggernaut Games, which funded it using a Kickstarter. It is set in a sci-fi universe with cyberpunk elements, and features a mixture of pre-built and procedurally generated content. The game aims to revitalise dungeon-crawlers as a genre, billing itself as a "modern take on a classic cRPG dungeon crawler", and is available on Steam or GOG.

<i>Minit</i> 2018 adventure video game

Minit is an action-adventure video game developed by Jan Willem Nijman, Kitty Calis, Jukio Kallio, and Dominik Johann. The game is published by Devolver Digital and was released on April 3, 2018, for Windows, macOS, Linux, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. On May 11, 2018, a Nintendo Switch version was announced on the first episode of Indie World, a web series from Nintendo of Japan that showcases indie games coming to the Japanese Nintendo eShop. It was released for the Nintendo Switch on August 9, 2018. It also came out for mobile devices in June 2019.

<i>West of Loathing</i> 2017 video game

West of Loathing is a comedy adventure role-playing video game developed and released by Asymmetric Publications on August 10, 2017.

<i>Slay the Spire</i> 2019 roguelike deck-building game

Slay the Spire is a roguelike deck-building game developed by the American indie studio Mega Crit and published by Humble Bundle. The game was released in early access for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux in late 2017, with an official release in January 2019. It was released for PlayStation 4 in May 2019, for Nintendo Switch in June 2019 and for Xbox One in August 2019. An iOS version was released in June 2020, with an Android version released in February 2021.

<i>Gloomhaven</i> 2017 cooperative strategy role-playing board game

Gloomhaven is a cooperative board game for one to four players designed by Isaac Childres and published by Cephalofair Games in 2017. It is a campaign-based dungeon crawl game including a narrative campaign, 95 unique playable scenarios, and 17 playable classes. Since its introduction the game has been acclaimed by reviewers, and has been described as one of the best board games ever made.

Fortnite is an online video game and game platform developed by Epic Games and released in 2017. It is available in six distinct game mode versions that otherwise share the same general gameplay and game engine: Fortnite Battle Royale, a free-to-play battle royale game in which up to 100 players fight to be the last person standing; Fortnite: Save the World, a cooperative hybrid tower defense-shooter and survival game in which up to four players fight off zombie-like creatures and defend objects with traps and fortifications they can build; and Fortnite Creative, in which players are given complete freedom to create worlds and battle arenas, Lego Fortnite, an open world survival game, Rocket Racing, a racing game, and Fortnite Festival, a rhythm game.

<i>Reigns: Game of Thrones</i> 2018 strategy video game

Reigns: Game of Thrones is a 2018 strategy game developed by Nerial and published by Devolver Digital. The third instalment in and a spin-off from the Reigns series, it is based on the television series Game of Thrones. Reigns: Game of Thrones was released in October 2018 for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, and Microsoft Windows. A version for Nintendo Switch was released in April 2019.

<i>Untitled Goose Game</i> 2019 video game

Untitled Goose Game is a 2019 indie puzzle stealth game developed by House House and published by Panic Inc. Players control a goose who bothers the inhabitants of an English village. Players must use the goose's abilities to manipulate objects and non-player characters to complete objectives. It was released for macOS, Nintendo Switch, Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

References

  1. Smith, Adam (February 10, 2017). "FTL devs announce tactical kaiju battler Into The Breach". Rock Paper Shotgun . Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Craddock, David (February 20, 2017). "Into the Breach Preview: FTL's Creators Pit Mechs Against Aliens in Post-Apocalyptic Warfare". Shacknews .
  3. 1 2 3 Smith, Adam (March 1, 2017). "Into The Breach: FTL follow-up is smart, tense and surprising". Rock Paper Shotgun . Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 Staff (November 27, 2017). "Kaiju & mechs clash in ace FTL follow-up Into the Breach". Rock Paper Shotgun . Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  5. Farokhmanesh, Megan (February 10, 2017). "Watch the trailer for FTL creators' next game, Into the Breach". The Verge . Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  6. Meer, Alec (February 7, 2018). "FTL follow-up Into The Breach is finally out this month". Rock Paper Shotgun . Retrieved February 7, 2018.
  7. 1 2 Prunty, Ben (February 23, 2018). "How I made Into the Breach's soundtrack". PC Gamer . Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  8. Nunneley, Stephany (February 28, 2018). "Into the Breach comes with free copy of FTL: Advanced Edition through GOG and Humble". VG247 . Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  9. Castello, Jay (August 11, 2018). "Into The Breach is now available on Mac, 20% off for everyone". Rock Paper Shotgun . Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  10. Hall, Charlie (August 28, 2018). "Into the Breach comes to Nintendo Switch today". Polygon . Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  11. "Into the Breach version 1.2 - 9 new languages, native Linux version, and a touch interface!". Steam. April 20, 2020. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  12. Wales, Matt (June 23, 2022). "Stellar turn-based strategy Into the Breach getting free Advanced Edition update in July". Eurogamer . Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  13. 1 2 "Into the Breach for PC Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  14. "Into the Breach for Switch Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  15. "Into The Breach". Edge (318): 108–110. May 2018.
  16. "Pulling Back the Layers - Into the Breach - PC". Game Informer . Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  17. "Into The Breach: Advanced Edition: A Mechanized Masterpiece". GameSpot . Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  18. "Into the Breach: Review". IGN . February 27, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  19. "Best PC Video Games for 2018". Metacritic. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  20. Kershaw, Rob. "Into The Breach Review". Jump Dash Roll.
  21. "The Best Video Game the Year You Were Born". Popular Mechanics . January 14, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  22. Gerstmann, Jeff (December 28, 2018). "Here's What Won". Giant Bomb .
  23. Faller, Patrick (January 5, 2018). "Independent Games Festival Awards Nominees Announced". GameSpot . Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  24. Whitney, Kayla (March 22, 2018). "Complete list of 2018 Independent Games Festival Awards Winners". AXS . Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  25. Hoggins, Tom (September 24, 2018). "Golden Joysticks 2018 nominees announced, voting open now". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved October 7, 2018.
  26. Andronico, Michael (October 26, 2018). "Golden Joystick Awards: Vote for Ultimate Game of the Year". Tom's Guide. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  27. Sheridan, Connor (November 16, 2018). "Golden Joystick Awards 2018 winners: God of War wins big but Fortnite gets Victory Royale". GamesRadar+ . Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  28. McWhertor, Michael (November 13, 2018). "The Game Awards 2018 nominees led by God of War, Red Dead Redemption 2". Polygon . Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  29. Grant, Christopher (December 6, 2018). "The Game Awards 2018: Here are all the winners". Polygon . Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  30. Glyer, Mike (November 19, 2018). "2018 Gamers' Choice Awards Nominees". File 770. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  31. "Titanium Awards 2018". Fun & Serious Game Festival . December 10, 2018. Archived from the original on July 7, 2019. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  32. "Your 2018 Winners". Australian Games Awards. December 19, 2018. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  33. Keyes, Rob (January 3, 2019). "2018 New York Game Awards Nominees Revealed". Screen Rant . Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  34. Makuch, Eddie (January 10, 2019). "God Of War, Spider-Man Lead DICE Awards; Here's All The Nominees". GameSpot . Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  35. McWhertor, Michael (February 14, 2019). "God of War wins big at DICE Awards 2019". Polygon . Retrieved February 14, 2019.
  36. "Nominee List for 2018". National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. February 11, 2019. Archived from the original on February 13, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
  37. Trent, Logan (February 11, 2019). "Here Are Your 2019 SXSW Gaming Awards Finalists!". South by Southwest . Archived from the original on February 15, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  38. Good, Owen S. (January 4, 2019). "Red Dead Redemption 2 tops list of Game Developers Choice nominees". Polygon . Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  39. Williams, Mike (March 20, 2019). "God of War Wins Another GOTY at 2019 Game Developers Choice Awards". USGamer . Archived from the original on March 21, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
  40. Fogel, Stefanie (March 14, 2019). "'God of War,' 'Red Dead 2' Lead BAFTA Game Awards Nominations". Variety . Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  41. Fox, Chris; Kleinman, Zoe (April 4, 2019). "God of War wins best game at Bafta Awards". BBC . Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  42. "Italian Video Game Awards Nominees and Winners". Italian Video Game Awards. April 11, 2019. Archived from the original on February 26, 2018. Retrieved May 25, 2019.