I never mentioned Subset Games’ FTL before but it’s one of those games that I visit and revisit every so often. I bought it first on PC but I felt it was a better fit on a portable device like the iPad. Fortunately, I didn’t need to double dip with their second game, Into the Breach. It’s available for PC and the Nintendo Switch but I didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger for the portable option when it went on sale.
Into the Breach may resemble a strategy game like Fire Emblem or Final Fantasy Tactics but it’s very much a puzzle game with rogue-like mechanics. It’s intriguing, unexpected, and a natural fit for the studio who brought us FTL.
A squad of high powered mechs punching giant bugs sounds gratifying but that’s superficial compared to the gratification of a well-executed setup. Pushing an enemy into the path of another enemy and watching it get annihilated by its own ally’s attack makes me feel like I just pulled a fast one over the bugs.
It’s not readily apparent at first but thanks to limited reset options, increased familiarity with the game, and a lot of trial and error, opportunities for those kinds of setups began to surface. Different squads (unlocked with an in-game currency) offered different playstyles and ways to subdue the giant bugs threatening innocent lives. My favorite included a jet that smothered enemies with a cloud of smoke that prevents them from attacking. I eventually won with this killer squad in large part to this one unit.
In my quest for that first win, I strategized and optimized my way through all the islands. I found early islands more tricky than the latter and eventually found a path towards victory. Sometimes, a few hundred innocent lives need to be sacrificed in order for me to get that upgrade point. The fate of humanity’s future was in the balance.
But once I attained that victory, the desire to push forward and unlock new squads for new challenges drained away from me. I was elated by the victory, I enjoyed pushing giant grasshoppers into the water, and disintegrating beetles with electric clouds. But despite the good times, I didn’t feel the need to jump to another timeline. Saving one future was enough for now.
Verdict:
I liked it
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