Whether it’s throughcritically acclaimed franchises likeFallout, zombie games likeProject Zomboid, or RPG shooters likeStalker, players have been treated to a wide assortment of apocalyptic experiences. And now, indie studio Drop Bear Bytes is throwing its hat into the ring with its debut titleBroken Roads, which ultimately proves to be an intriguing experience with a few rougher edges.
Broken Roadsonce again takes players to a post-apocalyptic world, but this time, the adventure is focused solely on Australia. Players take the role of a survivor in this world and must do whatever they can to survive its many factions vying for control. Along that journey, they will interact with a wide variety of characters, make decisions that could affect the world, and fight off anyone who might get in their way. And while that does sound like an enjoyable time, some RPG fans may be looking for a bit more thanBroken Roadshas to offer.
Broken Roads Feels Like a Throwback to RPGs of Old
Much like other RPGs,Broken Roadsgives players the ability to be who they want to be within its world. When they first start up their adventure, they can design their protagonist around whatever build they want to try out. They must select their backstory, name, and plunge countless talent points into a plethora of different sections. This ispretty much like most TTRPGs; however, it does seem to be lacking one crucial element from modern RPGs.
While players have control over their backstories and talents, they do not have much say over their appearance. Instead, they select one of many preset appearances that will define their character’s look. Additionally, as they collect new clothes during their journey, those clothes will not really appear on the player. So, they are stuck with whatever preset they choose, and they have no way to truly make their character their own. That does not ruin the game, but some RPG fans may be a bit put off.
Before players finish customizing their character, they will be introduced toone ofBroken Roads' best features: The Moral Compass. This compass appears as a circle with four distinct areas: Utilitarian, Humanist, Nihilist, and Machiavellian. Players will be asked questions as they build their character, and those questions will dictate where on the compass they will start. And as they make decisions throughout the game, this Compass will move.
Decisions in Broken Roads Seem to Matter
The Moral Compass represents how the player’sBroken Roadscharacter views the world in front of them. As they make more decisions in one of the moral quadrants, the outer edges of their compass will expand and their range will become narrower, which is supposed to represent them becoming more narrow-minded. This gives them higher level moral decisions, which can affect their character even more. Plus, they will also unlock various moral traits based on their worldview that can give them nice combat bonuses or passives.
Much like many RPGs, decisions matter inBroken Roads, and the Moral Compass serves as a great way to represent that. According to Drop Bear Bytes, there are 36,000 different locations where a decision can be located on this compass. That means that no two decisions are alike, which makes them feel extremely lifelike. While players will have to discover just how true that is, the concept alone really helpspropBroken Roadsup within the RPG genre.
Besides The Moral Compass, the majority ofBroken Roadsis pretty standard RPG fare. Players will discover towns, interact with the people inside of them, and help them with whatever they want. Maybe they need to defend a town from raiders, maybe they need to help manipulate an election, or maybe they simply have to find some books for a library. There are so many different tasks to undergo, with some having a significant effect on the town that they are helping. And as players embark on these tasks, they will likely encounter even more characters that need their help.
The World of Broken Roads is Filled With Things to Discover
The actual exploration process is also much like many other RPGs.Broken Roadslets players assemble a party of five; the player and four other NPCs. Each party member has their benefits and drawbacks in combat, and they may also share their thoughts on any action that the player takes. As players progress further, their pool of party members will grow. Even though they do not have much control over how these characters look or their builds, it is nice tohave some traveling companions in this post-apocalyptic world.
The entire game world is presented as a simple empty canvas with various cities dotting it. Players traverse this map as a cursor, and they may stumble upon new regions or random encounters as they do. It might be fairly easy to navigate, but that overworld map also leaves much to be desired. At first glance, it almost looks like something one may find in a mobile game rather thana fully-fledged PC RPG. Additionally, the actual regions themselves are rather small, with only a few giving players a bit more room to explore.
As players explore, they will also come across many enemies that seek to do them harm.The combat works much likeBaldur’s Gate 3, where each character joins an initiative order and must take turns moving across the battlefield. Each character has movement points and action points, which can be increased or decreased with different abilities. That forces players to think strategically, and the smallest of points can be the only thing standing between them and total defeat.
Broken Roads is Held Back By Its Many Shortcomings
WhileBroken Roads' combat system is not bad, it does feel a bit lacking when compared to other titles. The map sizes are rather small, the enemies and allies are not that varied, and there does not seem to be a lot to do, especially in the early game. Most combat encounters simply boil down to moving to a spot, shooting a gun, and then waiting for the next turn to come around. There are very few exciting abilities, but it feels like most characters play the same. Things improve as players progress further through the game, but nailing down the early game combat is important to keep players engaged, and it feels likeBroken Roadsfails to do that.
Additionally, the story ofBroken Roadsdid not seem to be that exciting or unique. It felt like a pretty standard post-apocalyptic story, and sometimes,a bit too much like aFalloutgame. The opening hook also does little to excite players for the rest of the journey. However, just like with the combat, the story does get better as it goes along. But even with those improvements, it still feels like it lacks that excitement that other games in the genre have.
On top of that, there are many technical issues that players may encounter during theirBroken Roadsadventure. There is a chance that these issues get fixed as the release date nears, but as of now, the game has many rough edges. The player character will sometimes get stuck, combat encounters will break, the enemy AI will get caught in a loop, quests may not work, and the game occasionally gets caught on black screens. Along with that, the voice-over work would cut in and out at random times, making the flow of the story a bit odd.
That being said,Broken Roadsdoes still offer a lot of content for players to enjoy. The hand-drawn artwork is nice to look at,the turn-based tactical combatcan be incredibly challenging and rewarding, and players will feel like they have an impact on the world.Broken Roadsis held back a bit by its shortcomings, but those looking for something to sink their teeth into may still want to take it for a spin.
Broken Roads
Reviewed on PC
.Immerse yourself in a game world set in post-apocalyptic Western Australia filled with intricate lore, deep history, and compelling characters. As you embark on your epic journey, complex storylines, branching quests, and memorable encounters await. Uncover hidden secrets, unravel political intrigues, and confront moral dilemmas that challenge your assumptions about right and wrong. Every decision you make shapes the rich narrative, leading to multiple outcomes and ensuring a truly personalized gameplay experience. From the grand overarching plot to the smallest details, the world is brought to life with atmospheric descriptions and vivid dialogues, delivering an immersive and unforgettable adventure.The game seamlessly merges classic RPG elements with innovative features, providing players with a unique and customizable gameplay experience. Building upon a classless system, it offers an extensive range of character development options, allowing players to shape their abilities and skills to suit their playstyle. The inclusion of all-new role-playing elements adds depth and complexity to the game’s mechanics, intriguing moral choices, and immersive narrative arcs.
