Into The Breach: Can't Catch Light(ning) in A Bottle Twice

Time Played: 13.5 Hours

Beaten: Once

Subset Games is famous among gamers for their 2012 critical darling, Faster Than Light. Even eight years old this classic roguelike remains influential in defining the genre. Into The Breach may impact its genre, if only it knows what it is.

Into The Breach is set in a series of alternate futures. All of these are infested with massive insect-like monsters called Vek. Across four islands the player battles them in giant Mechs.

Initially, the player only has access to the Museum Island, a recreation of Earth. Mountains, forests, and rivers define the terrain. Defeating Museum Island unlocks others. Unlocking an island in one playthrough carries on to future attempts.

Each island is divided into sections. Each section has a battle, and each battle has a mini goal or three. Completing goals rewards the player with Grid Power or an in-game currency, Reputation. Players spend Reputation at the end of an island to purchase upgrades. After completing five missions on an island, the player fights a final battle against the an extra aggressive group of Vek. After this final mission the player chooses a second island. With two islands secured the player is able to fight the final battle on the Volcanic Hive, or scour the remaining islands for more equipment.

In addition to the mini goals (like protecting a specific building, blowing up a dam, or not taking any damage) the player must protect the Power Grid.

Each battle occurs on an eight by eight grid. They last five to eight turns. Each island features different terrain (Ice, Lava, Sand, Acid, and more). Generic looking builds are scattered around the grid. When a Vek (or the player) destroys a building, the Power Grid suffers one damage. There is a small chance that the Grid does not take damage when a building is destroyed. If the Power Grid is reduced to zero the player loses (more on that later). The Power Grid value carries over from island to island.

Before beginning play the player chooses their Mechs. Into the Breach includes eight Mech squads, but the player only starts with the first. Each Mech squad is composed of three Mechs. To unlock more Mech squadrons the player completes achievements. The player doesn't have to play with the prepared squads. They mix and match Mechs to search for unique combinations. Each Mech group has three unique objectives, each of which rewards the player with a Coin. There are at least fifty-five achievements in Into the Breach. These coins are spent to unlock the other Mechs squads. Instead of trying to “beat the game” the player finds success by completing achievements, even if it means losing battles.

The game divides Mechs into four different categories. Prime Mechs appear humanoid and inflict melee damage. Ranged Mechs use indirect fire to shoot distant targets. Science Mechs don't do damage, but move units, shield buildings, or confuse the enemy. I can't categorize the effect of the Brute Mechs. Some are ranged, others are melee. Some cause damage, and others don't. One or two hurt themselves when attacking, but others only harm the Vek.

Islands start with three or four Vek in play. With clear vision of the playing field, and the enemy pieces, the player places their three Mechs on the board. The match starts. The enemy move and declare their attacks, but don't enact them. New Vek prepare to pop out of the ground. After seeing this, the player moves their Mechs and attacks. They can undo their movements until they commit to an attack. A Mech's turn ends when it attacks, and the player is finished when all three of their Mechs have attacked. Instead of attacking, a Mech can repair itself for one hit point and remove negative effects like burning. In the midst of a turn the player can Reset. The Mechs are returned to their starting position, and all damage they inflicted is undone. This Reset is available once per mission. Not once per game, or once per island, but per mission. Because it is so abundant it should be used often, to achieve the best possible outcome.

After the player moves and attacks, environmental effects (volcanoes, lava flows, fires) if there are any, are resolved. Then the Vek attack. Knowing their attack order is crucial for proper play. The player can see the order at any time by holding down ALT (also, place mouse pointer over an enemy and hold CTL to see details about damage and movement). Next, underground Vek burrow out onto the surface. If a Mech or Vek is standing on the spot they suffer one point of damage, and prevent the underground Vek from appearing.

That's one turn. Begin again with Vek movement.

In summary:

Vek move.

Vek declare attacks.

Player moves and attacks.

Environmental Effects.

Vek attack (click ALT to see order).

A mission ends when:

The number of Turns remaining drops to zero; victory! All Vek are destroyed with none appearing, and only one turn left; victory! All Mechs are destroyed when they lose all their health; defeat. The Power Grid is reduced to zero; defeat.

After victory all Mechs are healed, even defeated ones. Pilots gain experience, earning minus bonuses. The player receives rewards for completing mission goals. After winning an island the player spends Reputation to buy upgrades to their Mechs or replenish the Power Grid.

If the player is defeated, they choose one of their remaining pilots to return to the past (future?) and live to fight another day. After a loss, the player retains their single pilot, their achievements, Coins, unlocked Mechs, and unlocked islands. They start a new game, picking a new Mech squad. It's unclear if Into the Breach ends. It encourages the player to beat it many times; the first time, on hard, with four different squads, with all the squads, with each squad three times, with a random squad, with a squad of three different Mechs of the same class, with three flying Mechs, and with three of the same Mech. All of those are achievements.

One may assume combat involves destroying the enemy, but half the time is spent mis-positioning the Vek. Attacks push, pull, or transport the Vek. Instead of killing Vek smart players manage them. They can be pushed into water and drowned. Two units pushed together suffer damage. Or the player pushes Vek so their attack hits thin air. Preferable; to pull Vek so they attack or are attacked by another Vek. Use Vek to shield the Power Grid from the attacks of other Vek. The player may think they need to eliminate Vek, but they need to survive. The best tool is managed destruction.

Into the Breach's offers varied gameplay with multiple means to success, but the visuals shouldn't be overlooked. This isn't Faster Than Light, but the visual quality and tone look remarkably similar. It captures the theme of Mech vs. Monster. The visuals are fantastic in their simplicity. They are informative without cluttering the area.

In Conclusion,

Since I loved Faster Than Light, I anticipated loving Into The Breach. It's easy to understand, while difficult to master, and is accompanied by a similar visual style. Here's the problem. It feels like Go, or Chess; like a puzzle instead of a tactical game. It lacks tactical depth. The mechanics prohibit the player from planning turn to turn (except for vague tactical platitudes like hold the center). Enemies choose their targets seemingly at random (they don't seem to focus Mechs or buildings), and can move rapidly across the map. Many players will find these criticisms misdirected. I wanted to praise Into the Breach, wanted to want to play it session after session, but I can't do so anymore than I can fight Kaiju in a Mech suit.

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