Article: Broken Roads – An In-Depth Look at the Pros and Cons
Broken Roads is a narrative-driven, post-apocalyptic role-playing game (RPG) developed by Drop Bear Bytes and published by Prime Matter. The game takes place in the harsh, post-apocalyptic outback of Australia, where players must navigate a morally gray world filled with difficult decisions. The game is an old-school RPG with modern twists, and it features a deep narrative, branching dialogues, and a unique take on turn-based combat.
Pros of Broken Roads
1. Rich Storytelling and Deep Lore
Broken Roads excels in its storytelling. The narrative is captivating and emotionally driven, drawing players into its post-apocalyptic setting. The game creates a compelling world that feels lived-in and believable. The game’s storyline is told through the perspective of multiple characters, giving the player different viewpoints on the events that transpired in the world.
The decisions players make throughout the game have a direct impact on the storyline, making each playthrough feel unique. The game’s use of dialogues, journals, and environmental storytelling makes the world feel alive and fully realized.
2. Branching Moral Choices
One of the standout features of Broken Roads is its unique moral compass system. Instead of offering binary morality options (good vs. evil), the game presents a more nuanced system that allows players to choose from four different philosophical approaches:
- Utilitarianism: Focusing on the greater good, even if it means sacrificing individuals.
- Egoism: Prioritizing one’s own needs and desires over others.
- Relativism: Understanding that different people may have different values.
- Idealism: Striving for a perfect, albeit unattainable, moral society.
These moral choices affect how characters view the player and influence the game’s outcomes. This approach encourages deeper thinking about the decisions players make and keeps the narrative fresh on repeat playthroughs.
3. Engaging Turn-Based Combat
The game’s turn-based combat system is tactical and rewarding. It requires careful consideration of position, action economy, and abilities. Players can control a team of characters, each with their own unique skill sets. Combat encourages strategic thinking, with players needing to balance offense, defense, and resource management to emerge victorious.
The combat feels like a natural extension of the game’s emphasis on choice, with different playstyles being viable based on how the player builds their characters.
4. Unique Setting and Worldbuilding
The game’s Australian setting is both unique and atmospheric. The post-apocalyptic world is filled with desolate landscapes, dangerous wildlife, and remnants of the old world, such as abandoned vehicles and dilapidated towns. The world feels vast and open, with plenty of opportunities for exploration.
The setting adds a layer of immersion to the experience, with beautifully crafted environments and well-written lore scattered throughout the world. From the abandoned cities to the harsh wilderness, each location in Broken Roads feels different and meaningful.
5. Diverse and Customizable Characters
Broken Roads offers a diverse roster of characters, each with their own backstory, motivations, and moral compass. Players can choose which characters to recruit and can customize their skills, abilities, and appearance. This adds a level of depth to the game and allows players to craft a party that fits their playstyle.
Cons of Broken Roads
1. Slow Pacing
One of the drawbacks of Broken Roads is its pacing. The game’s narrative-heavy structure and exploration-based design can lead to long stretches of downtime, particularly in the early chapters. Some players may find the slower pace a bit of a drag, especially when compared to more fast-paced RPGs.
While the slow pacing adds to the immersion and worldbuilding, it may not appeal to players who prefer more action-oriented gameplay. The game requires patience, and some players may feel the need to push through the slower sections to reach the more exciting parts of the story.
2. Limited Combat Complexity
While the combat system in Broken Roads is engaging and tactical, it might not be complex enough for some players who enjoy more intricate systems. The turn-based combat, while solid, lacks the depth found in some other RPGs, and some players may feel that it could use more layers of complexity, such as more varied enemy types or additional mechanics to further spice up the combat encounters.
The skill progression system, while adequate, also lacks some of the depth that could add replayability. As a result, players may find themselves using similar strategies or tactics in multiple encounters, which can feel repetitive over time.
3. Occasional Technical Issues
Some players have reported technical issues with the game, particularly related to optimization and bugs. While these issues are not game-breaking, they can detract from the overall experience. Players have reported occasional frame rate drops, crashes, and other minor bugs, especially on lower-end hardware.
As the game is still being patched and updated, these issues may be resolved in future updates, but they are worth considering if you’re planning to play the game at launch.
4. Sparse Combat and Exploration Balance
While the world of Broken Roads is rich in narrative and atmosphere, the balance between exploration and combat can sometimes feel off. Some players may find themselves spending too much time exploring and solving puzzles, with combat encounters feeling sparse. This can disrupt the flow for those who prefer more action in their RPGs.
The world, while vast and beautifully designed, can sometimes feel empty between key story moments, which may lead to stretches where players simply wander the map without much engagement. The lack of a clear sense of urgency can also make the game feel meandering at times.
5. Limited Replay Value
While Broken Roads offers meaningful choices that affect the narrative, some players may find the replay value limited after completing the game once. The moral choices, while interesting, may not drastically alter the game’s outcomes, and the slower pacing of the game might deter players from replaying it multiple times.
Conclusion
Broken Roads offers a unique blend of narrative-driven RPG gameplay with a deep moral compass system that forces players to think about their decisions. Its tactical turn-based combat, atmospheric world, and diverse characters are among its highlights. However, the game’s slow pacing, occasional technical issues, and limited combat complexity may be drawbacks for some players.
For fans of narrative-heavy RPGs with meaningful choices, Broken Roads provides a thought-provoking and immersive experience. It may not be for everyone, particularly those who prefer faster-paced or more action-oriented gameplay, but those who enjoy deep worldbuilding and rich storytelling will find much to love in this title.
