Into the Breach

Subset games has achieved a mastery of the microdrama, and as such, Into The Breach is about as essential as indie games get.

I came in expecting a lot, and I actually got a lot more than I bargained for. This is one of the more captivating, tactical and rewarding games of 2018.

A strategic turn-based sensation. An almost perfect mechanism, assembled with inspiration and brains by a duo of designers who seem not to miss a beat.

I'm in constant awe at the sheer number of choices available and I'm always searching for that perfect move – even if it doesn't truly exist. [Issue #38 – March/April 2019, p. 19]

Into the Breach feels even more at home on the Switch, since it’s not technically demanding and its campaign options cater to both long and short sessions alike. I’m glad I had an excuse to revisit it, because I nearly failed to recognize this gem as one of the year’s best and most addicting releases.

Into The Breach is a brutal, uncompromising game of making hard decisions and living with your mistakes, but the short length of battles and endless variety of playthroughs makes for an extremely addictive experience. Though the graphics are nothing special, the gameplay is some of the very best you’ll find in the strategy genre on the Switch, and we can easily recommend this to anybody who’s looking for an in-depth game that’ll make you think. Into The Breach feels right at home on the Switch, and whether you play more at home or on the go, you’re more than likely to get plenty of value out of this release.

The basic gameplay itself doesn’t really change over the course of each run: guard buildings, kill Vek, and try not to die in the process. The randomized maps and objectives add variety, but you will need to appreciate the subtle changes that the islands undergo in each run. Undoubtedly, one of the best features of the game is unlocking new mechs and creating your own squads, and it is that element that will keep me coming back to the game. Hop into a breach and pick up this game yesterday, soldier. It’s Vek-hunting season.

Into The Breach is a fantastic example of how you can play around with an established genre. Taking turn-based strategy and letting you see what is about to happen changes everything about what would normally play out. The feeling of intellectual superiority you feel when you outsmart the aliens is incredible and will keep you playing through every loss you will experience. Best of all the bite-size maps fit onto the Switch so perfectly that the idea of playing it on a PC is absurd. This is a game made for a handheld, and damn is it good.

The game's UI and miniature battlefields, both of which scale incredibly well on different monitor resolutions, unsurprisingly make the transition to the Switch's handheld mode flawlessly. The visuals are sharp and readable, the loading times are instantaneous and on-par with the PC version, and the addition of controller rumble to accompany on-screen action serves as an enjoyable touch.

An almost perfectly formed strategy game, that hides near infinite variety and depth beneath its deceptively simple presentation.

Overall, Into the Breach is a truly stunning strategy game, and it's right at home on Switch. With just three units to control and short matches to contend with, it's easy to pick up and play wherever you are. The strategy mechanics are absolutely sublime, and the shift from outright victory being your objective to simply scraping by will have you scratching your head and questioning every decision. It can be tough going at times, both mentally and due to its high difficulty, but if you invest some time and energy into the game, you're going to get a lot out of it.

Into the Breach is an indispensable game for all lovers of turn-based strategy titles. With a magnificent soundtrack that will accompany us in each battle we will fight against the unstoppable Vek through continuous reboots of the timeline and different Mechas that we will unlock as we play.