Acid Rounds: Into the Breach (Switch)

Acid rounds is a semi regular, irregular spot on TGAM for games we have beasted from start to finish.

Richie: I heard that Into the Breach is a game by indie cunts for indie cunts, why are you an indie cunt?

Cunzy11: Okay, so yes. In some circles. It's one of those indie darling games. Particularly amongst those bearded, shoes and no socks PC boyos. I'd managed to miss all the hype completely and against all the odds spotted it on the eShop on sale and thought it looked cool. Imagine my surprise to see it on every fedorad arm-tat hipster's game of the year lists. And quite fucking rightly too.
I liked it well after it was famous.

Richie: So its a hipster strategy game? X-Com: Avocado edition?

Cunzy11: *clears throat* it's a retro styled, tile-based, time travelling, rogue-like, dungeon runner with mechs, tanks and kaijus. Yes. Yes it's X-Com: Avocado edition. 

Richie: Right so you beasted this on the Switch, What made it tear you away from real games like Smash Bros?

Cunzy11: Sometimes you want a game to stroke your chin about and really put your mind to, you can see the bug's attacks for next turn so it's working out how to use the limited moves available to you and possibly shove, punch and shuffle enemies around so they damage each other. It's itching the Dragon Quest Wars scratch we never really got over. There's one redo button per battle and limited chances to upgrade pilots and weapons. If the bugs win by destroying enough cities, you get to send one pilot (and their experience) back in time to try again. The Switch version is better than the PC version by a country mile because this game is perfect for playing on the go and making progress in short sharp bursts. Considering how much of it is procedural and available upgrade rolls are chance-based, it's amazing that you never feel cheated on a loss. It always feels like your fault for fucking up or going for greed rather than safety.

I cried when this happened as we'd been through multiple timelines together.

Richie: What do you wanna see in a sequel?

Cunzy11: I'm not 100% sure it needs any kind of sequel, expansion or dlc. Achievements and unlocks will take you long enough then there's the challenge of random squad and custom squad and well, I've actually been playing this just for fun beyond hitting the credits. The one thing I'd really love is Into the Breach figurines because some of the mechs are hella cute. 

Richie: I hurd you liek Mudkipz?

Cunzy11: Hmmm overall 7th worst starter and 3rd worst water starter tbh.

Richie: What are the controls?

Cunzy11: The controls are punch, burn, blind, throw, push, grapple and electrocute giant bugs, protect what's left of humanity and send the buggers packing or reset the timeline. Seriously though, Subset games have done no small bit of magic squeezing all the info into a small and clean UI. Occasionally, a brain fart will cause you to make a misstep but otherwise it works.   

Richie: On a scale of 1 to 802, 1 being Bulbasaur and 807 being Zeraora what would you rate this game?

Cunzy11: It's a Golurk, Octillery and Porygon vs. Heracross, Scyther and Yanmega out of 10 for me.