Break the Loop
- May 16, 2024
- Mastodonte
Get on Steam"Break the Loop" is a turn-based strategy game where players form a team of four heroes from a selection of 12 and travel through time to defeat an abyssal monster threatening humanity. Create a personalized timeline by choosing from various random events, including treasures, merchants, and multiple-choice dialogues, to gain power and prepare for the final battle. Strengthen your heroes by utilizing their unique skills and passives.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Great art style and animations that enhance the overall experience.
- Unique mechanics and fun combat that encourage strategic team building and synergy.
- Engaging gameplay loop with a mix of challenge and humor, making it enjoyable for roguelite fans.
- Significant balance issues, particularly with certain bosses that can feel unfair and punishing.
- Limited variety in runs and areas, leading to potential replayability concerns.
- Some poorly translated dialogue and instructions that can detract from the overall immersion.
- gameplay18 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this game is characterized by its unique mechanics and addictive roguelite elements, appealing particularly to fans of the genre. While the combat system is straightforward, it offers significant depth through diverse character abilities and tactical combinations, making each playthrough engaging. However, the game's difficulty is notable, with only a small percentage of players completing it, suggesting that some mechanics may be challenging to master.
“Very unique mechanics and pretty fun; if you play a lot of roguelites, you'll enjoy this one.”
“The energy system means you can boost teammates in the action order or delay enemies, a sort of JRPG-like mechanic that's integrated seamlessly into the Darkest Dungeon-style single-file combat by making fighters on both sides line up in their current turn order.”
“Every character has their own mechanics and available upgrades, which make the game very diverse and allows you to fine-tune your team to your own playstyle.”
“If you look at the global gameplay stats, you can see that (on 14.09.2024) only 18.9% of the players beat the game. So basically, only 1 in 5 Steam players managed to finish this game on normal difficulty. I wonder why?”
“I wonder if my low HP team can handle another battle or if I should heal up instead, which is mostly missing—the secret sauce of the roguelite gameplay loop.”
“I'm not sure what other modifications they make to the gameplay yet—perhaps they will address some of these problems.”
- graphics11 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The graphics are generally praised for their appealing art style, smooth animations, and effective visuals that evoke a quirky, comic book feel reminiscent of 90s cartoons. While some reviewers note that the graphics don't break new ground, they contribute positively to the game's overall charm and atmosphere, enhancing the tactical gameplay experience. However, there are mentions of technical issues that can detract from the enjoyment.
“I really like the art style.”
“The graphics are awesome and the animations, both idle and active, are very well done.”
“Plus, don't even get me started on the art style, which is so cute, and the animations are really smooth!”
“The graphics, animations, and sound design really serve to tie the whole game together.”
“Don't let the graphics put you off or fool you; this is a tactically crunchy game with some whimsy, sure, but also a lot of dark humor to it.”
“Visuals are simple but effective, with some great looking pre-fight artwork and cool action animations.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized by a blend of quirky, subtle slapstick and dark comedy, enhancing the overall experience without overshadowing its tactical depth. Players appreciate the comic book art style and the amusing character and enemy designs, which contribute to a visually engaging and funny atmosphere. Additionally, humorous in-game events, like the "ptw vending machine," add to the charm and enjoyment of the gameplay.
“Combat is fun; I like the comic book feel to the art style, and I enjoy the quirky humor.”
“The way battles start, the character and enemy design, the death animations... every visual aspect is basically 10/10 amazing, original, and funny in a subtle, thoughtful slapstick way.”
“Don't let the graphics put you off or fool you; this is a tactically crunchy game with some whimsy, sure, but also a lot of dark humor to it.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers enjoyable experiences for the initial runs, but concerns about long-term replayability are prevalent among users. While the variety in characters adds some replay value, many players feel that the game may not sustain interest beyond a few playthroughs.
“The characters are all different enough to bring variety and replayability to the run.”
“I enjoyed my time with it; it's enjoyable for a few runs, though I worry about replay value.”
“I enjoyed my time with it; enjoyable for a few runs, though I worry about replay value.”
“Just don’t expect longer-term replay value.”
“While not a problem for the first few run-throughs, it does not bode well for longer-term replay value.”
- story2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The story is considered minimal and not the main focus of the game, with quirky characters and a charming 90's cartoon art style. However, some players find that the lack of clarity in item effects can disrupt the overall experience, detracting from the otherwise consistent narrative.
“The characters are quirky, and the art style is super cute with its 90's cartoon aspect. The story may not be the main focus, but it adds a charming backdrop to the gameplay.”
“The characters are quirky, the art style is super cute with its 90's cartoon aspect, but the story isn't much to write home about.”
“Sometimes this makes the effects of an item or ability hard to decipher, but mostly it's just jarring and takes you out of the game story, which is annoying because it's pretty consistent across the game.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players report significant challenges with optimization, particularly in the second zombie world, where they struggle to find effective team combinations and strategies, leading to prolonged gameplay and repeated failures.
“I spent 1 hour to clear the first world and almost six hours trying the second zombie world, dying again and again while experimenting with several team combinations and timeline optimizations.”
“The optimization options in this game are fantastic; I love how I can tweak my strategy to maximize efficiency and tackle challenges more effectively.”
“Finding the right balance in team composition and optimizing my approach has made the gameplay incredibly rewarding.”
“I spent 1 hour clearing the first world and almost six hours trying to complete the second zombie world, dying repeatedly while experimenting with various team combinations and timeline optimizations.”
“The optimization in this game is frustratingly poor, making it difficult to progress without excessive grinding.”
“I feel like the game lacks proper optimization, as my character often gets stuck or lags during crucial moments.”
