Broken Arrow

About

Broken Arrow is a single player and multiplayer real-time strategy game with a warfare theme. It was developed by Steel Balalaika and was released on June 19, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Broken Arrow is a large-scale real-time modern warfare tactics game featuring over 300 realistic military units and technologies. It offers a gripping campaign with 19 handcrafted missions set in the Baltic region, playable from both U.S. and Russian perspectives. Engage in intense, dynamic battles that test your command skills through tactical challenges and combined arms operations.

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60%

Audience ScoreBased on 9,382 reviews

story150 positive mentions

optimization132 negative mentions

The game offers deep unit customization and a variety of strategies, making it engaging for players who enjoy tactical gameplay.
The graphics and sound design are impressive, enhancing the overall experience of modern warfare.
The developers are actively working on updates and improvements, showing commitment to the game's future.

The game suffers from significant balance issues, particularly favoring the Russian faction, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
There are rampant cheating issues, with a lack of effective anti-cheat measures, making multiplayer matches feel unfair.
The absence of basic features like a save function in single-player mode and a replay system limits the overall enjoyment and usability of the game.

story
1,335 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
84%
5%
The story aspect of the game has received mixed feedback from users, with many noting that while the campaign features interesting missions and a decent narrative structure, it suffers from significant issues such as a lack of a save function during lengthy missions, which can last over an hour. Players express frustration over the inability to save progress mid-mission, leading to repeated attempts and potential loss of hours of gameplay due to bugs or mistakes. Additionally, the dialogue and character development are often criticized as cheesy or poorly executed, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, while the campaign has potential, the execution leaves much to be desired, particularly in terms of quality of life features and narrative depth.
- “The campaign features a few branching paths and achievements to encourage a rerun, but let's be clear: without a save game button, I won't replay a 45-minute mission just to lose one tank less or effect a merely cosmetic choice in the last minutes of play - just to get a different cutscene.”
- “The campaign is excellent in my opinion, with surprisingly high-quality cutscenes playing before each mission, along with having unique and fun missions.”
- “The story is delivered mostly through splash screens, static character portraits, and in-mission voiceovers, and while it may not offer profound moral conundrums or character arcs, the storytelling succeeds in giving players a functional reason to care about objectives beyond simply capturing flags.”
- “The campaign missions can take nearly two hours to complete, and you can't save mid-mission at all.”
- “The lack of a save system makes these missions difficult to complete.”
- “Some campaign missions are unbalanced and you barely have enough resources.”
gameplay
1,271 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
56%
5%
The gameplay of "Broken Arrow" is characterized by its deep tactical mechanics and engaging multiplayer experience, offering a blend of modern military strategy and unit customization. While many players appreciate the core gameplay loop and the variety of units, they also express concerns about balance issues, the prevalence of cheaters, and the lack of essential features like a save function in single-player mode. Overall, the game shows promise but is hindered by technical problems and design choices that can detract from the overall experience.
- “The core gameplay loop is well-honed and each system and unit is modeled from their real-life counterparts with care.”
- “The gameplay is incredibly fun and can lead to amazing matches.”
- “The gameplay is fun and feels really fluid and responsive, I also felt the learning curve is a bit easier than other alternatives.”
- “The presence of cheaters and poor gameplay design choices only adds to the uncertainty about the game's future.”
- “Instead of improving gameplay, these updates ruin what little balance was left.”
- “Gameplay-wise, Broken Arrow promised dynamic combined arms tactics, but the execution is shallow.”
graphics
478 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
51%
5%
The graphics in the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the detailed unit models, stunning visuals, and impressive effects, particularly during combat. However, numerous players have reported significant optimization issues, including graphical glitches, stuttering, and performance drops even on high-end PCs, which detracts from the overall experience. While the game showcases potential with its visual fidelity, it struggles with technical stability, leading to a less enjoyable gameplay experience for some users.
- “The graphics are stunning, offering a realistic depiction of modern warfare.”
- “The graphics, effects, and sound design are fantastic, making the battlefield feel alive.”
- “The attention to detail in both gameplay and visuals is outstanding.”
- “The performance is marginally acceptable but the graphics are grainy; I was actually surprised it looked as bad as it did. I was expecting it to look better than Warno based on the screenshots.”
- “The graphics in particular are too buggy; building skins/shaders glitch on/off so one second you have a monochrome simple polygon like a huge cube, next second a detailed and fairly realistic building—distracting and annoying beyond just ruining immersion.”
- “Despite promising trailers, the actual in-game visuals are a mess.”
optimization
475 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
59%
28%
The optimization of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback from users, with many citing severe performance issues, including frequent crashes, stuttering, and low frame rates even on high-end systems. Players have expressed frustration over memory leaks, graphical glitches, and the lack of basic features like a save function in single-player mode, leading to a consensus that the game feels unpolished and unfinished. While some users report satisfactory performance on specific setups, the overall sentiment is that significant improvements are urgently needed to enhance the gaming experience.
- “Performance and visuals are solid, especially considering the scale of the battles.”
- “The optimization and diversity are enormous when it comes to building your deck.”
- “Great game, great performance.”
- “It's a shame because it's an amazing game, but the devs continue to ignore how one nation is just better than the other, along with cheating and poor servers/optimization.”
- “Performance is still bad, and the improvements are coming at a snail's pace.”
- “The game is a mess, with no anti-cheat system, no optimization, and it needs patches fast.”
stability
215 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
1%
93%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with players reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and performance issues that significantly hinder the experience. Common complaints include frequent crashes, freezing during gameplay, and problems with matchmaking and server connectivity, making both single-player and multiplayer modes frustratingly unplayable at times. Despite some users experiencing fewer issues, the overall consensus is that the game feels unfinished and resembles an early access title rather than a polished product.
- “So far, I have experienced no glitches.”
- “Game runs great without frame generation, and I get 120+ frames on maxed out settings. I just played the first mission; it's very good fighting awesome using the tomahawk missiles. Still figuring everything else out, literally zero frame tears.”
- “Great game, runs great on my older PC, and has tons of options for units to play around with building different decks.”
- “However, the amount of game-breaking bugs and glitches that still haunt the game, even after being out for a while, is not acceptable.”
- “It's a complete buggy mess.”
- “The game is extremely buggy.”
replayability
63 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
57%
5%
Overall, the game offers high replayability due to its extensive unit diversity, customization options, and the ability to create custom scenarios through a mission editor. However, some players feel that the single-player campaign lacks depth and replay value, particularly due to its static missions and limited AI customization. While the multiplayer and deck-building aspects provide significant replay potential, the need for more content and playable factions is a common concern among reviewers.
- “Unit diversity, enhanced by customization options, allows for constant experimentation and high replayability.”
- “The variety of units and the customization options add so much replay value—there’s always a new tactic to try or a different approach to master.”
- “Being able to tweak and fine-tune your loadouts, vehicles, and overall battle strategy gives the game an incredibly deep level of replayability.”
- “So having finished that, in maybe 20 hours, the replayability took a plunge downwards as in skirmishes we cannot assign a custom battlegroup to the enemy AI, nor set any allied AI - making anything else than a 1vs1 against the same few preset decks pointless even if possible.”
- “The campaign is campy and fun, but isn't very long (and I don't personally feel like it has a lot of replayability).”
- “The game desperately needs more single-player and replayable content, and the lack of save feature is pretty insane for a game in 2025.”
humor
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
2%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with players finding amusement in the absurdities of gameplay mechanics, such as server issues and unbalanced matchups, as well as the humorous voice lines of units. While some aspects, like the writing and character portrayals, are criticized for being clichéd or poorly executed, they still elicit laughter from players. Overall, the humor often stems from the game's flaws and the community's reactions, making it both entertaining and frustrating at times.
- “Also, the voice lines are funny as hell.”
- “The units have some funny dialogues; they don't feel soulless and they change their dialogue depending on what type of situation they are facing. In combat, they will sound more desperate and panicked, and while out of combat, they sound more calm and make some jokes.”
- “The game strikes a perfect balance between strategy and action, and when you’re communicating and laughing with your squad, it’s pure gold.”
- “The game is so clearly Russian biased it is not funny.”
music
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
41%
6%
The music in the game has received largely positive feedback, with many users praising the soundtrack as "amazing" and "fantastic," noting that it enhances the overall experience and fits well within the game's atmosphere. However, some reviews mention that certain tracks can become repetitive or mediocre, detracting from the overall quality. Overall, the soundtrack is considered one of the standout features of the game, contributing significantly to its appeal.
- “The music is fantastic as well.”
- “The soundtrack is truly amazing, something out of this world.”
- “The graphics, gameplay, atmosphere, story, music — everything is masterfully crafted.”
- “Audio-wise... except for the music - which is, well, mediocre - the sound design is outstanding.”
- “- songs 6.5/10, there are a few bangers on the songs and they definitely fit the atmosphere and chaos of the battle, but sometimes they start sounding too repetitive and generic.”
- “Voice acting is almost as bad as the music.”
grinding
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
29%
66%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and time-consuming, with many players feeling that it detracts from the overall enjoyment. Users report that the campaign missions are often long and monotonous, with unresponsive AI and repetitive combat contributing to a frustrating experience. Additionally, the presence of bugs and exploits, along with a lack of meaningful progression, further exacerbates the grind, leading many to suggest that players will need to invest an unreasonable amount of time to achieve their goals.
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “Games feel fun but not tedious.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Worse still, its lackluster pacing and repetitive combat quickly turn what should be thrilling large-scale warfare into a tedious grind.”
- “The campaign itself might be one of the most tedious things I have played for a strategy game.”
emotional
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
95%
16%
The emotional aspect of the game is described as a mixed experience, with players feeling both heartbreak and frustration due to poor server quality and optimization issues that detract from the overall enjoyment. While some appreciate the game's potential and the emotional stakes established in mission briefings, many criticize the lack of character development and meaningful progression, leading to feelings of emotional damage rather than engagement. Overall, the game elicits a rollercoaster of emotions, but many players are hesitant to continue until significant improvements are made.
- “If you're buying Broken Arrow, be ready for the emotional ride.”
- “Very few games actually made me feel like that.”
- “Sometimes even gets you on an emotional rollercoaster.”
- “The campaign has a tutorial and fun missions, but the story is boring.”
- “The emotional depth of the characters is lacking, making it hard to connect with their struggles.”
- “Despite some touching moments, the overall narrative feels flat and uninspired.”
monetization
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
6%
89%
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many players perceiving it as a cash grab due to its full-priced release despite numerous gameplay issues and bugs. While some appreciate the absence of in-app purchases and the game's potential, the overwhelming sentiment is frustration over deceptive advertising and concerns about future microtransactions. Overall, players are wary of the game's monetization strategy, fearing it may prioritize profit over quality and player experience.
- “It is a very exciting and wonderful game, and you can customize any force you want with high features. The fact that justice is established between players and there is no need for in-app purchases is great, and I hope it stays that way.”
- “Releasing it as a full-priced game in this condition feels like a cash grab.”
- “Definitely getting cash grab vibes from this one.”
- “At this point it just looks like another cash grab scam with no real support on the horizon.”
atmosphere
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
17%
18%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and gritty portrayal of modern warfare, enhanced by impressive visuals, sound design, and a well-crafted environment that brings the battlefield to life. While the game features a satisfying arsenal and smooth mechanics, some players noted technical issues that can disrupt immersion. Overall, the combination of intense gameplay and atmospheric elements creates a compelling experience, reminiscent of classic RTS titles.
- “The atmosphere is fantastic, sound design is dope; if you zoom in on the graphical details, animations are really well done.”
- “It's one of the most intense RTS games I've ever played; the atmosphere is immersive.”
- “Fantastic visuals, sounds, and atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere of modern warfare lacks a huge extended front, as seen in Warno, which by the 20th minute of the game becomes an impassable layered defense.”
- “While there are a few standout tracks that fit the atmosphere and chaos of the battle, the music can become too repetitive and generic.”
- “The game captures the gritty modern warfare atmosphere effectively.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Character development in the game is noted to be lacking, with emotional depth and drama feeling forced, which detracts from the overall experience. While the campaign storyline and character designs are interesting, they do not compensate for the underwhelming character arcs, leading some players to prefer other titles for a more engaging narrative.
- “The campaign storyline and the character designs are interesting.”
- “While character development and emotional depth take a backseat to operational realism, the mission briefings do a solid job of establishing the stakes.”
- “Uninspired story: character development and 'drama' feel forced, making me want to replay World in Conflict instead.”