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Broken Lines

Throwing the notion of good intentions with potential bad outcomes into the mix of a war game results in a compelling game that is well worth the replay.
Broken Lines Game Cover
74%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
stability, optimization
76% User Score Based on 670 reviews
Critic Score 71%Based on 10 reviews

Platforms

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Broken Lines Game Cover

About

Broken Lines is a single player tactical role playing game with drama, mystery, warfare and historical themes. It was developed by BirdIsland/PortaPlay and was released on February 25, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"Broken Lines" is a single-player strategy game with a profound story, set in an alternate history Eastern Europe. Your squad has crash-landed behind enemy lines and it's up to you, as the unseen hand, to guide them back home. The game features a unique turn-based system and emphasizes teamwork and strategy, as well as managing the soldiers' mental health and personal disagreements, making every decision critical in this emotional and intriguing journey.

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Broken Lines screenshot
Broken Lines screenshot
Broken Lines screenshot
Broken Lines screenshot
Broken Lines screenshot
Broken Lines screenshot
Broken Lines screenshot
Broken Lines screenshot
Broken Lines screenshot
Broken Lines screenshot
Broken Lines screenshot
+21
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76%
Audience ScoreBased on 670 reviews
story142 positive mentions
stability16 negative mentions
  • Unique pause-and-play combat system that allows for strategic planning and real-time execution.
  • Engaging story with multiple endings and character interactions that impact gameplay.
  • Visually appealing graphics and a well-crafted atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
  • Short campaign length, making it feel overpriced for some players.
  • Technical issues such as bugs and performance problems that can detract from gameplay.
  • Lack of depth in character customization and weapon variety, leading to repetitive gameplay.
  • story
    574 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players finding it engaging and mysterious, while others criticize it for being predictable, poorly tracked, or lacking depth. Many reviews highlight the replayability due to branching paths and choices that affect the narrative, but some express frustration over the pacing and the need to replay multiple times to experience all content. Overall, while the story has its moments and can be intriguing, it often falls short of expectations, leaving players divided on its quality.

    • “Awesome story that doesn't spoon-feed itself to you and lets you do the thinking.”
    • “The story is well-written and entertaining.”
    • “The story is captivating and interesting; it is to a certain degree mysterious even.”
    • “The campaign storyline is dumb and doesn’t make sense.”
    • “The story sadly is not only... I don't want to say pretentious, but I want to say ominous while at the same time leading to absolutely jack shit, but it's also quite short.”
    • “What I had read about the narrative was a non-trivial part of what drew me to the game, but all I saw was a generic war story set against the backdrop of WWII, with bad guys that were (probably?) not Nazis.”
  • gameplay
    285 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the game is a unique blend of real-time and turn-based mechanics, featuring an 8-second command execution system that offers both strategic depth and moments of satisfaction. While many players appreciate the innovative mechanics and tactical options, some criticize the lack of depth, balance issues, and bugs that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game shows promise with its engaging narrative and character dynamics, but it could benefit from further refinement and polish in its gameplay design.

    • “The gameplay is a solid compromise between real-time and turn-based.”
    • “Fantastic gameplay full of novel ideas and challenges.”
    • “The gameplay is excellent with a ton of different weapon and utility options, as well as perks and traits your characters develop via choices during events as well as traits you can assign to them at your discretion.”
    • “Combined with the fact that players cannot pause gameplay during the 'pause' version of each turn, this made even attempting to use stealth or to set up finally coordinated attacks more trouble than it's worth.”
    • “The gameplay holds your attention at first (if only for how different it is), but rapidly reveals a distinct lack of depth, variety, and challenge.”
    • “I really wanted to like this game, and while it comes close, too many mistakes in the gameplay design means I can't recommend it as-is.”
  • graphics
    78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the art style and overall aesthetic as clean, colorful, and appealing, particularly in the comic book style. However, others note that the graphics can be inconsistent, with minor glitches and clunky design choices detracting from the experience. While not considered AAA quality, many players find the visuals acceptable for an indie title, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere and enjoyment.

    • “Phenomenal art direction both in engine and artwork with an inspiring setting.”
    • “The comic book style graphics are fabulous!”
    • “Great atmosphere and the graphics are very easy on the eye for an indie game of this type, great stuff.”
    • “It's a Unity-based game, which tells you everything about the graphics, gameplay, etc.”
    • “The graphics are... not the best to be honest, but I bought it for gameplay purposes only, so if you can just accept this fact, then you will get used to it.”
    • “Graphics are disturbing (can't rotate view, zoom in/out is also limited, etc.) to the point where it degrades the whole experience that otherwise could have been solid.”
  • replayability
    66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers significant replayability due to its multiple decision trees, alternate endings, and varied mission choices, encouraging players to explore different strategies and character interactions. While some reviewers noted that the campaign is relatively short, the potential for different playthroughs and customizable difficulty settings enhances its replay value. However, a few players felt that the overall experience may not be engaging enough to justify multiple runs.

    • “Although the campaign is short, it is very replayable.”
    • “There are multiple endings, so there is replayability, especially for those who are into completing all the endings.”
    • “The map has alternate approaches, which add to the replayability; there are mission choices that without a doubt you'll want to try on your next run-through.”
    • “The game seems to be designed around replayability, but really it's just not fun enough to warrant multiple playthroughs in my opinion.”
    • “Ending is pretty weak; they claim replayability because of the four other endings, but I watched them on YouTube and they are all equally short, boring, and meaningless.”
    • “The game offers replayability; on second and third playthroughs you can choose different missions to tackle, and there are a few different endings, but since most missions play the same and there is very little character customization, there is not much incentive to do so, aside from the achievements.”
  • atmosphere
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, characterized by immersive graphics, a compelling storyline, and effective use of comic art in cut scenes. Reviewers note a dark and tense ambiance that enhances the overall experience, making it feel both engaging and emotionally resonant. The combination of these elements creates a captivating atmosphere that complements the gameplay and narrative.

    • “The atmosphere really shines through.”
    • “This game has enough atmosphere in a tightly bound packaging with beautiful graphics that a 10-hour playthrough feels sufficient.”
    • “To sum up the experience, you will find here an interesting plot that goes 'in crescendo', with a dark atmosphere, a tense ambiance, all put together with an awesome OST that makes you feel the troubles your soldiers are facing.”
    • “I also like the feel of the unknown atmosphere that Broken Lines portrays.”
    • “This game has enough atmosphere in a tightly bound package with beautiful graphics that a 10-hour playthrough feels sufficient.”
  • music
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the soundtrack for enhancing immersion and creating a tense atmosphere, while others find it monotonous or out of place. Overall, the music is described as good to mediocre, contributing positively to the experience, especially in the context of an indie game.

    • “The music is so good.”
    • “To sum up the experience, you will find here an interesting plot that goes 'in crescendo', with a dark atmosphere, a tense ambiance, all put together with an awesome OST that makes you feel the troubles your soldiers are facing.”
    • “The sounds and music are really good and help the immersion.”
    • “The choice of level music feels incredibly out of place for the setting.”
    • “The music is kind of mediocre.”
    • “The soundtrack reminds me of 'This War of Mine' at times, and the voice acting is passable.”
  • stability
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent crashes, random freezes, and various graphical glitches that detract from the overall experience. While some users acknowledge that these bugs may be typical for a newly released title and that developers are addressing them, the consensus is that the game is currently too buggy to be enjoyable.

    • “Unfortunately too buggy to be enjoyable.”
    • “Game crashes and randomly freezes during the 1st mission.”
    • “But, it is really buggy.”
  • optimization
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is a significant drawback, as it demands excessive power compared to other titles, leading to performance issues and stuttering. While it offers an immersive atmosphere, many users suggest that it requires a substantial overhaul to improve resource management and overall performance before it can be recommended, especially at its current price point.

    • “Runs smoothly, has an immersive atmosphere.”
    • “The worst point of it all is optimization: this game uses more power when it's running than any other game on my machine.”
    • “In short, for the amount of actual fun it has, I'd only buy this game if it were at $4 and even then, only after it has received a massive overhaul to address its performance optimization and resource management.”
    • “Broken lines has some noticeable flaws such as performance woes, a lack of weapon variety and utility, and a poorly implemented save system.”
  • emotional
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its portrayal of soldiers' journeys and the impact of long-term attrition on players, evoking a strong sense of connection and feeling. However, some reviewers express disappointment in the game's lack of content, suggesting that it falls short of delivering a deeply impactful emotional experience compared to other titles like "This War of Mine" and "Darkest Dungeon." Overall, while the game has moments that resonate emotionally, it leaves players wanting more depth and narrative development.

    • “It seeks to tell the story of a group of soldiers in an alternate-history version of WWII, as well as impart a portion of the emotional journey of the soldiers under the player's command.”
    • “The squad development is great and the long-term attrition really gets to you emotionally as you progress through the game.”
    • “I loved this; it's been a while since a game made me feel.”
  • character development
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is described as inconsistent, with some players feeling it lacks depth and investment in the characters. While there are moments of effective storytelling and character growth, many reviewers note that the development feels random and limited, preventing a strong emotional connection. Overall, opinions are mixed, with some praising the approach while others find it lacking.

    • “This is story and character development done right and they deserve every cent they ask for.”
    • “There's a bit of character development, but not enough to be truly invested in anyone.”
    • “A bit too random character development.”
    • “It's not XCOM with scenarios limiting freedom of movement, but a great little turn-based shooter with some limited character development.”
  • grinding
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be overly tedious and clunky, leading some to abandon the campaign. While there are enjoyable story choices, they are often overshadowed by the repetitive nature of grinding through missions, which can feel lengthy and monotonous despite some fluid gameplay mechanics.

    • “I didn't finish the campaign, and don't really feel up to it, as the missions are now too tedious.”
    • “There are some fun story choices, but they are buried in hours and hours of grinding out missions eight seconds at a time.”
    • “Too tedious, too clunky.”
  • humor
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is characterized by interesting and occasionally funny dialogues, though the lack of voice acting detracts from the overall experience. While the developers aimed for a blend of sentimentality and humor, many players feel they fell short in achieving this balance.

    • “The dialogues are interesting, sometimes funny, and they definitely are not dull.”
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71%Critics’ scoreBased on 10 critic reviews
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14h Median play time
15h Average play time
9-25h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 10 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Broken Lines is a tactical role playing game with drama, mystery, warfare and historical themes.

Broken Lines is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

On average players spend around 15 hours playing Broken Lines.

Broken Lines was released on February 25, 2020.

Broken Lines was developed by BirdIsland/PortaPlay.

Broken Lines has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its stability.

Broken Lines is a single player game.

Similar games include Classified: France '44, Expeditions: Viking, Expeditions: Rome, Last Train Home, Partisans 1941 and others.