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The Riftbreaker: Prologue

The Riftbreaker: Prologue Game Cover
95%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
music, stability
95% User Score Based on 1,207 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
The Riftbreaker: Prologue Game Cover

About

The Riftbreaker: Prologue is a single player and multiplayer survival hack and slash game. It was developed by EXOR Studios and was released on August 5, 2020. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE PROLOGUE?The Riftbreaker Prologue allows you to experience the events taking place before the story campaign of the main game. Explore an entirely new world. Gather resources. Build up a base. Defend yourself from thousands of alien creatures. Or just take the scenic route and do whatever you want - the choice is yours.STORYYou play the role of captain Ashley S. Nowak - you…

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95%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,207 reviews
gameplay63 positive mentions
stability7 negative mentions

  • Excellent mix of tower defense, RTS and hack-n-slash gameplay that is fun and engaging.
  • Beautiful graphics and detailed environments with destructible elements add to immersion.
  • Smooth controls and well-optimized performance for an early build, with good modding support and active developer community.
  • Demo/prologue is very short and limited in content, which can affect replayability.
  • Base building and inventory UI can be confusing and clunky, needing improvements for quality of life.
  • Some players report performance drops during large waves, occasional crashes and bugs, and control schemes can feel awkward without a controller.
  • gameplay
    120 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is widely praised for its engaging blend of twin-stick shooter action, base-building, and resource management, offering a fast-paced yet strategic experience. Controls are generally responsive and intuitive after a brief learning curve, with smooth combat and satisfying mechanics reminiscent of classics like Starcraft and Diablo. While some find base-building and interfaces initially challenging or repetitive, the demo effectively showcases solid, fun gameplay with potential for depth and replayability in the full game.

    • “This is a particularly excellent example of a demo done well, with clear tutorial instructions and excellent gameplay showcased well within it.”
    • “The character control feels natural and easy to learn, the base building mechanic is well thought and executed and the overall gameplay is really fun and entertaining.”
    • “Merging base-management and twin-stick shooter gameplay is a stroke of genius.”
    • “The mechanics of base building give me a headache, otherwise it's okay.”
    • “Just play Factorio instead; similar game but with a better story and more in-depth base-building mechanics.”
    • “Perhaps wading through braindead enemies while fighting lackluster building mechanics hidden behind admittedly very pretty graphics just isn't for me.”
  • graphics
    105 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics are widely praised for their vibrant, gorgeous, and detailed visuals, often described as next-gen and beautifully immersive with dynamic environments and procedural variety. Some users note occasional performance dips during large battles and a few minor glitches, but overall the graphics consistently enhance the game's appeal and complement smooth gameplay. A few critiques mention the visuals feeling slightly dated or overly cluttered, yet the general consensus celebrates the art style and graphical polish even in early builds.

    • “The graphics and art are all next level and the developers have really made a beautiful game that really makes you feel like you're exploring a new planet.”
    • “I am also in love with the graphics because not only are the maps all procedurally generated, but there is such an abundance in floral and geographical variety so no playthrough is the same.”
    • “Absolutely glorious, smooth, crisp, feels snappy UI etc, fantastic gorgeous graphics and so far great addictive gameplay that wants you to play more.”
    • “I think my only real complaint so far is the game's visuals and graphics feel like they're from 2011.”
    • “The only downside is that in this version it does tend to have a bit of graphics lag in the larger swarm attacks.”
    • “I literally switched all graphics to none-low wherever, the resolution to 1600, the scaling to 50%.”
  • story
    90 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in the demo serves mainly as a prologue or tutorial, introducing basic gameplay and setting up the background without much depth or character development yet. While some players find it compelling or promising, others feel it is minimal, cliché, or underdeveloped at this stage. Anticipation is high for a fuller, more engaging narrative in the complete game.

    • “But the gameplay is really tight, the story is compelling enough, the basebuilding feels good, intuitive and fast, given that the game is top-down action, and the enemies are fun to fight.”
    • “It is definitely different than most of its kind and seems to have a really well thought out story behind it.”
    • “If the full game continues to expand on the experience of the 'prologue' with an engaging and unique story, more tech and upgrades while continuing to up the challenge, I know this game will be a hit.”
    • “Story is a cringe stereotype trash.”
    • “Need to work on some story and character development for the protagonist.”
    • “Story writing could also do some work; the dialog is bland (from the little I have seen).”
  • optimization
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Optimization in the game is generally praised for smooth performance even with numerous entities and vibrant graphics, though some players note occasional slowdowns during intense moments and express hope for further improvements before release. Overall, it runs well on high-end systems, but optimization issues still need addressing to ensure consistent performance across all setups.

    • “The graphics are beautifully vibrant without any performance issues - even with the unending swarm descending upon you at the end of it.”
    • “The foundation it's built on is extremely solid with tech they have years of experience handling, resulting in a well optimized title that feels very smooth to interact with.”
    • “+Not even released and optimization is already excellent!”
    • “The only bad thing so far, in terms of performance, is that for a game with many entities acting simultaneously, the amount of particles and unnecessary effects is a bit too much.”
    • “Awesome game! It doesn't run as smoothly as I would like, but I hope it will be better optimized when the final version is released.”
    • “Optimization is definitely lacking, so hopefully that will be ironed out before release.”
  • replayability
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is promising, especially due to its combination of hack-and-slash, tower defense, and base-building mechanics, allowing for varied tactics and customization. While the current demo offers hours of engaging play, some reviewers note limits due to fixed resource points and a lack of procedural randomness, suggesting full replay value depends on future updates. Overall, the potential for high replayability exists but is not yet fully realized.

    • “Need I even add that they released a proper free demo with hours upon hours of replay value, dredging up fond memories of the first Command & Conquer?”
    • “Combines hack and slash with tower defense and base building, great map with so much replayability using different tactics, played over 18 hours on a single demo mission, that's how good it is. Equip your mech with guns, rockets, flamethrowers and laser, whatever floats your boat...”
    • “Even though it is currently a work in progress build, the replay value of this game has had me playing hours on end and left my feelings of boredom completely sated.”
    • “Expect no more than 2 hours of gameplay and low replayability.”
    • “The replay value even for a demo map at the current state was a pleasant surprise, but with certain fixed resource points it has a foreseeable limit for demo sake. A bit of resource seed randomness would better refresh the replay value, hopefully in the full game.”
    • “The replay value even for a demo map at the current state was a pleasant surprise, but with certain fixed resource points it has a foreseeable limit for demo sake. A bit of resource seed randomness would better refresh the replay value, hopefully in the full game.”
  • music
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is praised for being well-crafted and adaptable, enhancing the atmosphere by shifting between energetic combat themes and more relaxed tunes during slower moments. The soundtrack is catchy and enjoyable even outside gameplay, though minor issues like occasional choppy preload music have been noted. Overall, the audio complements the experience without overwhelming it.

    • “The audio does its job, with voice work that adds just enough flavor to the atmosphere. The music is well done, changing with events to give a sense of energy during combat and a more comfortable, slow pace otherwise.”
    • “Effects are crisp, and the soundtrack is worth a listen even when not playing.”
    • “And the music and graphics are gorgeous to boot!”
    • “No heavy sci-fi music during the wave attacks.”
    • “Maybe do something about the music.”
    • “So far, no gameplay bugs encountered, but the pre-load music gets choppy, though not really a big deal for me.”
  • stability
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game generally runs stable on mid to high-tier PCs with minimal crashes or major bugs, though some users report occasional glitches during heavy enemy waves or building interactions. Performance remains solid even on laptops, but some visual bugs and minor issues persist, reflecting its early pre-alpha state. Overall, stability is good but could benefit from further bug fixes.

    • “Runs great on Proton-7.1-GE-2.”
    • “It runs great on my mid-tier laptop (GTX 870M), and doesn't dip unless there are hundreds of enemies on screen.”
    • “Runs great for how early it is.”
    • “Also there are some glitches and bugs during heavy attack waves and with building parts; those need to be fixed.”
    • “There are a few glitches and/or bugs that need to be fixed.”
    • “The game offers some nice graphics, although there are some ugly glitches here and there.”
  • grinding
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grinding in the game is often described as tedious and slow, especially due to limited control options and repetitive resource collection mechanics. Players find energy connector building, mass upgrades, and constant base defense against enemies to be monotonous, though some enjoy the farming and resource gathering elements. Improvements to enemy behavior and interface shortcuts could help alleviate the grind.

    • “Mass upgrades are tedious.”
    • “The tower defense aspect and the base building also feel pretty slow and tedious; resource collection and energy generation are a dull waiting game.”
    • “All enemies currently attack power nodes, and I imagine in the full game it would be tedious and annoying to deal with this if the final game retains the status quo.”
  • emotional
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players have mixed emotional reactions, with some feeling nostalgic and emotionally attached reminiscent of games like Star Wars: Empire at War, though frustrations remain that may impact their willingness to continue playing until improvements are made.

    • “I also get some Star Wars: Empire at War feelings right here, but that could just be some emotional attachment, since games like this haven't caught me for a long time.”
  • atmosphere
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere is enhanced by well-balanced audio and voice work that adds subtle flavor, with dynamic music shifting between energetic combat and calmer moments. Character banter with the AI suit introduces a playful, light-hearted tone that contrasts with the intense action, enriching the overall experience.

    • “The audio does its job, the voice work is fine, not too much, just enough to add some flavor to the atmosphere, and the music was well done, changing with the events to give you a sense of energy in combat and a more comfortable slow pace for the rest.”
    • “The character's banter with their AI suit also provided for a bit of fun and it felt more like two really OP people wrestling for a mic as they romped about the planet, adding some light-hearted atmosphere to my massacre of waves of red monsters.”
  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users find the humor in the game enjoyable, particularly appreciating the hilarious reviews. However, some feel that certain gameplay mechanics, like kiting, are overused to the point of diminishing fun.

  • character development
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The character development, particularly for the protagonist, is noted as underdeveloped and in need of improvement to enhance the overall story.

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2h Median play time
5h Average play time
1-11h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

The Riftbreaker: Prologue is a survival hack and slash game.

The Riftbreaker: Prologue is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 5 hours playing The Riftbreaker: Prologue.

The Riftbreaker: Prologue was released on August 5, 2020.

The Riftbreaker: Prologue was developed by EXOR Studios.

The Riftbreaker: Prologue has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its music.

The Riftbreaker: Prologue is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include The Riftbreaker, Cataclismo, X-Morph: Defense, Conan Unconquered, ERA ONE and others.