Into The Breach Free On Epic

“Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.” Friday, I spoke about everything to do with Opening Night Live, the twaddle that it was. Monday, Taylor and Dmitry spoke about Star Wars and Star Wars-based Sims 4 things I’d lightly covered on Friday. Tuesday, I gave a seminar on how not to re-brand and all that’s available with Prime Gaming. Wednesday, David spoke of a month-long XP buff for WoW players ahead of Shadowlands‘ release. Then Thursday, I spoke about what will kill me next Thursday evening, and that The Division is currently free on UPlay. It was a bit of a quiet week for news really.

Now we’re on to the sole free game on the Epic Games Store this week, and it is one I don’t particularly like. That is sad to say, given I love and adore Subset Games’ FTL: Faster Than Light; I’d even say that FTL has to be listed among the 100-greatest games of all time. Sadly lightning didn’t strike twice for this simple high-quality pixel art turn-based tactics game. It lacks that excitement and concern over what comes in the next turn. Though FTL isn’t turn-based, there is still this turn-based feel about it because the pause button gives you time to think and worry. Every moment of shields regenerating or guns loading has a lot of anticipation behind it.

Into The Breach lacks all of that anticipation, excitement, concern, dread, hatred, self-loathing, and fun. In fact, I’d say it is your typical turn-based tactics game and I think that’s where my interest dies. What doesn’t help is the story mixed with the rogue-lite elements, which drag the quick experience of jumping back into a game right back to a turn-based tactics grind again. What makes Spelunky, FTL, The Binding of Isaac, Dead Cells, Enter the Gungeon, and so much more exciting is the ability to say “one more turn” knowing how quickly you can jump back in. I do like the option to make the enemy turns happen instantly, but everything else stays slow and monotonous.

All this week you can pick up Into the Breach on the Epic Games Store for free, until the morning of September the 10th. You can also pick up what you’ve missed of 3 Out of 10, as the 5th and final episode has released. As well as those, you can pick up the Commander Lilith & the Fight for Sanctuary DLC for Borderlands 2 which was previously included free with the Handsome Collection. Next week I’ll be complaining about having to play Where the Water Tastes Like Wine and Railway Empire, as well as having to cover the Ubisoft Forward next week.