The development team indie who works under the name of Drifters Drama brings to the fore a game different, and definitely very risky. Breached is a quiet, claustrophobic, experience that tries to conquer the lovers of science fiction and more personal stories. The question is: does the necessary to achieve this?
Eight days before the end
Breached is a title that does not lose time to introduce us in the plot. Our protagonist awakens from a State of suspended animation… to be in a situation of life or death. In just eight days, the refuge that lives will remain without air… and everything will be over, for him and for the player. Luckily, we still have a chance of salvation, as we have several drones which, exploring different areas of the planet, can get us the materials we need to repair the oxygen system and refuel the refuge.
The argument, as you can see, it is simple and direct, but it works, because the impression of urgency and claustrophobia will accompany us during Breached as its main attraction. In fact, the sensations aroused by the title in the player are its most outstanding virtue: loneliness, fear, melancholy, anguish appear before our eyes through the monologues and notes from the diary of our character, creating a tremendous human story that we own nothing more start the game.
Under the sands of the planet
Regarding the mechanics of the game, Breached is based on a shift system, each of which correspond to one day. Apart from our daily to explore and learn more of the planet and our protagonist through election, text, we will carry out a series of actions that will be exhausting part of the turn. On the one hand, we will have the option of sending drones in search of resources; on the other hand, work in our laboratory.
Scan with drones is undoubtedly the point more playable and striking of the title. After selecting one of the areas to investigate, manage a drone in the first person through a few landscapes full of alien ruins, landforms and resources waiting to be collected: three different types of minerals (alpha, beta and gamma) and various space capsules. However, these departures abroad will not be devoid of danger task, as all areas are plagued by some strange anomalies which, if they hit against the drone, destroyed it, making us part of our short time of life. Is during these explorations when Breached stands out visually with beautiful graphics capable of transmitting a powerful extraterrestrial exaltation.
The other option at our disposal during each shift will be the work of laboratory, where we can experiment with the minerals that we have collected to create fuel, or open the capsules found in the planet to get the components that we need to rerun the oxygen through the refuge.
The success of our survival will depend, therefore it rather than let us know play our cards in this system of shifts; a system perhaps too simple and lacking in options, but that is well implemented in the gaming experience Drama Drifters we want to submit.
The good thing, if brief… twice well?
We arrived at what could be the most controversial aspect of Breached: its duration. In little more than one hour of play – two, if taken with much calm – we will have completed the adventure, which, given the excellent atmosphere and the style of writing, may annoy some player. Undoubtedly, many will want to have one greater experience, they will want to know more about the protagonist and that desert world around them; However, everything has just almost before you start. Certainly the short duration is justified by the plot, but we can not have the feeling that there are certain aspect missed in this sense.
Another highlight is that the game has various finishes and some other secret to be discovered, by what its (modest) replayability can alleviate the short duration of the title.
Conclusions of Breached
Breached is a game difficult to qualify. On the one hand, we undeniably have an original and risky bet, and that is always appreciated in a world of videogames that sometimes explodes formulas again. The title entertains, feel and is masterfully written. But some extremely simple mechanical and, above all, a very short duration makes the title to lose points, especially when its replay value might not be especially attractive. Drama Drifters has created a good game but, no doubt, with greater resources and a little more ambition could have given much more than itself.
