Break the Loop

Very unique mechanics and pretty fun, if you play a lot of rouge-lites you'll enjoy this one

Video: https://youtu.be/LtS3DuHyego If you're a fan of roguelite and Deckbuilder combos I think you'll enjoy it. The art is fun, and the gameplay works pretty well. There's a big focus on buffs and debuffs, which isn't really my jam. I also absolutely despise the first boss Yot Sogoth or whatever, to the point that I have no desire on a second attempt. Not for me, but maybe for you.

Not great.

肉鸽版轻量DD，不需要刷护符，没有高血压命中率，局外成长也不多(影响最大的就是战后回血和减伤，天灾难度必带)，游玩乐趣能达到DD的八成左右。黑点是有些BOSS的机制非常吃配队和bd，初见非常容易翻车。 天灾3全通大概能提供20小时左右的乐趣，半价以下推荐试试。

美术优秀，关卡灵活，策略尚可，值得一玩

Break the Loop is a great roguelike rpg. It's not breaking the mold, but it's got a few tricks up its sleeve and has charm in spades making it so that it doesn't feel like you're looping back to a game you've already played. Did I write the awkward previous line purely so I could use "break" and "loop" in a single sentence? How dare you, of course not. Between the 12 character options, different passive ability options, and the many capsule upgrades that pop out of a mad scientist's vending machine, there's a good amount of build variety as long as you're willing to experiment a bit. Some other reviews have rightly pointed out that certain party members have more natural synergies with each other, but I have found that that alone will not lead you to success at higher difficulties. All of the best party compositions are found INSIDE the run not before it. After character selection, you are greeted by the timeline. Being used to the branching maps typical in games like Slay the Spire or FTL, I was unsure about the timeline mechanic, but it definitely grew on me. At the beginning of a region, you are given a selection of nodes that can be placed upon a timeline. Then, as your party traverses this region, they will encounter each event on the timeline in the order you predetermined. In other words, the timeline mechanic forces you to front load all of your map traversal decisions at the beginning of a region. I personally grew to love how the timeline brings my hubris into much starker view. The game tells you to bet on yourself at the start of every region. Just how good at the game are you going to be? "Who needs a healing node? More upgrades!", I say at the start of a region. "I do… I need healing…", replies my future self. The energy system in combat definitely deserves a shoutout as well. Every move that your characters make expends energy. This does not deplete a finite pool like MP in a JRPG. Instead, the amount of energy you use determines how quickly your character will act again. If the wolf (dog?) character's bite attack uses only a small amount of energy, it will get its next turn much sooner. But this is not the only thing that energy does. The amount of energy expended also depletes an hourglass at the top of the battle screen. As long as the "time" in the hourglass does not run out before the end of a fight, you will get increased rewards which incentivizes, not just winning, but winning efficiently. While there is not a ton of enemy variety in this game, each one, even the most basic of betentacled eyeballs, presents a unique (and evolving) challenge. From silly aliens that will create a shield if you use too much energy to big zombies that will do a pool cannonball into your party if they are not finished off quickly enough, no battle is purely straightforward. Plus, after you beat your first run, the game gives you access to Cataclysm levels to increase the difficulty, not just by increasing enemy stats, but also by expanding their move sets. While the difficulty never gets extreme, there was a notable increase in challenge between each Cataclysm level. I do also NEED to talk about the presentation. The first thing that anyone would notice about this game is likely the minimalist approach to its art. Basic Shapes. Solid Colors. All arranged into exaggerated "Adventure Time-like" proportions. Would the characters have benefitted from having faces? Hard to say, but, as it is, these characters are already bursting with personality. This is seen best in the attack animations WHICH I LOVE. When Carmenide summons an ally and gives him a fist bump before he leaves or when Friedrich panickily presses his big red button as he starts getting sucked into his own black hole, I feel like I really can see who these characters are even though they are given no backstory at all. After playing so many roguelikes that just nudge the character sprite forward a bit when they attack, these attack animations are a breath of fresh air communicating so much through attention to detail. It's just so charming. And that's probably the biggest thing about Break the Loop for me. It's got solid gameplay, but more than anything, it just charmed the heck out of me. Why does the caged zombie shoot a frog tongue to catch crows out of the air occasionally as part of its idle animations? Why does the Upery turn into a sheep and then also ride on a sheep like a horse? Are the Alien invaders so water-centric as a jab at the movie Signs? I'll likely never know the answer to these questions, but that's okay. I had a great time BECAUSE this game made me ask these questions, not because it answered them.

Great spin on a genre that has been recycled many times by now. Art is great, combos are fun, just the right amount of challenge and RNG. Props to the devs.

Combat is fun, I like the comic book feel to the art style, and I like the quirky humor.

[table] [tr] [th]WHEN[/th] [td] From the prehistoric past to the most distant of futures coming together to face an imminent threat today [/td] [/tr] [tr] [th]WHERE[/th] [td] Planets in need of protection from a variety of foreboding foes [/td] [/tr] [tr] [th]WHO ARE YOU[/th] [td] A team of the best of the best, assembled from across time and space, each with their own special set of skills. [/td] [/tr] [tr] [th]WHAT DO YOU DO[/th] [td] Select your squad based and pick your path. Take turns with your talented team to terminate trouble. Should you fail, come together again smarter and stronger than before through the miracle that is time travel. [/td] [/tr] [tr] [th]WHY IT'S WORTH PLAYING[/th] [td] Pre-picking your path and parties with personalities add a few clever twists on the formula to make for a precise package that makes the most of every mechanic without overstaying its welcome. [/td] [/tr] [/table]

Mid, doesn't flow well, starts in the middle (not in term of story, but in terms of pacing)