Broken Pieces

Unfortunately, Broken Pieces did not work for me, and after roughly three hours I decided to stop playing. My main issue is that the story never managed to fully draw me in. I found it difficult to stay invested in what was happening, and I also struggled to form any real connection with the protagonist. The combat was another significant drawback. It often feels clunky and unresponsive: dodging is awkward, enemies take several shots to defeat—even four bullets from an eight-round pistol—and there is a noticeable delay between each shot. Movement also feels slow and aiming with a controller lacks precision. I cannot say whether the experience is better with a mouse and keyboard, but with a controller it was not enjoyable. That is especially disappointing because the demo had made a positive impression on me. I liked the premise of being alone in a small town, slowly uncovering what had happened and trying to find a way forward. In the full game, however, that initial sense of mystery quickly gave way to boredom. On top of that, I encountered several technical issues, including graphical glitches, noticeable slowdowns in certain areas—sometimes dropping below 20 FPS—and crashes that sent me back to Windows 11. Given my system configuration, I am confident these issues were not caused by my graphics card. Overall, Broken Pieces had an interesting idea and a promising atmosphere, but the weak story engagement, frustrating combat, and technical problems made it hard for me to continue. It is a shame, but I cannot recommend it.

You are looking at 13+/- hours to 100% the game. Short review since I didn't take notes while playing it, but the game was interesting: it gave me the obvious Resident Evil-like gameplay and the Souls-like loop, with its maps cycling back into the main area from solving puzzles with found tools or shortcuts, while creating the mystery of trying to find out what the heck had happened to everybody. The story takes place on an island that is 'outside of time' (in which I won't spoil), with three distinct anomalies that you are exploring to learn about: a military operation, a cult, and a thing tying both of them together. As great as the story was, I think the combat is what holds it back since it just created zones or areas of, 'ahh... this again...' as several enemies appear while you are more interested in exploring; the combat is barebones as well: aim/shoot, do a push attack, an odd dodge, or trade between two types of ammo - one being limited with more damage and vice-versa. It could be better, but I truly think if the devs put more emphasis on atmosphere and puzzles, then they could have just left it out completely. And her having the gun just doesn't even make sense - unless I missed some of her backstory? Seeing the credits roll and the art behind the game, I'm thinking the devs wanted to do more with it, but didn't; possibly due to a financial issue or time, there seems to be cut content, especially in the combat department given the enemy variants. Anyway, my favorite part of the game was when I finally realized (or I at least presume) that it's about the [REDACTED]: a thing I came across on YouTube years ago, so it's crazy seeing it used as lore for a game. That in itself is what made me want to see Broken Pieces through to its end. [spoiler]The Bloop[/spoiler]

이 게임 진짜 명작입니다. 똥겜 중 똥겜 아주 좋습니다. 레벨디자인이 불편함을 넘어 진행 불가까지 판정나서 제가 못깬 첫번째 똥겜이 되었습니다. 축하드립니다.

+++

Decir que el juego esta a medio camino entre un walking simulator y un survival horror es decir mucho. Los combates son sencillos (Hay municion ilimitada) y los puzzles tambien. El juego es lento y aburrido y esto tal vez sea xq estamos acostumbrados a las cosas yankees, pero es como si le faltara ritmo. Lo del misterio del bucle temporal, la secta y lo de que todo el pueblo haya desaparecido, en un principio enganchan y hacen que aunque sea un embole, quieras terminar para ver que mierda esta pasando, pero cuando termina te das cuenta que pasa eso, una mierda... hay dos cosas que se pusieron de moda ultimamente y que son una garompa: que nos vendan juegos sin terminar con la excusa del playtest para mejorarlo (Se acuerdan cuando salian los juegos terminados? Si seguimos asi no vas a vender el chasis de los autos al precio completo y despues nos vana dar el resto) y que los juegos vengan con un final para que el jugador les ponga lo que cera que esta pasando (Que vendria a ser lo mismo que el early access pero al final, o sea, un juego que no esta terminado o que se fumaron tal porro para darsela de misticos que no saben como mierda darle un final coherente) y este juego sufre de este ultimo, que a mi entender es el peor de los 2. Entiendo que lo hayan hecho 5 flacos en un garage, pero si no tienen una historia decente y ni tienen un juego divertido, no lo saquen (Y tengan en cuenta que lo combre en rebaja y me costo menos de 2 dolares, si lo llego a pagar full price y en europa, imaginenese la reseña XD)

A satisfying Resi like exploration puzzle game that happens to have occasional combat and a pretty interesting story. You'll go through a small village gathering items and finding ways to progress even deeper in as well as a few powers that you will use to change the setting to either stormy or snowy. The combat is a bit eh in the fact that it is a bit simple. There only seems to be 3 types of enemies and they all do relatively the same move set. You should use your super ammo as often as you can, not because it's needed but to just make things faster. Got through the whole game never using it at all and feel a smidge of regret there. Should take about a 8-10 stretch the first time to get 100% as well as a quick 3-4 sprint for the last achievement. Do note that the Broken Pieces Wiki works as the best kind of checklist at the end of the game to do a cleanup before finishing. Would absolutely say that $10 is a fair price for what is here.

就当花几块听音乐

Broken Pieces unfolds within a desolate French village, weaving a captivating mystery that centres on a shadowy cult known as The Devoted and unsettling maritime anomalies. This haunting, abandoned setting establishes an immediate sense of isolation that perfectly complements the investigative journey through Saint-Exil’s meticulously detailed and eerie urban streets. Switching between summer and winter using localised fountains proves to be an ingenious environmental mechanic that drives the most rewarding cerebral challenges. Freezing water to forge new pathways or watching architecture crumble under the weight of sudden snowfall creates a dynamic world that rewards thoughtful, careful observation. George's Workshop tables provide a satisfying layer of complexity, demanding that players decrypt intricate underwater signals and navigate treacherous secret basements with precision. Rewiring complex circuit breakers to divert power toward essential gates encourages active interaction, ensuring every environmental conundrum feels both logical and deeply integrated into the world. Investigating the town using a portable tape player to review journals and ambient music adds a wonderfully personal, tactile dimension to the experience. Such auditory touches transform routine exploration into an immersive exercise in discovery, grounding the abstract scientific curiosities in a believable, intimate narrative focused on human loss. Technical hiccups unfortunately plague the excursion, with frequent crashes occurring during heated skirmishes or when attempting to utilise the somewhat inconsistent dodging twirl. Sluggish movement controls further aggravate these encounters, as the inability to sprint indoors or during combat often renders the unpolished action feel unnecessarily restrictive and awkward. Vague feedback regarding hazardous yellow enemy attacks makes mastering the timing for the repel ability a test of extreme patience for even the most determined players. Limited inventory space frequently necessitates tedious backtracking across the village, which is further exacerbated by the noticeable absence of an accessible, detailed in-game map. Overall, the adventure triumphs by balancing its brilliant temporal puzzles and rich lore against the occasional frustration of clunky skirmishes and performance instability. Despite these notable mechanical flaws, the deep satisfaction derived from unravelling the village's dark, scientific secrets ensures a memorable journey for those who prioritise narrative discovery.

This game has it's fair share of issues. Yet it's a solid recommendation. It is unique be it game design or be it the story. Last act wasn't great as the former ones, but it's really worth checking it out.

meh.. waste of time