Deal | Like chess with mechs: Highly rated strategy roguelike drops to $3 in biggest discount yet
Into the Breach opens with a classic doomsday scenario: humanity is on the brink of extinction, and the last line of defense has fallen to the insect-like Vek. All hope now rests on three mech pilots who refuse to back down against the alien threat. If they lose, they simply jump back in time and try again. Beneath this story lies a roguelike experience where every defeat means starting over, refining your tactics until you finally discover the strategy that can stop the Vek.
Don’t let the simple pixel art fool you. According to German gaming magazine GameStar, Into the Breach offers one of the “most sophisticated sets of turn-based tactics rules since Firaxis revived XCOM.” Battles play out on compact 8x8 grids – the same layout as a chessboard – and every enemy move is revealed in advance. This innovative mechanic reduces randomness and was singled out as a standout feature in GameStar’s review.
Since the Vek usually outnumber your squad, success depends less on raw offense and more on smart positioning, dodging attacks and striking back at the right moment. Otherwise, you’ll be overwhelmed quickly. Each mission lasts only five turns, keeping the action tight and tactical. Over the course of a run, mechs can be upgraded with reactor cores that unlock new weapons or passive abilities. These upgrades are temporary, but pilots can gain permanent improvements by earning experience points.
According to GameStar, there's little to criticize. The reviewers note that Into the Breach can be frustrating at times – a common trait in roguelikes – and point out the pragmatic graphics and a story that lacks emotional depth. Still, the turn-based roguelike earned a strong 88/100 for its challenging and innovative gameplay. The free Advanced Edition update added five new mechs, 40 additional weapons and new missions, greatly expanding the experience. After the update, GameStar re-reviewed the game and gave it a slightly higher score of 89/100. Into the Breach has also received very positive reviews across other platforms:
- Steam: around 20,700 reviews (94% positive)
- Metacritic: Metascore: 90 / User Score: 7.9
80% off on Steam for the first time
Into the Breach was released in February 2018, developed and published by Subset Games – the same studio behind Faster Than Light, another title praised for its tactical depth and high difficulty. Normally priced at around $15 on Steam, the game is now available at an 80% discount for just under $3 until September 6. According to SteamDB, this is the lowest price the title has ever seen.
Disclaimer: Notebookcheck is not responsible for price changes carried out by retailers. The discounted price or deal mentioned in this item was available at the time of writing and may be subject to time restrictions and/or limited unit availability.
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