Breach & Clear

 PC
User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 25 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 25
  3. Negative: 3 out of 25

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  1. SpiderFighter
    Feb 4, 2015
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Breach and Clear is a turn-based strategy game in which you control four members of a squad of your own design. While there is no over-arching story, the game offers plenty of scenarios and challenges to overcome.

    Pros:
    There's quite a bit of content: three types of gameplay ("Terrorist Hunt," "Bomb Defusal," and "Escape Plan") across 35 settings (in seven campaign scenarios). That's 105 levels in the core game. On top of that, there's a lot of replay value here, especially if you care about earning achievements, acquiring different gear, or improving your mission rating.

    I've read that this is an import from iOS and Android. In no way does B&C feel like it; it feels as if it was designed from the start for the PC. This, of course, is a very good thing.

    Many details, whether aesthetic (such as first-person perspective views using the first four number keys), or mechanical (such as the ability to drag and move paths that have already been placed) are welcome.

    Offers seven different, specialized squads to play, as well as dozens of weapons that open up as you progress. Also offers several personnel types (Medic, Intelligence, Weapons Sergeant, et al), each with their own perks and preferences.

    Thoughtful (and occasionally complex) level design, coupled with a clever mix of random and strategic mob placement, offer serious challenges and extend the playability of the game. I spent nearly two hours, failed attempt after failed attempt, trying to take out Gus Frin-erm a cartel's meth lab; when I finally succeeded, it felt *good.*

    There is the option of Permadeath (yay!), and even a "Memorial" area where you can view your fallen heroes. Nice touch.

    Cons:
    The tutorial is so bare-bones that the game has an unfair reputation for being shallow, when it's simply that players are never taught correctly about the deeper features and functions available to them.

    The number of stars (the game's rating system, from one to four stars) you get is, for the most part, entirely time-based. That is to say, losing team members obviously makes your rating go down, but it will also drop to a one star rating if you go past a certain time limit, no matter how well you did on the actual mission (even if everyone survives with health intact). This seems, to me, to be a bit unfair. Give me two stars at least for completing it with everyone alive.

    In the last campaign of the "Terrorist Hunt" mode (in Columbia), my soldiers simply refused to open doors, often walking right up to them but not bothering to swing it open (maybe they were busy setting up the Livestream). In any case, changing the rules this late in the game wasted valuable turns staring at the door's presumable lovely wood grain instead of killing whoever stood behind it (although this was inconsistent, even on the same map...some doors they'd open, others they wouldn't, so this was more likely a glitch than a design decision).

    Enemy AI can be wonky. If mobs are facing the opposite direction, they may not even notice you. I had my whole squad throw open a door and walk past an apparently deaf cartel member only two tiles away. Also, Snipers can often see through walls and high obstacles, but this mainly just affects corners.

    There is no real story to speak of. That's fine, but it would have been nice to have some kind of feeling of accomplishment at the finish line. "A winner is you," or "Conglaturation!" Anything would have been nice, particularly because some campaigns promise a big finish and never follow through. For example, in the Columbian campaign, [spoiler] you are told you're chasing a major drug lord throughout his compound; the game leads you to believe there will be a massive shootout on the roof, complete with a helicopter waiting to take him away, only when you get there - no drug lord, no helicopter.[/END SPOILER]

    In "Bomb Defusal" mode, terrorists can suddenly appear behind you, coming through the door you've just breached! What the heck is that?

    You can't sell an item you already own unless you have enough money to buy another one. Makes no sense to me either, but apparently it does to one of the developers, so there it is.

    A few of the 64 Steam-specific achievements are just plain broken, and support is, from the forums on Steam and the developer's own website, most likely not coming.

    The Bottom Line:
    It may sound like I'm complaining, but I'm really only nitpicking. This is a solid effort that provides a lot of hours of fun. There's nothing here that a patch couldn't fix (not that I'm expecting one; it seems as if the devs have long since given up on supporting this). It's just that Breach and Clear is so close to being a really special, great game that it feels like a bit of a shame that the developers didn't feel the need to take better care of it after the birthing process. As it stands, though, B&C is a very, very good game, but one which requires some time, online research, and experimentation to truly see its depth. Recommended.    … Expand
  2. blade01
    Mar 23, 2015
    5
    Breach and clear is a squad-based tactical game."Tactical" is btw a relativ term.I dont think that there is much tactic in this game.You can buy Breach and Clear on an IOS device too and i think thats where it belongs.Righ now you have to pay 14,99€ which far too much.The gameplay is simplistic and so unlock the better things you need some time.And even if you unlock the things you needBreach and clear is a squad-based tactical game."Tactical" is btw a relativ term.I dont think that there is much tactic in this game.You can buy Breach and Clear on an IOS device too and i think thats where it belongs.Righ now you have to pay 14,99€ which far too much.The gameplay is simplistic and so unlock the better things you need some time.And even if you unlock the things you need money to buy it.Thats just stupid, you are an anti terror unit or something.Lets look into the details:

    Sound:The music is very nice.In the menu the music is slow and really nice, during missions the music is more intense.THats ok.The weaponsounds are ok for the most part.I think every weapon sounds the same, too bad.

    Visuals:The visuals are good enough for a game that costs around 15€.THe menu looks nice and clean, i like the UI.The units look nice in the loadoutscreen, but not in the game.Thats a shame.

    Gameplay:The gameplay is a mixed bag.There are some issues with the equipment for example.Its really hard compare the weapons for example.There is no screen that tells you how good you weapon is compared to the weapon you have available.Makes it harder to decide.You can change your armor and its really stressing when you have to go back and forth to look for your stats.WHat i dont like too is that many weapons you can unlock are useless.They cost money and they are sometimes not better, or not much better.Why would i buy a new rifle with 5 more damage for 500 dollar when i can just buy 2 attachments for my old one for the same price and that results in a far better weapon because the attachments boost more than 1 stat.At the same time you unlock the weapons too fast if you are good.That makes it even less attractive to change you weapon cause after 2 missions youll unlock a new weapon.In mid tier the weapon starts to get expensive, you need to think about buying a new one or saving the money.The developer could have made some improvements here.Less weapons but more different options.For example you could unlock 3 rifles at the same time with different focusses.One with high damage, one that is very silent and so on.Instead most of the weapon are so simliar that you will find no need to change something.Some of the weapons are poorly designed.The light machinegun for example.The damageoutput per shot is really low.With some bad equipmentchanges your high caliber machinegun will do 1 point of damage, which makes that soldier useless.Something like that should NEVER EVER happened.A weapon will NEVER to nearly no damage just because you strap a silencer on it or you change the gassystemIts like you change you machinegun do a airsoft rifle.Stupid as hell.Not really great.Another problem is the mapdesign.Most of the early maps are so simpel that there is no challenge.This gets boring and repetetive really quick.And that describes the hole game:Simpel and repetetive cause there is not much to do.Doorkickers is very simliar and right now in early access.In that game you have more variance, different classes that play different without the use of active skills.That game is better, costs about the same.

    Conclusion:On PC that game is not really good.You can have some fun with it when you are a fan of the genre.But after some hours the game is too simpel.There is not much depth in the gameplay to keep me entertaint.Around 15€ might be ok for fans of the genre, for other people its too much.Maybe you should take a look at Doorkickers instead, more depth in the gameplay in my opinion for your money.Breach and clear is an okay game with some flaws.I encountered no bugs so far, for that i give that game a mediocre 5 out of 10!    … Expand
  3. PrincessRose
    Jan 28, 2016
    6
    This a turn based tactical combat simulator.
    It gets repetitive and boring rather quickly. Get your 4 soldiers to clear out an area as quick as possible for the highest score.
    Your team is limited you can't switch around different classes in your team, you have to make a new team if you want to have play other classes. When you start the game you have to make a team right away, you    This a turn based tactical combat simulator.
    It gets repetitive and boring rather quickly. Get your 4 soldiers to clear out an area as quick as possible for the highest score.

    Your team is limited you can't switch around different classes in your team, you have to make a new team if you want to have play other classes. When you start the game you have to make a team right away, you can't change game options or anything else first.

    It's an ok game, lacking depth. Good value though for 75% off, wouldn't pay full price for this game. It's very simplistic and easy to play a rather casual game. Worth getting on special as it's fun for a bit.    … Expand
  4. ave
    May 20, 2018
    6
    Ok, I "recommend" Breach & Clear, less for its qualities than for its issues.

    Breach & Clear is an ambitious game with a strong promise (Close Quarter Combat simulator designed with the help of specs ops from around the world)... that falls short on many aspects. I will put aside the fact that it takes too much time to equip your squaddies with either a shotgun or a scoped gun, and    Ok, I "recommend" Breach & Clear, less for its qualities than for its issues.

    Breach & Clear is an ambitious game with a strong promise (Close Quarter Combat simulator designed with the help of specs ops from around the world)... that falls short on many aspects.

    I will put aside the fact that it takes too much time to equip your squaddies with either a shotgun or a scoped gun, and that most of the upgrades are like +x aiming or something.

    I think that the biggest problem of the game comes from the interface (inappropriate camera, confusing controls) and little annoying things like : you cannot order a guy to occupy the same position left by another guy in the same turn (even if this seems to be basic tactics).

    So, good intention but poor execution.    … Expand