Broken Age

 PC
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
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  1. PC Games
    Apr 28, 2015
    74
    Act 2 may be longer and a little more tricky, but it is composed of mostly recycled areas and familiar characters, which is a bit of a letdown. In the end, the whole package may not be the new classic we were hoping for, but it is still a charming and highly original adventure game that is easy to recommend.
  2. PC Gamer
    Apr 27, 2015
    73
    The disappointing second half lets it down, but even at best, Broken Age is far from the genre’s greats.
  3. Telegraph
    May 4, 2015
    70
    Sure, you’re left with the nagging sensation of unfulfilled promise, but away from the circus of its development and that (perhaps unreasonable) weight of expectation, Broken Age will, in time, be a game many players remember with genuine fondness.
  5. Shacknews
    Apr 27, 2015
    70
    As a whole, Broken Age pulls off its duality motif wonderfully. Not only are Shay and Vella's stories interesting reflections of themselves, but Part 1 and Part 2 as a whole are practically reflections of themselves, as well. They're two parts of a tale that should be experienced together as a whole, especially since the game only offers the briefest of recaps when starting Part 2.
  6. Game World Navigator Magazine
    May 14, 2015
    64
    For some reason, we believe that if Tim Schafer will launch another Kickstarter project, he’ll describe is as “from creators of Secret of Monkey Island, Full Throttle and Grim Fandango”, while Broken Age (if it’ll even get mentioned) will be placed somewhere at the end of the list. And it has nothing to do with chronological order. [June 2015, p.82]
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  7. Game Revolution
    May 5, 2015
    60
    I don’t regret contributing to this journey in the least, and frankly, I feel like the first half of Broken Age is very much worth experiencing. And that’s how I’ll rate it—as an excellent first half with a middling second half.
  8. Gamestyle
    May 27, 2015
    50
    Upon completion it does feel pretty much worth the effort, although even then it is still a little bit confused and there are unanswered questions.

Awards & Rankings

88
#88 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

User Reviews

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User Score
6.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 130 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 62 out of 130
  2. Mixed: 48 out of 130
  3. Negative: 20 out of 130
  1. Morgenstern72
    Jun 28, 2015
    4
    First, I am a backer. Which means: for every positive review I am considered a fanboy, for every negative review I just did not understandFirst, I am a backer. Which means: for every positive review I am considered a fanboy, for every negative review I just did not understand what I was backing.

    That sad: a funny old-style adventure was promised. They got 10 times the money they asked for. They needed an enormous amount of time to deliver the game, were other companies that got way less money delivered real gems. Well, that would all be ok if the result was a gem too. It is not, sadly.

    While the graphic style appeals to me and the voice acting is superb, the story starts very interesting in act 1 just to succumb to complete meaninglessness. Every "Oh, what's that?"-moment in the first act was deeply disappointing explained in act 2.

    The puzzles did not get harder, just much more painful to solve which much trial and error and revisiting the same locations over and over.

    The game ended for me after ~10 hours of playtime with a real bad written ending. This game only achieved one thing for me: never buy a game again where Tim Schaefer is involved. He betrayed the trust of his backer and his legitimacy as a story writer. He finished writing the story after more than 3 years according to his own words. 3 years for that short story with so few good ideas? Wow.

    I can recommend the game if you want to enjoy the graphic style and voice acting. I also recommend to stop at the second time the characters start over on a split screen. Your expectations of a good story unfolding will be disappointed and you will see already often visited screens over and over again to solve some really boring puzzles. It's just sad....    … Full Review »
  2. ritardedartkid
    Nov 8, 2015
    7
    There was certainly a lot of hype around this game and as a backer I was along for the ride. Fast forward 3 years and we finally have aThere was certainly a lot of hype around this game and as a backer I was along for the ride. Fast forward 3 years and we finally have a completed game. After playing both acts I would say that the game is decent, but not a must have. There’s certainly a lot of charm from the hand painted artwork to the dialogue and music, but charm doesn’t make a great game. While act 1 was fun and full of potential, act 2 felt disconnected. The puzzles became illogical, the story was inconsistent, and there was too much running back and forth across maps. All in all, this was a bit of a letdown for me. I still recommend it, but have realistic expectations - this isn’t a magical unicorn that will single handedly save adventure games.… Full Review »
  3. Vitoner
    May 3, 2015
    8
    This is NOT a bad game, in fact it's one of the best graphic adventures I've played recently. The problem here is that it is not theThis is NOT a bad game, in fact it's one of the best graphic adventures I've played recently. The problem here is that it is not the groundbreaking masterpiece fans of Grim Fandango and other old glories were waiting for.
    It is funny, witty, entertaining and hard enough for newcomers to the genre (a little bit too much on the easy side for veterans, especially the first half). Puzzles are fun and well done (especially near the end of the game). The score and the art are amazing, the game is trurly a joy to look at and listen to. Voice acting is excellent and the game features people like Jack Black, Will Wheaton and Elijah Wood.
    However, there are flaws. Some characters are a little "glossed over". They come and go very quickly in Act 1 and when they return in Act 2, you basically won't talk to them after the first dialogue. The character played by Jack Black is the best example: funny, interesting and full of potential "wasted" in 2 dialogues and 1 puzzle. Despite the development time, the game offers a little selection of settings (screens) compared to the average old G.A. (what you see in Act 1 is basically what you'll get in Act 2 along with a handful of new locations). Also, the ending feels rushed and generic. I was truly disappointed by it because it sort of gives closure to everything in the lazyest way possible (you'll see) and abrupts the game in a point where I was excited to see what was coming next (again, you'll see).
    I won't mention backtracking as a flaw because it is inevitable in some sort of way in a G.A. I think it is only more evident here because of the restricted number of screens.
    For the record: I am not a backer, but I've watched the Making of documentary on Youtube. I know what Double Fine has been through while making this game, but that is not an excuse for its shortcomings.

    I give Broken Age an 8/10 that would have been a 7.5/10 if it weren't for the art and the music.

    PROS
    + Art style
    + Voice acting
    + Orchestral score
    + Puzzles are hard enough for newcomers to the genre
    + Classic Tim Schafer dialogues

    CONS
    - Puzzles are fairly easy for veterans of the genre
    - Some NPCs could have been used more
    - Very few screens
    - The ending feels generic and rushed    … Full Review »
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