Broken Age

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 211 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 117 out of 211
  2. Mixed: 65 out of 211
  3. Negative: 29 out of 211

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  1. wesker2012
    May 15, 2015
    5
    Broken Age starts off promising with gorgeous visuals and solid voice acting. The wildly imaginative areas introduced in the first act are beautifully creative. The characters you meet are quirky and mysterious. The gameplay starts pretty simple and typical of old school point and click games. The second act however is a total bore with hardly any new settings and characters. It alsoBroken Age starts off promising with gorgeous visuals and solid voice acting. The wildly imaginative areas introduced in the first act are beautifully creative. The characters you meet are quirky and mysterious. The gameplay starts pretty simple and typical of old school point and click games. The second act however is a total bore with hardly any new settings and characters. It also turns the original characters and areas into frustrating interactions. This is amplified tremendously with the ridiculous amount of backtracking required in the second act. After going back and forth between puzzles, there becomes little desire to even care about the overall goal or characters anymore. Also many of the puzzles in act 2 didn't make much sense and were a total clickfest. Its a real shame, because the creative artwork is gorgeous and the original concept seemed to have so much promise in the first act. It was especially refreshing to have such a cute and colorful world to interact with in contrast to all the mature and violent game worlds nowadays. The ending also was very abrupt and unsatisfying. Overall, the two parts felt very disjointed and the main plot/story suffered a lot in the end.… Expand
  2. drlowdon
    Sep 11, 2016
    5
    On the positive side Broken Age's hand drawn art style looks great, the story-line and characters are all pretty interesting and Double Fine's quirky sense of humour is on show throughout.

    Unfortunately as the game progresses it falls into the same traps that many of these puzzle orientated point and click games seem to fall into. The first act has a few issues but the second act was    On the positive side Broken Age's hand drawn art style looks great, the story-line and characters are all pretty interesting and Double Fine's quirky sense of humour is on show throughout.

    Unfortunately as the game progresses it falls into the same traps that many of these puzzle orientated point and click games seem to fall into. The first act has a few issues but the second act was full of obscures and it reached a point where the game started to become a bit of a chore to play to due constantly getting stuck and either just clicking on everything to see what works or even having to refer to online guides. This issue was amplified by all the constant back tracking required to find and/or use items you picked up elsewhere and you'll often have to just spend 30 seconds clicking back through previously traversed screens to get to where you need to be.

    A further issue for me was the conversations with the NPCs. These interactions where often fairly funny but there is no flow to the conversation and you simply have to just click on each of the options one by one to see if anything is said that will advance the story. To be honest there often seemed little point in even letting the player take any part in choosing what your character says.

    If you're someone who enjoys this genre, and can overlook the usual issues associated with it, then Broken Age will likely provide you with 8 hours or so hours entertainment. I personally found it equal parts fun and frustrating however.    … Expand
  3. Jimmydm90
    Nov 3, 2015
    6
    Broken Acts

    The art of the game is beautiful and there is solid voice work throughout. The writing is great, the worlds are extremely creative and the puzzles are pleasant enough in the first half... but it is at the mid-point that things take a turn for the worse. The second half of the game clearly feels like more of a rush job. There are very few new characters or locations in the    Broken Acts

    The art of the game is beautiful and there is solid voice work throughout. The writing is great, the worlds are extremely creative and the puzzles are pleasant enough in the first half... but it is at the mid-point that things take a turn for the worse.

    The second half of the game clearly feels like more of a rush job. There are very few new characters or locations in the second half. The assets are largely recycled. I can forgive all that because this a smaller game with a lower budget and I'm aware of the story behind its production.

    I have a much harder time forgiving the puzzles in the second half of the game. Most of them are so frustratingly convoluted and repetitive that it robbed me of any enjoyment I could have derived from the game's second half. The game went from a pleasant stroll to a mind numbing slog at the drop of an act break. The story also seems to take a bit of a nose dive in favor of the inane puzzles.

    I loved the characters in the first half but being forever trapped in a back and forth loop between these same NPCs again and again (as they regurgitated the same few lines of dialogue over and over) made me never want to hear their voices again.

    I really think releasing the first act and then allowing the second act to marinate in the criticism of the first, damaged the game as a whole. It's a shame because Double Fine has created a great world rife with (missed) opportunities.    … Expand
  4. Johnleabo
    Jul 10, 2016
    3
    Broken Age is a wonderfully crafted and creative point and click graphic novel coupled with superb voice acting, however, that is all it is. While the first act of the game is fairly immersive, employing a variety of different riddles and problems for the player to solve whilst discovering an amusing world, the second act is much more disjointed and fails to deliver in both gameplay andBroken Age is a wonderfully crafted and creative point and click graphic novel coupled with superb voice acting, however, that is all it is. While the first act of the game is fairly immersive, employing a variety of different riddles and problems for the player to solve whilst discovering an amusing world, the second act is much more disjointed and fails to deliver in both gameplay and storyline. The gameplay increasingly becomes more and more monotonous, having the player backtrack to and from the same areas again and again and again, on a goose chase to either click on something that the player was given almost no direction whatsoever to click on. Honestly, though it was a point and click adventure, I feel like it still could have delivered given the quality of the characters and environment. The direction of the storyline and gameplay is what fails to deliver.… Expand
  5. OvercastGamer
    Sep 24, 2016
    4
    Maybe I‘m too thick or perhaps we just don’t click like we used to? Either way, some puzzles in Broken Age were tough as nails.

    It’s a thoughtful and imaginative game but in equal measure, a chore wrought in guess work, cluttered with poorly realised puzzles whose inventiveness seems hazardous to their own brilliance. A staple of gaming in the late 80s and a decent chunk of the 90s,    Maybe I‘m too thick or perhaps we just don’t click like we used to? Either way, some puzzles in Broken Age were tough as nails.

    It’s a thoughtful and imaginative game but in equal measure, a chore wrought in guess work, cluttered with poorly realised puzzles whose inventiveness seems hazardous to their own brilliance.

    A staple of gaming in the late 80s and a decent chunk of the 90s, point-and-click adventures have always existed on one solid foundation: player satisfaction. Pioneers Lucas Arts and Sierra both nailed this mechanic and the smug realization when you stopped and exited the Tunnel of Love in Sam & Max Hit the Road or the gratifying way Space Quest IV lectured you for cursing (“what would your mother think”?) are no accident, but perfect examples of impetus driven almost entirely by ‘the eureka moment’. It’s these mini epiphanies that make all that pointing and clicking worthwhile, as ‘the point’, as far as the player can tell, is to be rewarded for their troubles.

    It’s a pity then when the re-birth of the genre, helmed by one its most beloved figureheads, fails not only to re-capture former glory but quite radically regress it – eliminating the logic and signposting (subtle in-game hints helping guide the player to a defined conclusion) that had helped give the point-and-click such a unique and intellectual essence.

    This lack of logic can be found all throughout Broken Age’s 4-6 hour lifespan but is most damning in the latter half of the game, when things really start to hit the fan. Cat-hair moustache bad? I won’t tar it with that brush but it’s well on its way.

    At this point in the story the player is asked to craft a makeshift hole-patch material from combination disgusting man-made broth and eggshell. Sure it sounds great but the path to the solution is far from rewarding.

    The goal here is to afford the slop a pH level of 9 so it can be used to patch up a spaceship. Figuring you have to plumb the depths of the purple-grey mess with your talking spoon (it makes a certain amount of sense in context), you’re told the pH is 7. A basic chat with your dad, the mastermind behind this plan, has you learn the acidic materials will lower the pH, whilst dropping in anything highly alkaline (say, a shell) will raise it. Alright – I’ll just drop in this shell I got earlier. “Just a minute” says Shay, one the game’s two main characters, “that’s a shell-shaped instrument, not a shell”. Here’s where the real fun begins…

    Depending on your capacity for arbitrary inventory mashing, the next 30 minutes to an hour of gameplay will see you traipsing backdrops, attempting to combine a fish with a snake and growing steadily more frustrated as you attempt to solve this bastard of a riddle. Through nothing more than process of elimination, the solution finally becomes clear – use the juice tapper from the guy in the tree to crack the egg of the bird that had previously attacked you every time you went near it, let alone when you tried to smash up its kid’s house with a blunt instrument. There’s no flow here nor reason and this laziness garnishes the whole game – the player asked to exhaust all possibilities before proceeding.

    Though dotted with imagination and some genuine fun, the elaborate and seemingly random nature of Broken Age distills it to nothing more than a disappointing irony, cruel in its purpose and choice of moniker. In attempting to recapture the inventiveness of its predecessors, its ambition has tipped the balance and now has it nowt more than a frustrating exercise in developer telepathy.

    Space Quest, Sam & Max or Monkey Island this game certainly isn’t, though it can now share a shelf with Assassin's Creed Unity and the Masterchief Collection as a herald of the broken Age (with apologies given to Broken Sword).    … Expand
  6. Cacti-spikes
    Apr 4, 2021
    10
    Beautiful and lovely game. Funny, wonderful characters and amazing story. Not regretting being a baker.
  7. SuperkenGaming
    May 4, 2015
    7
    Broken Age
    Great world, not so great game.
    Broken age is split up into 2 acts and 2 perspectives On one side you play as vella A spunky girl about to be honorably sacrificed by her village to a monster called mog chothra, but you have other plans Your sacrifice turns into a hunt to take the monster down. On the other side you play as shay A boy with over protective spaceship    Broken Age
    Great world, not so great game.
    Broken age is split up into 2 acts and 2 perspectives
    On one side you play as vella
    A spunky girl about to be honorably sacrificed by her village to a monster called mog chothra, but you have other plans
    Your sacrifice turns into a hunt to take the monster down.
    On the other side you play as shay
    A boy with over protective spaceship parents.
    Their goal is to keep you protected, but you come to realize that comfort and safety requires a sacrifice of itself, freedom.
    Shay repeats the same cycle day after day until hes fed up with it, ready to grow up.
    During the first act of the game you meet dozens of unique and charming characters.
    The characters and dialog are easily the highlight of this game, and the worlds seem almost magic and mysterious, sadly though the story, world, and characters are all this game really has to offer, and if im being completely honest.. I didn’t find the ultimate ending of act 2 to be worth the journey.
    Act 1 ends with a great cliff hanger, from that point forward I kind of fell out of love with the game and the adventure it was taking me on.
    Broken age is a very unique experience in the sense that it doesn’t really feel like you are in control, broken age feels in control.
    This is more of an interactive story than a game.
    When it comes down to it, you don’t do much in broken age but figure out ways to get around the obstacles thrown at you.
    Like other point and click adventure games, this done by listening to dialog and combining items, nothing really all too tricky.
    Broken age took me a little over 7 hours to see and do everything there is, and there are tons of cute and clever interactions to be found, but there is no reason to replay it, you have no control over the outcome, you have no influence in dialog, this game is really just, talk to everyone you see until the dialog options are exhausted and then find someone else to do this again, and then trade them what they want for what you want, nothing more.
    The second half of the game felt grindy to me and much less charming as no new characters are really introduced, while I did love the characters, I didn’t love them enough to want to keep seeing them over and over.
    Puzzles do get more challenging and clever here, but nothing that will have you searching guides for clues, all puzzles you can easily figure out on your own.
    I’m not the greatest with point and click games, but still found broken age to be a very casual and hilarious experience.
    This is some of the best writing I’ve ever seen in a game, I just wish there was more game here, something that required my input.
    Maybe point and clicks aren’t my thing, because oddly enough I still found this to be one of the best point and click games I’ve ever played, the pacing is really perfect.
    For what it is
    Point and Click Action Adventure: 8/10
    Overall: 7/10    … Expand
  8. Malooga
    Apr 30, 2015
    9
    For those of you wondering if Tim Schaffer was able to return to his point-and-click roots with any success, rest assured Broken Age does not disappoint. From the moment you begin the game you will be torn between two well-written characters and their abnormal stories. While the art style and dialogue ring with a somewhat child-like undertone, the subject matter in the story has some veryFor those of you wondering if Tim Schaffer was able to return to his point-and-click roots with any success, rest assured Broken Age does not disappoint. From the moment you begin the game you will be torn between two well-written characters and their abnormal stories. While the art style and dialogue ring with a somewhat child-like undertone, the subject matter in the story has some very dark roots.

    Gameplay is simple, standard point and click mechanics with some moderately difficult (at best) puzzles sprinkled throughout. The challenge comes more from deciphering what exactly is happening in each characters world/time and how they are interconnected. You'll make plenty of guesses before the truth is revealed, and every second is masterfully narrated with plenty of dialogue options and supporting characters to discover.

    The sound is haunting and appropriate, with light mood music being played during tense situations, jarring your perception of what's happening. From a family that is overjoyed to sacrifice their oldest daughter to a giant squid monster, to a boy who lives with a computer generated mother and father aboard a rogue space-ship, these are just the set-ups to an incredible tale of freedom and consequence.

    Do not miss out on this if you grew up with cult classics like Day of the Tentacle or SoMI, you will not be disappointed. Tim Schaffer continues to advance the independent gaming scene with yet another artistically sound entry. 9/10.    … Expand
  9. Banjoconker
    Apr 29, 2015
    10
    Double Fine get me into the trip from 80's when atmosphere and gameplay were the most important. So nostalgic mode in progress. But guess what graphics and sound are from 2015 :)
  10. Vitoner
    May 2, 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 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    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 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    … Expand
  11. Sparkticle
    Nov 6, 2015
    8
    If you don't like story-driven "walking simulators" such as Heavy Rain or Until Dawn, then this game isn't for you. I am very open minded when it comes to movie experiences in games, and I think Broken Age is a fine competitor, even though made on noticeably lower budget. It has interesting characters, an abstract fairy tale story with various interesting themes, and compelling puzzles. IfIf you don't like story-driven "walking simulators" such as Heavy Rain or Until Dawn, then this game isn't for you. I am very open minded when it comes to movie experiences in games, and I think Broken Age is a fine competitor, even though made on noticeably lower budget. It has interesting characters, an abstract fairy tale story with various interesting themes, and compelling puzzles. If you missed out on downloading this game for PS+, I still suggest trying it.… Expand
  12. stamito
    Jan 8, 2016
    9
    Really good game in my opinion, but you have to like this kind of games. This is about enjoying the characters and their story, thinking creatively to progress and solving puzzles. If you're the kind of person that only enjoys fast paced, very direct and dynamic games with a lot of action and reflexes involved you won't like this. If you've ever played monkey island, maniac mansion/day ofReally good game in my opinion, but you have to like this kind of games. This is about enjoying the characters and their story, thinking creatively to progress and solving puzzles. If you're the kind of person that only enjoys fast paced, very direct and dynamic games with a lot of action and reflexes involved you won't like this. If you've ever played monkey island, maniac mansion/day of the tentacle, grim fandango, etc. and liked it, you should definitely give this one a try. If not I would think twice before buying this.

    Voice acting, music etc is really good, point and clicking game fans will like this one.    … Expand
  13. felasi
    Nov 9, 2015
    8
    The world designs are beautiful looking and overall it was rewarding to solve the puzzles in this game and get through it. Some say the puzzles were east, but I am not a point and click expert, so i found then challenging enough.

    Act 1 was done well enough and had a decent enough story and it kept me asking questions like any good story went. The end to act 1 was a good shocker. Act    The world designs are beautiful looking and overall it was rewarding to solve the puzzles in this game and get through it. Some say the puzzles were east, but I am not a point and click expert, so i found then challenging enough.

    Act 1 was done well enough and had a decent enough story and it kept me asking questions like any good story went. The end to act 1 was a good shocker.

    Act 2 of the game is where I had issues. In act 2 you revist the same locations, which all basically have the same characters. It just became a little bit tedious. They could have done so much better. I understand in the 80s they would re-use scenes to save on time and budget but in this day and age it should be feasible. Also, in act 2 its the first time where to solve puzzles you have to jump between characters for some clues. It never indicates that you should do this, nor was it part of the game in act 1. This lead to extended time of bashing my head against a controller until i though to check. Very frustrating. The ending was somewhat underwhelming.

    Verdict: Its an OK enough game to play, but you wont miss anything new or interesting if you decide to pass.    … Expand
  14. BeardeDestroyer
    Oct 29, 2015
    9
    This is my first dip into Double Fine Productions and what a gem Broken Age is. Knowing nothing about it I downloaded it purely on the basis that it was a free monthly PSN game, but having seen it through to its conclusion I would gladly have paid $40 or whatever the RRP usually is.

    Aside from the generous price tag I was drawn by the stunning graphics and the promise of humour. With    This is my first dip into Double Fine Productions and what a gem Broken Age is. Knowing nothing about it I downloaded it purely on the basis that it was a free monthly PSN game, but having seen it through to its conclusion I would gladly have paid $40 or whatever the RRP usually is.

    Aside from the generous price tag I was drawn by the stunning graphics and the promise of humour. With character performances from Elijah Wood and Jack Black amongst others I was not disappointed. However, I had the most fun with the Dialog Tree performed by Jamieson Price; often I found myself laughing out loud to my interactions with this NPC.

    The concept of playing two separate storylines simultaneously and the ability to switch between the two whenever you get stuck is an excellent feature. The puzzles throughout are very well designed and always satisfying to complete; at no point do they seem far fetched or illogical. The storyline is utterly charming and kept me engrossed throughout - very early on do you realise that the plot is somewhat sinister and not the fluffy story that the initial narrative suggests.

    My only gripe would be that I felt like I finished the game too soon, yet this is testament to the beautiful, engaging world that Double Fine have created. I cannot recommend Broken Age highly enough to anyone that enjoys a good head scratching and I sincerely look forward to the devs next offering.    … Expand
  15. BaronMonaco
    Oct 7, 2016
    8
    Broken Age had the ambition to resurrect the classic adventure genre, based on point and click in opposition with the more cinematic experiences from studios like Telltale that represents the new generation of adventure game. All from the mind of Tim Schafer, one of the most famous developer and director of some classic point and click games like Grim Fandango or Day of The Tentacle (bothBroken Age had the ambition to resurrect the classic adventure genre, based on point and click in opposition with the more cinematic experiences from studios like Telltale that represents the new generation of adventure game. All from the mind of Tim Schafer, one of the most famous developer and director of some classic point and click games like Grim Fandango or Day of The Tentacle (both have been recently remaster, sign of the demand for those experiences). Will Broken Age be a new classic ?

    Technically the game has an unique and beautiful art direction that really catch the eye and make the game very pleasant to watch, but on the other side you can't interact with it (except the actions written in the script of course), it's like you're moving in a painting, not everyone will like it but it's visually pleasant. I didn't encountered bugs on my playthrough so technically for a crowd-funding game it's very good.

    The gameplay is, like I already said, pure point and click, there's absolutely no skills needed, what the games ask from you it's wits as you'll progress by solving puzzles thanks to items you can collect looking around. Those puzzles are well written with logical but not obvious solutions and you'll not spend your time clicking on everything hoping to have luck on your side.

    Concerning the story and universe, which is as important as the puzzles in an adventure game game, in my opinion. The first act is very good with an awesome twist at the end, the second act however is not as wondrous, it (mainly) rehashes the same locations and characters with new puzzles. The plot move forward nicely make no mistakes it's still a well written game, I'd just wish the second act expanded the universe. The game will last around 6 hours, a very good value for its price

    So in conclusion Broken Age succeed in making a good, visually modern, but in its core retro adventure game, it may not be remembered for the ages but it is totally advisable for anyone looking for puzzles while following a nice story.    … Expand
  16. alexmanea
    Nov 17, 2015
    8
    I really enjoyed playing this game. It has an amazing world and a great story. It has pretty nice visuals and voice acting. I find this game entertaining and fun. The puzzles are not too easy and not too hard, but it can become a little frustrating at some points. The only thing I really disliked was the ending, which was pretty blunt and did not offer much closure.
  17. JackKasket
    Oct 7, 2015
    6
    Not having to pay for a nostalgia trip? Great deal if you ask me, but I'm mostly just glad I waited for Broken Age to come on PSN+ than the actual game content.

    Alright, the gameplay and story are quite enjoyable, but the little something-something that made the Broken Swords, Day of Tentacles and Monkey Islands so great is just not there. The puzzles are ridiculously easy, and mostly    Not having to pay for a nostalgia trip? Great deal if you ask me, but I'm mostly just glad I waited for Broken Age to come on PSN+ than the actual game content.

    Alright, the gameplay and story are quite enjoyable, but the little something-something that made the Broken Swords, Day of Tentacles and Monkey Islands so great is just not there. The puzzles are ridiculously easy, and mostly you just end up franticly running between areas to gather and deliver the right items. Well, to be fair, there actually is very little puzzling in this game.

    I do enjoy the art and dialogue quite a bit, but as an adventure game, Broken Age just falls a little short. Double-entendre on the short, since that is what this game is.

    Get it free while you can.    … Expand
  18. DYEGameBro
    Jul 24, 2015
    9
    Visually the game has a distinct, hand-drawn art style, with a vibrant colour palette that creates a lively world. It is unfortunate though that the settings in this world, while diverse and well-realised, aren’t particularly numerous. You will find yourself wandering the same paths for long stretches of time and they can start to feel a little claustrophobic after a while. Happily though,Visually the game has a distinct, hand-drawn art style, with a vibrant colour palette that creates a lively world. It is unfortunate though that the settings in this world, while diverse and well-realised, aren’t particularly numerous. You will find yourself wandering the same paths for long stretches of time and they can start to feel a little claustrophobic after a while. Happily though, there’s a great, quirky, orchestral soundtrack that accompanies the game, which performs the almost impossible feat of not getting on your nerves even after you’ve listened to it for hours (previously I thought only Nobuo Uematsu of Final Fantasy fame was capable of this).

    Broken Age is a by-the-numbers point and click experience with an original coming-of-age tale to tell. Helped by truly memorable characters and some excellent writing, the game has a consistently wry, wittily sarcastic tone that is a pleasure to experience, and continually surprised me with its insightfulness. Double Fine should be commended for bringing a crowdfunded project of such quality to fruition, and for delivering a polished product that exudes intelligence, character and style.

    www.doyouevengamebro.net    … Expand
  19. zkg03mjmk
    Feb 26, 2016
    8
    This is a very interesting puzzle game. I'm half way through it (mostly the heroine part) and find the plot engaging. Most puzzles are not only collecting items but require the player to interact with different characters to reveal the trick. Makes me feel that the developer really put a lot of thought into it. Nicely done.
  20. XxJoseManuelxX
    Oct 22, 2016
    8
    Broken Age is a point-and-click adventure video game developed and published by Double Fine Productions.

    + Good Characters
    + Story
    +- Smart Puzzles but Sometimes Frustrating
  21. Yerczeys
    Oct 14, 2016
    5
    This game certainly wasn't terrible, but it never grew even vaguely exciting for me. The characters weren't interesting, the atmosphere was whimsical and yet still boring, the plot was decent but never intriguing, and the puzzles were okay. Nothing great, nothing terrible. Well, maybe one big gripe. The puzzles near the end got old fast between the backtracking and the obscureThis game certainly wasn't terrible, but it never grew even vaguely exciting for me. The characters weren't interesting, the atmosphere was whimsical and yet still boring, the plot was decent but never intriguing, and the puzzles were okay. Nothing great, nothing terrible. Well, maybe one big gripe. The puzzles near the end got old fast between the backtracking and the obscure solutions. It really started bothering me when I had to flip back and forth between characters to find clues to the other's puzzles. Are they mentally linked or something? Found that downright upsetting. But in the end I did finish the game at least and I gave it a shrug before moving on to something more interesting.… Expand
  22. memus
    Apr 3, 2020
    7
    Double Fine being Double Fine. Beautiful art direction, good humor and pure creativity mixed with poor technical implementation, raw ideas and outdated gameplay.

    Pros: + Oh my, this watercolor art is mesmerizing. I don’t know how they made it, but it doesn’t feel digital. + I enjoy Tim Schafer’s sense of humor. It’s dark and kind and topical at the same time. He overuses wordplays    Double Fine being Double Fine. Beautiful art direction, good humor and pure creativity mixed with poor technical implementation, raw ideas and outdated gameplay.

    Pros:
    + Oh my, this watercolor art is mesmerizing. I don’t know how they made it, but it doesn’t feel digital.
    + I enjoy Tim Schafer’s sense of humor. It’s dark and kind and topical at the same time. He overuses wordplays (but I do the same). So tonally it’s perfect.
    + Voice acting is good in general. But Elija Wood is perfect as Shay. And Jack Black is welcome too, though he’s toned down here to fit into overall mellowness of the game (I want more of his eccentricity!). + If we started to talk about Jack Black, the subplot about the Cult of Lightness is the best part of the game. It’s funny. It’s smart. It’s very meta.
    + Solving some of the puzzles in Act 2 made me feel smart. Which was a feeling long forgotten in modern games which are very direct in their approach.

    Cons:
    - It’s a point-n-click adventure. And this genre died for a reason. This game has all genre problems: pixel hunting for missed objects, illogical puzzles and bad puzzle design in general (you will understand what I mean when you reach the knot one), monotonous backtracking through locations. Broken Age doesn’t propose any new gameplay mechanics and isn’t tested enough to avoid the old ones.
    - This genre is about puzzles. And puzzles are not great here. Act 1 is not a challenge whatsoever. But not in a feel-good ‘I’m making progress’ way, and more in a “there is no logic to what I’m doing, but let’s click here and see what happens”. Act 2 has more gameplay inside. But it’s very uneven. Some puzzles are nice. But others are undercooked (again, the knot one) or unnecessary convoluted. In the end, I referred to youtube 3 times to move forward, and each time it was not a disappointed “oh, why didn’t I think about that?“, but an angry “it’s just mean”.
    - Also, the studio made a questionable choice to make two puzzles the way that you’re need a peace of paper to solve them. At first, I felt annoyed and angry with. Cause it’s an outdated game design (especially after the shallow first act). In the end I appreciated it in the one puzzle (it’s more a nostalgia hit than good game design, but what works — works). But in the second puzzle I hated it. Because it wasn’t thinking in that case, just monotonous noting. And this old school puzzle design doesn’t fit the game world themes anyway. Common, it’s 2020 (ok 2015 at the original release). Be congruent, Tim!
    - As with any DB game this one is full of great ideas either executed poorly or dropped midway. Both story-wise, world-wise and gameplay-wise. The ”two worlds” mechanic is implemented poorly and un-evenly. The different towns feel like a pastiche not like a unified world. This technique worked in Psychonauts, because each level was in a new mind, but here there is no good reason for this. But it hurt the story the most. It tries to be very meta. But with no good internal storyline to support this. This game doesn’t have a hidden meaning or something. But it always nods that it does. And it gets old really fast and devalues all the stakes in the story.
    - And finally PS4 version is plagued by bugs. With some of them being unforgivable. Like not being able to see some of the items in your inventory because of the glitches above them or some lines of dialogue being muted. It feels like DF doesn’t care about its gamers at all. 5 years after release in such a small game some critical bugs are still not fixed. #facepalm    … Expand
  23. leventguller
    Oct 7, 2015
    7
    I like:
    The story
    The dialogues
    The characters
    Artwork and design

    I dislike:
    Puzzles which are not challenging

    I really want to see much more point-click adventure games and I think Broken Age is a very good business for Double Fine.
  24. Nel
    Jan 11, 2017
    7
    Fun art style engaging game semi puzzle game, that takes brings back some old school gaming, but with great visuals and funny dialog. The game is fairly short, but will keep you entertained during the playthrough
  25. GreenMachineG
    Dec 9, 2015
    8
    A great example of a fun point-and-click game! Double Fine has done it again! Broken Age has great voice acting and Elijah Wood nails his performance! The story is interesting and keeps you wondering and thirsting for more. The two separate stories happening in unison is also a very cool gameplay mechanic and goes back and forth quite fluidly. Gorgeous art-style. The game definitelyA great example of a fun point-and-click game! Double Fine has done it again! Broken Age has great voice acting and Elijah Wood nails his performance! The story is interesting and keeps you wondering and thirsting for more. The two separate stories happening in unison is also a very cool gameplay mechanic and goes back and forth quite fluidly. Gorgeous art-style. The game definitely doesn't direct you through it however. The "puzzles" and item finding is challenging, and I found myself getting stuck quite a bit. Loved it and glad I played it. Definitely recommended!

    8.0/10    … Expand
  26. surenm
    Sep 2, 2017
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game had tremendous potential but failed mostly because of the missing Act 3. The first act is great, the second sets up a lot but it's clear they just had to wrap up the game without every getting into the rest of the story of the Thrush and what they were hoping to achieve through their "rendering" process over hundreds (or maybe even thousands) of years. The ending leaves so much to be desired as well as the total fail with the robot pals and their wiring and patterns that seemed ancient to unveil some great mystery. I was certain when I found the music room on Alex's ship that I'd have to create a symphony of sounds using all the "pals" and that that pattern would unlock some sort of cosmic awakening that only a boy with a pure heart like Shay could find. Instead the music room is merely a distraction for Alex so Shay can use his grabber! Total waste!!!

    It's clear that music and shapes and weaving and math and ancient technology have a big role here, but I am guessing it was all abandoned to just finish up the ending in a super cheesy way without ever explaining any of the good story bits in the later first act and second act. It's really too bad. Instead Vella is just a one dimensional Jackie Brown style ass kicker hellbent on destroying everything and Shay's desire to capture her as explained by Merrick has no application whatsoever other than resulting in eventually destroying the mogs. Yet, no one ever dies! The whole game was too safe and hard G rated for babies. So much lost and wasted potential. Too big a vision to fit into a Kickstarter where this could have easily been a $10,000,000 game with a much larger story and a good 20 hours of game play. You need this time to really get into the science and technology / arts and humanities fusion leading up to the great cosmic / ancient cryptic / mystic / esoteric great achievement for all mankind the Thrush seem to be after that is foreshadowed everywhere in the game through the arts and patterns being cultivated and used to travel and create the cute robotic AI. A disappointment despite a fantastic Act 1, especially on Shay's side.    … Expand
  27. RuriGokou
    Aug 13, 2020
    5
    Act 1 starts off well. Interesting story and characters. Really like the artwork and the puzzles weren't so bad. Too bad act 2 just ruins all that.

    The story becomes a mess and it's the same areas just flipped this time. I was really hoping the story was going in one direction but it went in another which didn't make much sense to me. I didn't like how plot points are just info dumped    Act 1 starts off well. Interesting story and characters. Really like the artwork and the puzzles weren't so bad. Too bad act 2 just ruins all that.

    The story becomes a mess and it's the same areas just flipped this time. I was really hoping the story was going in one direction but it went in another which didn't make much sense to me. I didn't like how plot points are just info dumped onto you by certain characters. The puzzles in act 2 are tedious and close to impossible without a guide.

    Honestly the whole second act just feels like they got lazy. I believe originally act 1 and 2 were about a year a part? Even the ending isn't really an ending. Just a bunch of still pictures during the credits. This game just doesn't deliver. I cannot recommend it. Boy, I'm glad I wasn't a backer for this rubbish.    … Expand
  28. painava
    Mar 21, 2020
    6
    Broken Age is a pretty good point-and-click game however many of the puzzles are very frustrating and the game barely offers any hints at times. Going back and forth without any fast-travel is also tedious and gets boring fast. Good voice-actors and interesting story.
  29. Heisengerm
    Aug 19, 2020
    4
    Broken Age is a game with great potential that ultimately falls flat due to what feels like an abrupt ending. While the artwork, dialog, voice acting, and central themes are executed extremely well, the story fails to bring it all together in the last five yards. The game does have its good points; I certainly had a decent laugh more than once at some of the jokes, and a couple of theBroken Age is a game with great potential that ultimately falls flat due to what feels like an abrupt ending. While the artwork, dialog, voice acting, and central themes are executed extremely well, the story fails to bring it all together in the last five yards. The game does have its good points; I certainly had a decent laugh more than once at some of the jokes, and a couple of the puzzles really gave me an "aha!" moment when I finally solved them. Additionally, I appreciated the character switching mechanic, which really helped ease some frustration. While I'm not the biggest fan of point-and-click games, the earlier parts of Broken Age did keep me entertained. I would recommend this as a game for younger kids to play, as I feel like it has a good message and is a very wacky looking game. However, this one just wasn't for me.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

47
#47 Best PS4 Game of 2015
89
#89 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2015
92
#92 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. Play UK
    Jun 1, 2015
    50
    Beneath the lavish art style and the high quality production..., Broken Age ends up feeling rather empty and desolate. [Issue#257, p.72]
  2. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    May 26, 2015
    75
    It's not the second coming of adventure games, but Broken Age is still a memorable jaunt. [July 2015, p82]
  3. LaPS4
    May 11, 2015
    80
    Even with its flaws and a gameplay that could have been better, Broken Age shines thanks to its visuals and a superb dubbing, stating once again the love Tim Schafer and Double Fine implement in their games.
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