Into the Breach

 Switch
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 186 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 143 out of 186
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 186
  3. Negative: 22 out of 186

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  1. MrTusks
    Jan 12, 2021
    9
    Addictive and satisfying turn-based strategy that is more like chess than Starcraft. The variety of teams you can you make this endlessly playable.

    Sometimes relies on RNG--a game might sometimes hinge on random starting placement or weapon drops, but not often.
  2. INU4SH4
    Sep 30, 2020
    8
    This is easily one of the most addictive roguelikes I have played in a very long time. It's highly strategic and forces you to make very difficult and impactful sacrifices to save the world. You have many different mechs/pilots and most of them feel really rewarding to play and strategize with. Another thing I love about this Switch port is how you can fully control it with the touchThis is easily one of the most addictive roguelikes I have played in a very long time. It's highly strategic and forces you to make very difficult and impactful sacrifices to save the world. You have many different mechs/pilots and most of them feel really rewarding to play and strategize with. Another thing I love about this Switch port is how you can fully control it with the touch screen. Quite versatile.

    The only negative point I can give to this game is that the lore could have been further explored. The story could have been more memorable. The gameplay totally makes up for the lack of narrative but it could always be better. Sometimes the RPG might also be against you but a good pilot should always be prepared for the worst and endure.    … Expand
  3. FunkyBoi
    Jul 25, 2021
    7
    I'm struggling to rate this game on a scale of 1-10. The gameplay itself is seamless, decisions are all impactful, there is room for a great depth of strategising and planning on behalf of the player, all of which is fantastic from a strategy game perspective. As a rogue-like, however, I find the replayability of the game less persuasive. Most of the starting builds themselves are entirelyI'm struggling to rate this game on a scale of 1-10. The gameplay itself is seamless, decisions are all impactful, there is room for a great depth of strategising and planning on behalf of the player, all of which is fantastic from a strategy game perspective. As a rogue-like, however, I find the replayability of the game less persuasive. Most of the starting builds themselves are entirely unique, which is a great positive, but the lack of diversity in upgrades and builds eventually led me to feel as though I was being shoe-horned into one specific playstyle with each starting build, particularly given the relative weakness of some builds compared to others. Some builds allowed great freedom and creativity in the ways the player was able to tackle puzzles, whilst others felt quite underequipped to deal with many of the challenges at hand, particularly low-damage high-disruption builds which rely more heavily on enemy AI and movements rather than player decisions. I enjoyed the game, but I wasn't absorbed into endless cycles of replay as I have been with other compelling rogue-likes such as Hades or Dicey Dungeons. I'd certainly recommend the game to fans of the strategy genre, but I would be hesitant to recommend it for those solely interested in picking up a new rogue-like.… Expand
  4. kujoja
    Sep 9, 2018
    10
    An absolute gem, highly recommended to anyone who likes strategy and turn based games.
  5. AnalystMike
    Nov 6, 2018
    10
    I created an account just to combat the negative reviews for this game as it is just unreasonable to give this game anything below a 6 quite honestly.

    This game is chess meets Advance Wars and is an amazing roguelike turn based strategy game that I have put almost 100hrs into. The game is difficult and you find yourself on your heels most levels trying to stay a step ahead of the bugs.    I created an account just to combat the negative reviews for this game as it is just unreasonable to give this game anything below a 6 quite honestly.

    This game is chess meets Advance Wars and is an amazing roguelike turn based strategy game that I have put almost 100hrs into. The game is difficult and you find yourself on your heels most levels trying to stay a step ahead of the bugs. Mechs have several upgrade and customization options as well as interchangable pilots with various special abilities and you unlock a wide roster of pilots the more you play and find.

    Graphically the game is a bit pixelated but the strength of the game is in strategy and replayability. Even with only a few enemy types and a fairly easy learning curve, the game keeps you hooked as you push into increasingly unforgiving levels in the later stages of the game.

    I think this is an amazing game for the price. So much so that I bought it 2x, once for PC and once for the Nintendo Switch.    … Expand
  6. HanTheMan
    Aug 31, 2018
    9
    As a FTL fan I wanted to play this game for a while but I don't have a PC so no can do.
    It came as a total surprise that this game released for switch and I bought it in an instant.
    I've now played trough it a couple times with the first mechs and it's really brilliant, every level is like a small strategy puzzle that you have to solve, there is little to no luck involved because you can    As a FTL fan I wanted to play this game for a while but I don't have a PC so no can do.
    It came as a total surprise that this game released for switch and I bought it in an instant.
    I've now played trough it a couple times with the first mechs and it's really brilliant, every level is like a small strategy puzzle that you have to solve, there is little to no luck involved because you can see the enemy movement in advance and anticipate on that.
    The controls work really good on the switch, while entering my name I missed the touchscreen but the game works extremely well with the controller.
    If you like strategy/puzzle games! buy it you won't regret it.    … Expand
  7. jeffbizloc
    Sep 24, 2018
    10
    A perfect turn based strategy game. The combination of short levels and replayability due to the mech squads is really well done. Beat Into the Breach with 6 of the 10 squads.

    Pros: - The turn based gameplay was the perfect amount of challenge (on normal mode) - The mech squads I played with were all unique and well balanced - Nice upgrade system were weapon upgrades or power or    A perfect turn based strategy game. The combination of short levels and replayability due to the mech squads is really well done. Beat Into the Breach with 6 of the 10 squads.

    Pros:
    - The turn based gameplay was the perfect amount of challenge (on normal mode)
    - The mech squads I played with were all unique and well balanced
    - Nice upgrade system were weapon upgrades or power or movement all seemed viable to win

    Cons:
    - Again a switch con, but I would have beaten the game with each squad if there were achievements
    - Wish they had a buy back, I accidentally sold some weapons I didn't mean to    … Expand
  8. TheFlannelFox
    Sep 3, 2018
    9
    Being a huge tactical rpg and roguelike fan I wasn’t sure what to expect after the months of hype around this game. With it’s surprise drop last Tuesday during the Nintendo direct.

    Let’s see if this mech vs bug battle, truly lives up to the hype. Taking place in the future, you are commanding a three mech team trying to clear a group of islands of deadly overgrown creatures known as    Being a huge tactical rpg and roguelike fan I wasn’t sure what to expect after the months of hype around this game. With it’s surprise drop last Tuesday during the Nintendo direct.

    Let’s see if this mech vs bug battle, truly lives up to the hype.

    Taking place in the future, you are commanding a three mech team trying to clear a group of islands of deadly overgrown creatures known as Veks. Beginning at one of four islands with a number of procedurally generated regions that you must recapture from the gigantic creepy crawlies. Each region is an isometric grid with buildings used to maintain your power grid and varying per level objectives, such as defend the power plant or kill 7 Veks. These objectives aren’t required but give you additional power or reputation points if you can complete them.

    These reputations points can be spent between islands to purchase different weapons or upgrades for your mechs, adding some tools to your repertoire to make you that much more of a formidable foe.

    Keeping the Vek away from your buildings can prove quite the challenging task as they will spawn from the ground every turn, when they do get destroyed it feels devastating as civilians die from your wrong decision. When actually getting a game over, you lose your progression but can keep one pilot for your next run, so if that pilots level up a bit you come into the next game with a little bit of an advantage.

    As you progress through the game you unlock new islands, which once unlocked can be played through in any order and scale difficulty depending how many islands have been defeated beforehand. As you defeat more islands or special objectives you earn coins which unlock new TROOPS of mechs for your to command. Each class being very different, really forcing you to learn and adapt in this brutal environment and I mean brutal.

    In the beginning of Into the Breach be prepared to die and die ALOT. Getting a solid understanding of this game will only come with many deaths, even as a seasoned tactical rpg player I have had my butt handed to me unexpectedly on many occasions. The moment you let your guard down be prepared to lose power, your mechs, and even your life.

    Acceptable losses
    Some of the decisions that i’ve made during a run of into the breach have taken so much time and thought that I’ve often caught myself just staring at my screen for ten minute periods of time. Weighing each option greatly as the consequences will affect you as such. If you carelessly make your decisions your run will be over before you know it. However, if you take your time and strategically chip away at the Vek, before you know you’ll be onto your next island and one step closer to your goal.

    As there are alot of different systems at work with Into the Breach it will take you some time before everything clicks. Each enemy has a different abilities, attack orders, and passive effects; when taken advantage of properly you can have enemies taking each other out. For you to truly succeed at this game you must understand what’s really important in each level. Yes it would be great to keep all of your mechs at full health, but as long as they survive, keeping your cities intact is really what counts. As you can sometimes get overwhelmed it’s important to keep a level head, take your time, and keep your eye are the goal. I’ve sometimes reminded myself of an old man staring at a chess board, the way I stop and strategize with this game.

    The game runs great on handheld and in docked, getting around 5 hours of battery life in handheld. However, using the joy con joy sticks I found the pointer would occasionally continue traveling when I released the joy stick, causing attacks to execute on the wrong space; and when the stakes are this high that can be quite disheartening.

    Into the Breach is a fantastic experience with life or death decision making that will have you on the edge of your seat as it unfolds. While this game is not for the faint of heart, those whom are willing to invest the time will be rewarded greatly for that effort. With fantastic gameplay, rewarding progression, and emotionally impactful decision making I can happily recommend this roguelike tactical rpg to any fan of the genre.    … Expand
  9. username1010
    Sep 20, 2018
    9
    If you were a big FTL fan this game is for you. Also for fans of: Advance Wars, RTS's, Tactical RPGs, Mech Games, Chess
  10. guatoman
    Nov 18, 2018
    6
    the game is ok, very playable. reminds me of advance wars and mario rabbids. the game is finished in one hour and then you're supposed to keep playing to unlock more stuff, which to me is not interesting
  11. Hoplite
    Jul 23, 2019
    10
    If your like me, dumb and impatient, you won't like this game when you first start. It has a bit of a learning curve...not too steep, but while I almost gave up to go study, several external circumstances kept me going. Unfortunately for my studies, now I am hooked. Take the time to google a few tips to get you started in understanding the basics of the game. Once you get that, the realIf your like me, dumb and impatient, you won't like this game when you first start. It has a bit of a learning curve...not too steep, but while I almost gave up to go study, several external circumstances kept me going. Unfortunately for my studies, now I am hooked. Take the time to google a few tips to get you started in understanding the basics of the game. Once you get that, the real game begins to emerge, and man is it a dragon. I'd expect nothing less from the creators of FTL. Thank you for another amazing game. If you like chess or advance wars...this is like chess on steroids.… Expand
  12. Awesomesausce
    Sep 13, 2018
    8
    This is a beatiful strategy game that takes it’s gameplay with well designed mechanics. The main reason this is a great game is the amazing gameplay loop that rewards you for completing each island but can bite you in the behind if you don’t plan your upergrades well as in some areas rewards good movement options and abilities, but another can require you to tank loads of damage. It keepsThis is a beatiful strategy game that takes it’s gameplay with well designed mechanics. The main reason this is a great game is the amazing gameplay loop that rewards you for completing each island but can bite you in the behind if you don’t plan your upergrades well as in some areas rewards good movement options and abilities, but another can require you to tank loads of damage. It keeps you on your toes all the way to the final island. But it can be to tougth in some places. A game isn’t good because it’s hard but it’s good for being challenging and creative in the ways of its roadblocks. Take dark souls for example. many of the bosses are big and have massive healthpools, as well as doing tons of damage. But they can be exploited with fast mowement or clever exploits or just a general understanding of its attack patterns. But in into the breach, especially the snow island boss, has good movement and attack, as well as a sizeable health pool. There is almost no room for creativity when fighting these bosses. The only one that really was interesting so far was the blob in island two. But still, this a beautiful strategy game with fun and interesting game mechanics. A gem for shure… Expand
  13. dosey
    Sep 14, 2018
    2
    very little content, to such a point that achieving a win on every squad is a chore. because of a massive lack of new enemy and map types evry run feels the same, the mech squads all might as well do the same thing with very slight differences. this game should be sold for less or be free on kongragate
  14. Scritty
    Nov 6, 2018
    7
    It's ok. However I would argue that it isn't a strategy game. It's a puzzle game. Strategy makes very little difference. Puzzle solving makes all the difference. I would recommend this as a 9 to puzzle gamers and a 6 to strategy gamers. so 7.5 overall?
  15. ZoRDoK
    Dec 27, 2021
    5
    Ok game. Nothing interesting above puzzles with 3 types of units. May be later I'll like this game, but not now.
  16. auditbadger
    Sep 8, 2019
    10
    I think that this is truly a unique game and I would recommend that if you are a fan of this type of genre then I think you should give this game a try.
  17. nusco
    May 6, 2019
    7
    When I started playing Into the Breach, I was expecting a tactical game. I didn't make much progress until I understood that I had to play it differently. All the people comparing this game to chess have a point. One way to describe is: a game where each move should be considered like an end-of-game chess problem. As such, Into the Breach feels like a crossover between a checkerboard gameWhen I started playing Into the Breach, I was expecting a tactical game. I didn't make much progress until I understood that I had to play it differently. All the people comparing this game to chess have a point. One way to describe is: a game where each move should be considered like an end-of-game chess problem. As such, Into the Breach feels like a crossover between a checkerboard game and a puzzle, more than a tactical game.

    I read some reviews complaining that the game lacks content. I think that they're missing the point: Into the Breach lacks content in the same sense that playing checkers lacks content. It's a game that builds up something complex on top of relatively simple elements, and it works very well in that respect.

    If the game's concept is up your alley, then you can add a point, or even two, to my score. What it does, this game does right. The design is tight and well-planned, with a number of challenges that look excessive until you wrap your mind around the game, and then become though but fair. I'm not a big fan of this style of gaming, but I still had fun completing Into the Breach.    … Expand
  18. Did-
    May 19, 2019
    10
    What if you could see where the enemies are going to hit before deciding your movements and actions in your favorite tactical-RPG? That’s the twist Into the Breach added to the tactical realm, and it’s brilliant. All enemy attacks are foreshadowed, and the goal is not to kill the enemy team as efficiently as possible, but more so being able to counteract their plans.

    Each turn is a    What if you could see where the enemies are going to hit before deciding your movements and actions in your favorite tactical-RPG? That’s the twist Into the Breach added to the tactical realm, and it’s brilliant. All enemy attacks are foreshadowed, and the goal is not to kill the enemy team as efficiently as possible, but more so being able to counteract their plans.

    Each turn is a small dynamic chess-like problem. You need to carefully study the environment, and where the enemies are targeting their attack. Then, respond accordingly, to minimise or preferably prevent their damages. Sometimes, it may seem impossible to prevent all damages, and when you finally see a possible solutions, you get a really cool epiphany or Eureka moment. Other times, you’re just dead, due of past choices.

    Because attacks are foreshadowed and everything during your turn is deterministic, there’s not much randomness in battles. Don’t get me wrong, there are still a lot of random elements, but most of them are not game-changing, it’s not a matter of a probability to hit and kill an enemy or miss and be killed, it’s more a way to add variability in the battles.

    Once you’ve finished the game with the first squad of mechs, which is a pretty straightforward squad of offensive mechs, you can try 7 other squads, each focusing on other aspects of the game, such as a squad putting everything on fire, a squad that move enemies around, and one that freezes the enemies to prevent them to act. Every squad plays differently and provides a new way to solve problems.

    These squads are bought using coins gained by earning achievements, which I always love to see in games. They’re not just useless trophies but are actually a meta-game mechanics. Most of them are not complicated to unlock, but they encourage you to try to play differently.

    The main problem I have with this game, is that I will be way more demanding of any other Tactical-RPG I might play in the future. The bar is high.    … Expand
  19. metanaga
    Jan 11, 2019
    9
    This game is so satisfying that I got me thinking that it deserved better graphics (I adore pixelart but honestly, Into the Breach looks kind of generic). Hell, get Evangelion rights license and make it the ultimate strategy mecha game! But I digress, the game is amazing as it is.
  20. Phuz
    Dec 19, 2020
    3
    To the pompous twunt that reviewed this a 10 to counter balance the low scores - are you stupid? Because someone has a different opinion to you, you rate it extra high to try and invalidate their opinion. Do you think that you are superior to others and that your opinion is worth more? BotW gets 100/100 all over the show as does God of War and they are 2 of my least favourite games of allTo the pompous twunt that reviewed this a 10 to counter balance the low scores - are you stupid? Because someone has a different opinion to you, you rate it extra high to try and invalidate their opinion. Do you think that you are superior to others and that your opinion is worth more? BotW gets 100/100 all over the show as does God of War and they are 2 of my least favourite games of all time.

    I rate this a 3 but also an excellent buy for some people. It is a good game made in a cheap, nasty way. They should have tried to get assistance from a big company to make this a decent game.

    Firstly I don't like the roguelike aspect. I have had levels generate and the starting enemy positions have made levels impossible before I even made a move. It just felt a bit like I got screwed with this being a permadeath game. The randomness is the real killer of this game for me.

    The graphics are pretty awful. The screen has a very cluttered feeling and can be a bit much playing at a distance trying to make out the difference between things on screen. At home this is fine where I am 1m away but at my gf house where the TV is about 4m away it is a hard task sometimes and I'm forever leaning forward and having to stand up.

    So it is what it is. A grid based puzzle game. A very challenging little puzzler. Very mind taxing and fun. If that sounds up your street great, if not then don't even bother.

    It's £11 and for me it is worth £5, get it in the sale. It shows why games like Radiant Dawn for Wii start at £70 on ebay. Radiant Dawn and Fire Emblem in general smash this game out of water.

    The production value is just so low it is really bad and I feel they would have been better making this a better looking, more refined 2D game, than the poor looking 3D one it is. It's just a really strange one because there is so much to criticise and a lot to like. I think what we have to remember here is that this is priced close to what Valkyria Chronicles is. There is no way that for the couple of extra quid that VC costs that I would ever consider Into the Breach over it. If you love strategy/puzzlers then this is great but if you are testing the water in the strategy genre this would not be high on my recommendations. Go for an old Fire Emblem, or Valkyria Chronicles. If you like simulator style games and visual novels and want to try out the strategy genre then get Fire Emblem 3 Houses.

    Into the Breach just stinks of rock bottom budget.    … Expand
  21. debasero
    Jan 14, 2019
    10
    The best tactics on switch.
    Taking turn based battles to the next level.
    Best interface ever, it is incredible how you can know and control so many things so quickly so easy. Better than chess, better than xcom. I really appreciate that the map is always 8x8. Increasing the size of the maps to increase difficulty is a design that I hate, not happening here. Very replayable, the good    The best tactics on switch.
    Taking turn based battles to the next level.
    Best interface ever, it is incredible how you can know and control so many things so quickly so easy.
    Better than chess, better than xcom. I really appreciate that the map is always 8x8. Increasing the size of the maps to increase difficulty is a design that I hate, not happening here.
    Very replayable, the good things of good rogue likes.
    One run can go from 40 min to 1h30 but it is divided into small battles so it fits perfectly switch for quick plays.
    Anyway it is not a game for everyone, but for those who like (at least a little) the genre will become crazy (like me).    … Expand
  22. Semyhora
    Dec 27, 2018
    10
    Simple but complex, elegant and with massive replayability, like in roguelike-genre games. For people who says there is too little content in this game - every tiny detail matter, putting to much just for stupid "content count" is much easier than combining perfect elements that fit. Absolutely brilliant!
  23. bl1rt
    Dec 29, 2018
    10
    Into The Breach gets right what annoyed me about many strategy games: You know exactly what each enemy unit will do in the next turn, in which order, how much damage theirs and your weapons will deal, there is a clear hierarchy of what you should try to archive in each mission, you can undo most decisions to a reasonable extend, yet each decision feels important, and each mission isInto The Breach gets right what annoyed me about many strategy games: You know exactly what each enemy unit will do in the next turn, in which order, how much damage theirs and your weapons will deal, there is a clear hierarchy of what you should try to archive in each mission, you can undo most decisions to a reasonable extend, yet each decision feels important, and each mission is exiting, while not overstaying its welcome.
    With all this, it is a lot of fun to figure out the best moves each round, and it is rewarding if it works out, while you own every oversight.
    The more I played, the more I appreciated how well designed everything is, like the excellent menu structure, or the always-available descriptions boxes.
    One of the best puzzle games ever.    … Expand
  24. ijol
    Jan 10, 2019
    9
    This game is harder than any strategy game I've played, which is a good thing. It has pretty revolutionary combat system, which really tells us to think before we act, as tiniest amount of miscalculation will affect your future. Just expect to face many failures along the way. Been playing for months and I still don't have enough skill to accomplish (which makes this game always on theThis game is harder than any strategy game I've played, which is a good thing. It has pretty revolutionary combat system, which really tells us to think before we act, as tiniest amount of miscalculation will affect your future. Just expect to face many failures along the way. Been playing for months and I still don't have enough skill to accomplish (which makes this game always on the list to play)… Expand
  25. greengrapejelly
    Apr 16, 2019
    8
    For someone who is super into board games, this more than filled my craving. The difficulty toggle works very nicely for introducing people to the game, and it's overall just really fun to win games.
  26. Welkinz
    Aug 31, 2019
    8
    It is a really good game, and fun to play. Honestly even Normal mode is a bit hard for me. Sometimes I have to switch to Easy mode. I enjoyed how the developers design the gameplay mechanics and various mechs
  27. Rollingwithkids
    Nov 1, 2019
    10
    Liked the game so much on PC I felt compelled to try it on Switch too. And its great, the interface is excellent and playing on the TV is unexpectedly cool. Me, a hardcore PC gamer, playing strategy games on the TV. Ha, that's unexpected.
  28. H1rund0
    Aug 29, 2021
    0
    Hardly a "game". Overrated to the extreme. "Procedurally generated roguelike" equals 0 skill, sheer luck and massive frustration. Bad graphics, bad sound, horrible game design. Boring, repetitive, no replayability. Waste of money, still not worth it if it were free. Shame for devs and 10/10 spammers alike.
  29. titten
    Jun 22, 2022
    10
    A flawless Switch port! This is how it is done. Fast and fluid controls, text size that is readable. The devs has done a great job with this.
  30. BitKit
    Jan 6, 2022
    10
    There isn't much to add. Excellent turn-based gameplay successfully adapted for console controls
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Awards & Rankings

11
#11 Best Switch Game of 2018
40
#40 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2018
55
#55 Most Shared Switch Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Aug 22, 2019
    90
    I'm in constant awe at the sheer number of choices available and I'm always searching for that perfect move – even if it doesn't truly exist. [Issue #38 – March/April 2019, p. 19]
  2. FNintendo
    Nov 19, 2018
    70
    Into The Breach is a challenging turn-based strategy game that features a competent gameplay and a wide variety of levels. While it could certainly use a more elaborate plot and some more weapon tutorials, it's safe to say that this rather orthodox work will appeal to fans of strategy games looking for something that follows the genre's main tenets.
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  3. Nintenderos
    Sep 27, 2018
    80
    Into the Breach is an indispensable game for all lovers of turn-based strategy titles. With a magnificent soundtrack that will accompany us in each battle we will fight against the unstoppable Vek through continuous reboots of the timeline and different Mechas that we will unlock as we play.
    Read full review
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