Unbroken is a solo-developed game currently available on Steam in Early Access. If you’ve played the developer’s first title, Neckbreak, you might already be familiar with him. His name is Mike, and he operates under the banner of MGP Studios
The term Early Access might make some gamers hesitant to dive in, and that’s understandable. Many early-access titles come with the risk of being incomplete, unpolished, or even abandoned. However, before you jump to conclusions, let’s take a closer look at what Unbroken has to offer.
A Spiritual Successor
As the developer himself has revealed, Unbroken is a spiritual successor to his debut title, Neckbreak. This influence is visible in the game’s combat, exploration mechanics, and overall art style. It also draws heavy inspiration from the Dark Souls series, particularly in its difficulty level. From the very beginning, the game makes it clear that it won’t hold your hand. You are thrust into the world without much guidance, left to navigate and survive through sheer determination and skill.
The World of Unbroken
The game is set in Crest’s Edge, a world designed with varied biomes, each holding its own challenges and secrets. Your objective is to track down and enact vengeance upon a traitor. While this premise sounds engaging on paper, the game struggles to provide enough motivation for players to explore the world in depth. The semi-open-world structure—an aspect the developer has emphasized—often feels more like an obstacle than an inviting space. Instead of inspiring curiosity, exploration at times becomes a chore, with little reward for venturing off the beaten path.
The Resin Mechanic
One of the game’s most interesting mechanics is the Resin system, which functions similarly to Dead Eye in Red Dead Redemption or bullet time in Max Payne. Consuming resin slows time around you, allowing you to dispatch multiple enemies with ease. While this mechanic has potential, the overall combat experience lacks the fluidity and satisfaction needed to make battles truly rewarding. That being said, the game does offer a decent variety of weapons, from daggers to miniguns, allowing players to experiment with different playstyles.
The AI Problem
Artificial Intelligence has become an integral part of modern game development, not just in creating enemy behaviors but also in generating assets such as landscapes and character models. In Unbroken, the developer has chosen to implement AI-generated art for the NPCs and several background art. While AI-driven design can be a valuable tool, and the developer has provided further clarification here, the AI tag is sure to drive some players away.
Retro Appeal
For those who have a soft spot for classic first-person shooters like Doom and Quake, Unbroken may be worth keeping an eye on. The game includes a Visual Styles category in the settings, allowing players to apply CRT scanlines and other retro effects to emulate the look and feel of classic games. This feature enhances the visual presentation, making it a more immersive experience for fans of old-school aesthetics. The overall graphical style is enjoyable, particularly when paired with a well-configured scanline effect.
INITIAL IMPRESSION
These impressions are based on roughly five hours of gameplay, and as an Early Access title, Unbroken still has a long way to go before reaching its full potential. There are areas in need of significant refinement, particularly in terms of world engagement, combat mechanics, and enemy AI. However, the developer has promised additional content, including multiple endings and expanded quests. If these promises come to fruition, Unbroken could evolve into a much more compelling experience.
For those intrigued by its premise but hesitant to commit, the two-hour demo is a great way to test the waters before making a final decision. If you enjoy challenging, retro-inspired action games and can look past its current shortcomings, Unbroken may be worth keeping on your radar as it continues to develop.
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