Crash review: a virtual reality adventure game for newbies

Broken is a worthwhile entry in the VR roguelike genre, and while it doesn't redefine the genre, it's a lot of fun. Here's our detailed review:

When we were kids, sometimes we just wanted to pick up a toy and bump into each other's action figures. This light-hearted and pointless urge is one of the most appealing aspects of Broken, a simple VR roguelike for kids!

Crumbles Crafts & Comics store, where you're tasked with unlocking the world's hidden story by fighting to retrieve comic book pages. A short tutorial sets the stage for profit-seeking villains and antagonistic toymakers as they try to steal the small store's secret sauce - in this case, magic. Following the classic good-versus-evil trope, the Böse Corp use stolen magic to corrupt their own shitty creations, and you must fight to restore order.

First, you'll need to take your little warriors out of the package and drop them into the open levels. Called Crumblings, these toys aptly resemble fantasy archetypes such as shamans and knights, and unlocking more of them through the levels expands your combat horizons with unique weapons and special attacks.

Control the movement of hand-sized Crumblings in a top-down view, linked to the position of your dominant hand. Avoiding projectiles and finding favorable combat positions requires moving your hands around these binary-like arenas. Unfortunately, this means you have to keep your arm muscles tense, which after a sustained period of time can tire out even the strongest players. Triggers are pulled to initiate attacks, and face buttons let you dodge or perform special attacks. For example, the Knight's special attack is the Sword Stab, which causes a ranged explosion that takes on multiple enemies at once.

Broken has a simple but effective setting. You'll constantly fight in roguelike arenas against a ringleader and earn rewards in the central area. This feedback loop makes Broken easy to understand, but it can't make up for the forgettable morality tale that lacks character around it. Rebuilding a comic page by page is a novel idea, but the story becomes predictable. I had a hard time feeling grounded in the world or having any identity or driving goal in the game scenarios. I enjoyed engaging in combat, but I often wondered what exactly I was fighting for, beyond the promise of new fighters and upgrades. From the beginning, the game lacked mystery, and it continued to do so until the final credits.

Choose your fighters

Beneath the sweet exterior, the combat in Broken is unflinching. A constant wave of enemies made my heart race as my nimble warrior rocked merrily in my hands. I found myself facing a challenging battlefield of tyrannical toys that included enemies ranging from aggressive upward-firing frogs to bomb-throwing squirrels. The character designs are inspired, and it's fun to balance your spatial awareness while looking for counter-attacking opportunities, especially when the sheer volume of projectiles tries to overwhelm you. At the same time, I had to always consider my build and choose the right upgrades after grueling rounds.

However, not all is well. Attack animations are slow and you can't connect your inputs together without immobilizing your character in place. This often leads to frustrating defeats that feel unavoidable in the heat of battle. The arenas are littered with obstacles that you can utilize as cover, but be careful moving your Crumbling around so you don't get trapped. The tightly-knit arenas produce some tense battles, but intermittent tracking issues can completely ruin the fun, especially if you make one violent move and end up in stasis.

Successfully completing a turn will reward you with some gold coins that can be used to purchase Crumbling upgrades. Up to three upgrades can be activated at the same time, providing a variety of booster effects, such as a protective shield that can counteract damage or increase your maximum life value. You can enhance the effects of your upgrades using magic collected in battle in an effort to find your favorite build. Earning gold and trophies is slow enough that taking the time to choose between upgrades makes practical sense. It feels challenging to rack up gold instead of quitting early for short-term relief.

The fascinating world of Warhammer

Each Breach level has its own corresponding enemies, tools, and sound effects that further enhance the visual atmosphere of the arena. The hill maps deliver fantastical cheers, while the volcanic caves rely on dark and moody melodies to set the mood. Considering how often you visit these maps in repetitive rounds, the well-designed environments and musical accompaniments spark an engaging storybook style.

While the combat is clearly the best highlight of Broken, there are some smart visual details such as glowing mushrooms, full mounds of grass, and hidden caves. It's worth stopping to appreciate these visual details after you've completed a battle; it's hard to appreciate these subtle landscapes when you're plagued by attacks from all sides.

The playful art style extends to Broken's various enemies and their attacks, all of which take some getting used to in order to overcome. My favorite was a rattlesnake with button eyes that frequently ended my attempts with confetti-spewing venom earlier than I expected as I wriggled my weary body to avoid the hazard. Though its sinister yellow and green patterns associate me with frustration, I can't deny its charm.

However, not every aspect of each round feels justified. Broken aspires to break the continuity of combat with cute carnivals like the shooting gallery and the "don't touch the wires" mini-game. They're well-crafted and can be used in a separate mode in the center area, but often break momentum during intense rounds. After a few failed attempts, I grew to loathe their presence and waited patiently for the timer to expire so I could hone my combat skills again.

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Broken is a nostalgic twist on the popular VR roguelike, effectively evoking the youthful joy of fighting amongst your action figures. It's not going to make a radical change to the genre, and the basic narrative means that seasoned gamers may prefer something deeper and more nuanced. Nonetheless, Broken has addictive combat mechanics and a polished cartoon world full of complex binaries. It's a friendly introduction to the game for kids new to VR.