Info about Broken Roads:

Official game description:
Born of a love for traditional computer role-playing from franchises such as Pillars of Eternity, Fallout, Wasteland, Tyranny, Pathfinder, and Baldur's Gate, Broken Roads provides a rich, engaging narrative in which players make their way across a desolated future Australia. Blending together traditional and all-new role-playing elements on top of a classless system offering nearly unlimited character development options, Broken Roads presents players with an original morality system: the Moral Compass. This novel design sees dialogue options and questing decisions influence, and be influenced by, a character's philosophical leaning.
Immerse yourself in a game world set in post-apocalyptic Western Australia filled with intricate lore, deep history, and compelling characters. As you embark on your epic journey, complex storylines, branching quests, and memorable encounters await. Uncover hidden secrets, unravel political intrigues, and confront moral dilemmas that challenge your assumptions about right and wrong. Every decision you make shapes the rich narrative, leading to multiple outcomes and ensuring a truly personalized gameplay experience. From the grand overarching plot to the smallest details, the world is brought to life with atmospheric descriptions and vivid dialogues, delivering an immersive and unforgettable adventure.
The game seamlessly merges classic RPG elements with innovative features, providing players with a unique and customizable gameplay experience. Building upon a classless system, it offers an extensive range of character development options, allowing players to shape their abilities and skills to suit their playstyle. The inclusion of all-new role-playing elements adds depth and complexity to the game's mechanics, intriguing moral choices, and immersive narrative arcs.
The Moral Compass introduces a groundbreaking morality system that goes beyond traditional notions of good and evil. Instead, it focuses on a character's philosophical leaning, allowing players to shape their protagonist's world view in unique and nuanced ways.
For example, a character who leans towards utilitarianism may prioritize the greater good, making decisions based on the overall benefit to society, even if it means sacrificing individual lives.
With every tough decision that is made, the characters Moral Compass can shift, potentially making them more broad or narrow-minded or even able to change their morality entirely as the journey progresses.
The system allows players to create a protagonist with a unique moral identity that influences their journey and relationships, but also is influenced by every choice they make.
Roam the vast Outback, explore decaying urban centers, and navigate treacherous desert regions as you uncover the secrets of this hauntingly beautiful and dangerous land. Survive, fight, and forge alliances in a unique setting that captures the essence of Western Australia's diverse people and landscapes and brings a fresh twist to the post-apocalyptic genre.

Release date: 10 Apr, 2024

Categories: RPG, Single-player Story, Choice-based Narrative, Moral Decision-Making, Turn-based Combat, Character Progression, Open-World Exploration, Multiple Endings


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Engaging narrative, meaningful choices (weight 0.73): The game's narrative is a strong point, featuring engaging stories, well-developed characters, and meaningful choices that impact the plot and character relationships. The morality system, often based on philosophical concepts, adds depth to decision-making and enhances player investment.
- Unique, immersive setting and atmosphere (weight 0.71): The game features a unique and well-realized setting, often described as beautiful and immersive, with detailed graphics, a distinct art style, and a strong sense of atmosphere. The Australian setting, in particular, is praised for its originality and refreshing take on the post-apocalyptic genre.
- Authentic Australian setting/culture (weight 0.29): The game authentically represents Australian culture, incorporating slang, environments, and wildlife to create a unique and immersive experience. The inclusion of in-game translations for Australian slang is a positive feature, making the game accessible to a wider audience.
- Interesting moral compass mechanic (weight 0.25): The game features an original and interesting moral compass mechanic that moves beyond simple good vs. evil choices. It allows players to explore different philosophical concepts, influencing dialog options and plot outcomes.
- Active developer support/improvements (weight 0.16): The developers are actively supporting the game with continuous updates, addressing bugs, and implementing improvements based on player feedback. This dedication to ongoing development and responsiveness to the community is viewed positively.
- Inspired by classic RPGs (weight 0.13): The game is reminiscent of classic RPGs like Fallout, Wasteland, Baldur's Gate and Disco Elysium, with a good skill/stat system and dialogue. It offers a fresh take on the post-apocalyptic genre, with a focus on a regular person navigating conflicts in the wasteland.
- Well-written quests, interesting NPCs (weight 0.1): The game features well-written quests with multiple ways to approach and complete them, showcasing player choice. NPCs have personality and speak like normal people, fitting the post-apocalyptic world.
- Enjoyable, good turn-based RPG (weight 0.07): The reviewer is enjoying the game and finds it to be a good turn-based RPG.
- Improved localization and features (weight 0.06): Localization has improved, large font support has been added, the combat system is more enjoyable, overall controls have improved, and there is a x2 speed option.
- Great musical score (weight 0.05): The game features a great musical score that complements the atmosphere and enhances the overall experience.
- Well-done voice acting/narration (weight 0.04): The game features well-done voice acting and narration, enhancing the overall quality of the game.
- Essential CRPG elements (weight 0.03): The game has the essential elements of a CRPG.

Common complaints:
- Combat is simple and uninspired (weight 0.91): The combat system is criticized for being simplistic, easy, and uninspired, with limited tactical options and repetitive encounters. Many reviewers found it boring and underdeveloped, suggesting it's not a core focus of the game. Some even found it too easy, becoming trivial after a few level ups.
- Story and quests feel unfinished (weight 0.9): The story feels rushed, disjointed, and ultimately unsatisfying, especially towards the end. Quests often lack clear direction, meaningful choices, and are plagued by bugs, leading to player frustration and a sense of incompleteness. The world feels empty and static, with repetitive fetch quests and limited exploration.
- Game feels clunky and unpolished (weight 0.88): The game suffers from a lack of polish, with clunky controls, a problematic UI (especially inventory management), and a general feeling of being unfinished. Players often get lost due to unclear objectives and poor signposting. These issues detract from the overall experience and contribute to player frustration.
- Ending is disappointing and anticlimactic (weight 0.56): The ending is disappointing and lacks closure, with player choices having little impact on the final outcome. Late-game locations feel contrived and unrealistic, failing to justify the protagonist's philosophical leanings.
- Morality system is superficial (weight 0.35): The morality system is criticized for being superficial and lacking meaningful impact on the game world or story. Choices often feel inconsequential, and the system itself seems like a tacked-on gimmick rather than an integral part of the gameplay. Philosophical themes are poorly implemented and feel awkward.
- Companions are underdeveloped and unimpactful (weight 0.35): Companions are underdeveloped and lack meaningful interaction with the player or the world. Their skills are often irrelevant, and they don't contribute much to the story or gameplay beyond basic combat. This makes it difficult for players to form attachments or care about their fates.
- Game is heavily bugged (weight 0.31): The game is plagued by bugs, including quest-breaking issues that prevent players from progressing. Some quests cannot be completed, and the quest log is uninformative. These technical issues significantly detract from the player experience.
- Game feels slow and boring (weight 0.19): Several reviewers found the game slow, tedious, and boring, with uninspired animations and a poor translation. Some felt the game was overpriced for the content it offered, making it not worth the cost.
- World lacks atmosphere; limited agency (weight 0.1): The post-apocalyptic setting feels bland and lacks the expected atmosphere, failing to create an immersive world. Player agency is minimal, with the game often forcing specific outcomes and denying logical actions.
- Sniper rifles are overpowered (weight 0.07): The abundance of sniper rifles and upgrade materials leads to a 'best-in-slot' item issue, incentivizing a party of snipers. Every gun that isn't a sniper rifle feels pointless as soon as you have the dollars and scrap to upgrade a set of them to the max.
- Writing is shallow and pretentious (weight 0.04): The writing is shallow and predictable, with the philosophical elements feeling pretentious and lacking depth. The game's writing relies on shallow and pretentious quotations, lacking depth and relevance to the core gameplay, resembling a student's essay filled with empty phrases.
- Limited character customization (weight 0.04): Character aesthetic personalization is limited to 8 presets, potentially not matching the player's desired look. Character customisation is limited to 8 character models (4 male, 4 female).
- Party members leave unexpectedly (weight 0.04): Party members inexplicably leave during the final fight. Characters leave the party without clear motivation.
- False advertisement (weight 0.03): The game is a disgrace considering the developers compared it to Fallout in forum posts. The game is considered false advertisement.

Gameplay feedback:
- Text heavy, dialogue-driven (weight 0.2): The game is very text heavy and dialogue-driven, with less emphasis on combat. Some reviewers found the quests straightforward and dialogue to end abruptly.
- Insignificant character builds/skills (weight 0.11): Some reviewers found character builds, party composition, and many skills to be insignificant, with loot being unremarkable or useless. This suggests a lack of meaningful character customization and progression, reducing the impact of player choices on combat effectiveness.
- Simple leveling system (weight 0.05): The level progression system is simple and easy to understand. However, some reviewers felt that the leveling system and perks had potential, but many options felt unnecessary due to the game's overall ease.
- Weapons use no ammo (weight 0.03): Weapons in the game do not require ammo, but the number of shots before needing to reload is limited. This simplifies weapon management but may impact the strategic use of weapons in combat.
- Ineffective cover system (weight 0.03): The game features a cover system, but small arenas and limited movement points reduce its effectiveness. Cover and flank attack systems are present, though difficult to identify.
- Poor early game economy (weight 0.02): Early game lacks ways to make money, and the purpose of items is unclear, creating a sense of vendors who won't be revisited. Some quests were minor and the reviewer didn't know how to complete them.

Performance notes:
- Inconsistent bug reports and crashes (weight 0.07): Reports on bugs are mixed, with some players experiencing many bugs and crashes (even leading to quitting), while others encounter none. This inconsistency suggests that bugs may be platform-specific or triggered by certain hardware configurations or gameplay choices. The presence of bugs needing cleanup impacts the overall experience.
- Good Steam Deck experience (weight 0.04): The game appears to be well-optimized for the Steam Deck. Reviewers specifically mention comfortable controls and easily readable text, indicating a positive handheld gaming experience.
- Cloud and manual saves (weight 0.03): The game features both cloud saves and the ability to manually save at any time outside of battles. These are welcome features that provide players with flexibility and security in managing their game progress.
- Noticeable loading screen times (weight 0.02): Loading times between different map areas are reported to be around 4-5 seconds when using an .m2 SSD. While not excessively long, these loading screens may interrupt the flow of gameplay for some players.
- Animation quality inconsistent (weight 0.02): Animation quality sometimes fails to keep pace with the intensity of combat or important story events. This can detract from the overall presentation and impact of key moments in the game.
- Ultra widescreen support (weight 0.02): The game supports ultra widescreen (21:9) resolutions. This is a positive feature for players with ultrawide monitors, as it provides a more immersive and expansive field of view.

Recommendations:
- Qualified recommendation with reservations (weight 0.72): The game receives mixed reviews, with many reviewers suggesting to try it, but with reservations. Some recommend it for fans of the genre or those new to CRPGs, while others advise waiting for updates or a sale due to bugs and unfulfilled potential. Many reviewers express hope for future improvements.
- Wait for a sale (weight 0.56): Many reviewers suggest waiting for a sale before purchasing the game. This is due to concerns about the game's content, bugs, or overall value proposition at full price. Purchasing on sale is seen as a lower-risk way to experience the game and support the developers.
- Unique setting and morality focus (weight 0.21): The game's unique Australian setting and focus on morality are seen as strengths. Reviewers appreciate the incorporation of Australian and Aboriginal culture, as well as the ethical dilemmas presented in the game.
- Lacks depth and feels bland (weight 0.07): The game's ambition exceeds its execution, resulting in shallow gameplay mechanics. Reviewers note a lack of depth in the systems, combat, and world exploration compared to its inspirations. This prevents the game from being truly enjoyable.
- Better alternatives exist (weight 0.06): Some reviewers strongly advise against purchasing the game, suggesting alternatives like "Encased" or "ATOM RPG". These reviewers believe that other games in the genre offer a superior experience.
- Needs more content and features (weight 0.03): Reviewers suggest that the game needs more content and features to reach its full potential. Specifically, they mention a desire for more locations, endgame content, and options to continue playing after the main story is finished.
- Performance issues being addressed (weight 0.03): The initial patch has resolved many of the game's performance issues. Reviewers are optimistic that further quality-of-life improvements will make the game more enjoyable.
- Playtime can be misleading (weight 0.02): The game's playtime can be misleading if focusing only on the main quest. Players should expect to spend significantly more time to fully experience the game's content.

Other player notes:
- Indie title with limitations (weight 0.08): The game is an indie title developed by a small team, which may explain some shortcomings. Reviewers acknowledge the limitations and suspect troubled development, while also noting the team's inexperience in CRPG development.
- Active post-launch support (weight 0.05): The developers are actively listening to feedback and improving the game post-launch. They are focused on world-building, offering a cultural experience, and providing ongoing support with patches and communication.
- Appealing design and atmosphere (weight 0.05): The game has an appealing design and atmosphere, including a distinct art style and cool soundtracks. The reviewer notes that the developers put a lot of love into the game's development.
- Misplaced hate/review bombing (weight 0.02): The game is receiving misplaced hate, with some players writing reviews after only a short amount of playtime. This suggests potential review bombing or premature judgment.
- Limited philosophical representation (weight 0.02): The game's philosophical references are limited, with only a few well-known philosophers represented and a lack of female philosophers. This suggests a superficial exploration of philosophical themes.
- Short playthrough length (weight 0.01): The game's length is a plus, taking only 20 hours for a full playthrough. This makes it a relatively short and accessible experience.
- Mystery through character introductions (weight 0.01): Characters are initially labelled as strangers until their identity is revealed, adding to the mystery. This mechanic enhances the narrative experience.
- Similar to Age of Decadence (weight 0.01): The game reminds the reviewer of Age of Decadence more than Fallout or Wasteland, but with a lower difficulty level. This provides a point of reference for players familiar with similar RPGs.

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