There's a new tactical RPG coming to Switch in 'early 2020' and it's taking us back to World War II. Broken Lines takes place in a different World War II, though; an alternate WWII. How exactly it differs from the established history and timeline isn't outlined in the official press release (maybe Old Biff travelled back even further?), but we assume it factors into the story significantly in this self-described 'narrative-driven tactics game'.
Alternate or not, you control a group of soldiers following a plane crash which leaves them stranded behind enemy lines. Rather than the standard turn-based combat of most tactics RPGs, Broken Lines has players engage in 'turn-based planning' and those instructions are then executed simultaneously leading to events on the battlefield unfolding more unpredictably, we imagine.
It seems that the 'mysterious' enemy troops you're fighting will be only half the battle, as soldiers also struggle to manage their inner demons, as referenced in the official blurb:
In this alternate version of WWII, enemies are both mysterious military units and the soldiers’ own hopes and fears as they confront the mental and physical horrors of war during their struggle to return to friendly territory. Broken Lines combines a tactical-RPG playstyle with a “pause and play” format. This offers players more fluid and realistic gameplay with the action automatically pausing when new dangers appear, allowing the player to respond to the new tactical situation.
With hard details light on the ground, the above trailer (which clearly shows PC gameplay) and screenshots are left to do the heavy lifting. There's no shortage of great strategy and tactics games on Switch, and we won't have long to wait to find out if Broken Lines joins that illustrious company when it releases early next year.
Like the look of what you see? Let us know below if Broken Lines tickles your tactics bone.
Comments 36
I like what I see so far, I'm interested in your review of it.
I'll give it a go
Wow. That's quite the trailer. Thanks for sharing.
This game is very similar to Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines, released on the PC in 1998 by Eidos Interactive (now Square Enix). I still find it strange that this game has never been re-released. Would be a perfect game for the Switch or another touchscreen device! I have played this game for many hours, so addictive! I'm curious if Broken Lines will come close!
@JorrieQPO Speaking of Commandos I heard that Commandos 2 HD Remaster will be coming out next year.
Interesting, will have to keep an eye out for it.
Not what I was expecting to see. Looks a bit like Ghost Recon Shadow Wars for the 3ds but I like how this plays out. Hope it reviews well enough.
Those unis (specifically helmets) look WWI
I loved Commandos behind emeny lines used to have it on PC years ago
Needs more Mechs and less dreary WW2 stuff.
I hate to be that person but I wonder if we’ll ever see Ring of Red released on Switch?
I love military strategy rpgs in general, but since the trailer was of the PC version, I am kind of worried about the optimization of this game for the Nintendo Switch. I am crossing my fingers for a good port.
@YANDMAN
Rather have historically based vs worn out mech theme’s.
Interesting indeed. If it will get a 7 or better, I will buy it. I hope it will not be short in length (hours).
I wonder if “alternate WW2” means “there will be some historical inaccuracies so bear with us” or “things gonna get spooky”.
@LaytonPuzzle27
Wow thanks, great news, I didn't know that! I just saw the Gamescom trailer and I can't wait!!
@YANDMAN Mecha make everything worse, especially WW2. Sherman turrets on legs look just dumb.
@SmaggTheSmug Nothing can make WW2 any worse than it was/is
@Ruthless4u Mechs don't get worn out, all that historical weaponary is too much fun.
Meh, looks decidedly poor/below average. Horrible, uninspired character art as well. If you're looking for a cool RTS game within an alternate WW2 setting, then look no further than Operation Darkness from Atlus:
Over 11 years old already, and still looking better and more fun to play than this new game here...
I'd REALLY wish that Atlus would make a new, HD version of Operation Darkness, because it's a really entertaining game for fans of the genre, and definitely could be considered a hidden gem.
@YANDMAN Well, it could have ended with the other guys in charge.
Commandos 2020
Is this the game where Europe defends itself and America/Canada/Australia don’t have to come to the rescue?
@ThanosReXXX or you could play Valkyria Chronicles 1/4 on Switch 😉
Currently 10 hours into the first one and having a blast, the odd difficulty spike aside.
@clvr Already have them. Currently also playing the first one, albeit interchangeably with quite a few other games...
Agreed on that difficulty spike, though. Not a lot of hand holding/explaining at times, not that it's always needed or wanted, but some things are rather more prone to trial and error than I feel they should be. I've already replayed several levels/scenarios, in order to get good and/or better results.
But still a highly enjoyable game nonetheless.
On a side note: but although it's a game in the same genre, it doesn't really qualify as being set in "an alternate WW2" scenario, because any and all forces in the game are entirely fictitious, so in that respect, Operation Darkness is more of a fitting alternative for this new game here.
@ThanosReXXX wow what are the odds? Ahahahah 😄
I've been stuck for a couple of days on Chapter 7 (I think), the big battle in the desert versus that humongous tank; needless to say, it annihilates my whole team in a couple of turns and I'm not really sure what I have to do to it. Guess I'll grind the only available Skirmish I haven't played yet and come back.
Agreed on the setting: to be honest, I had read VC was an "alternate history WWII" game a lot, but then I tried it and was like "ok, this is not alternate history, it's an allegory at best". Not that it detracts from the game, to be honest I've always loathed wartime settings.
@clvr Well, then you're already a lot further than me. If I remember correctly, I've just entered chapter 4. But like I said, I'm playing off and on, in between my concurrent habit of daily Fallout Shelter and other than that, I'm also playing Steam World Heist, Horizon Chase Turbo, Mario + Rabbids, Asphalt 9, Prime World Defenders, Gems of War and Worms W.M.D.
And that's only on Switch. I'm also slowly making (or rather: trying to make) my way through my backlog on Wii U and the Xbox One...
@ThanosReXXX ah it's good that I avoided outright spoilers then 😉
Yeah backlogs are hard. I'm only playing on Switch right now and I still can't seem to wrap my head around it. I still have to beat Ganon and the DLCs in BOTW (!!!), I recently realized missing a lot of stuff (mainly DLC) in Hollow Knight, I got stuck at Sen's Fortress in Dark Souls, and I'm trying to work my way through Baba Is You.
And that's not to mention that I have just begun/have yet to even begin playing: Switcher, Octopath, VC4 (when I'm dome with 1), Darkest Dungeons, DQB2 Demo, Slime-San and probably others lol
@JorrieQPO I thought Commandos was a real-time strategy/tactical. What this game play style reminds me of - from what I've seen in the trailer - is a little known game series Combat Mission that I think uses a system called We-Go. You plan your moves and what each unit is doing and then they're executed at the same time as the enemy. What made Combat Missions brilliant was that it was like you were issuing orders, but if something unexpected popped up - say a unit running into a hidden machine gun nest -they would change plans to take cover or run with fear. You then were given another phase to adjust new orders. This one looks similar and I'd love to see how it goes, because I think that style of game-play is under-utilised.
@SmaggTheSmug What's that got to do with anything?
@thanosrexxx
Being a major gamer since forever, a huge S/TRPG fan and also a modder who 'collects' everything ever made.....I am really surprised I had never seen Operation Darkness previously. It does look like a predecessor in the presentation and combat style to the previously mentioned ValkCron series. Man the game got harshly rated on Metacritic though pulling in less than 50%. Did much better on user rating at close to 70%. I might dig around for an .iso and give it a look as it looks better than a 50 and often times niche genre games like this often are unfairly scored because reviews just don't like the play style.
Just finished my first run on FE3h and got Hard West on an eshop sale for $2 (normally $20). It looks pretty good, standard turn based grid play with an Old West meets supernatural storyline. They ported the first Xcom to Vita, I wish they would just get busy and port 1/1a and 2 to the Switch.
@QuickSilver88 Oh, don't get me wrong: it most certainly isn't any kind of triple A title, or a solid 8 or 9, but for what it is, I had a lot of fun with it. It has that Atlus quality, that all their good titles have, and the story, if leaning a bit too much over to the ludicrous side (taking the Nazis and their supposed love for the arcane and the dark arts to the next level, and then some) and the gameplay are still more than entertaining enough, so if you're a fan of this type of game, then I can definitely recommend it.
Might be hard to track down an iso though, considering the age of the game. Perhaps you should also check out eBay or any of your local and/or preferred game shops.
It's a reasonably priced title in most shops. Here's an example:
https://www.lukiegames.com/Operation-Darkness-Xbox-360-Game.html
Or you could get a "disc only" version from eBay, and print the cover yourself:
https://www.ebay.nl/p/Operation-Darkness-Microsoft-Xbox-360-2008/56262305?iid=223700556806
@AcesHigh
Dev in the house:
It is actually WW2 helmets. The Brits simply had really silly helmets, in WW2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brodie_helmet
@Dpullam
Dev in the house:
The game is running 30+ fps with nice controls, so its not too shabby
-but we keep working on improving the visuals, to compensate for the switch-specific optimization.
@SmaggTheSmug @SmaggTheSmug @Nitwit13
Dev in the house:
Well, a little bit of both.
We have taken some liberties in regards to enemy vehicles, historical events etc. But the combat and weapons are pretty realistic (apart from reduced weapon ranges to make it more "up-close and personal").
And yes, there is some creepy stuff, but no zombies or magic stuff
@vonknut Awesome! That sounds pretty promising!
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