Broken Age

Creating a story told from two points of view, with the direct participation of two different characters, has always been an interesting idea. But it also naturally comes with a set of challenges that arise during development. How to make the two sides contrasting enough so they wouldn't seem like the same thing in slightly dissimilar wrappers? And in games, it's always preferable to add some gameplay divergence as well. In short, a real mess and a massive workload. But Broken Age exists. Did the developers truly manage to dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s, or did they just release a game barely holding itself together?

Plot - 9/10

The story follows two characters: Vella and Shay. You can choose which one you wanna start your adventure with and often you can even switch between them at will. Vella is a young girl from a town known as Sugar Bunting. She is to be offered as a sacrificial maiden to a monster, Mog Chothra, along with some other girls, so that the said monster would not destroy the town and help it prosper in the future. A classic story from fairytales. But Broken Age immediately starts on a weird and intriguing note... everyone takes it so lightly. Everyone in her family is so happy and in high spirits. Only she has some doubts - and even those aren't too strong. She isn't particularly worried about becoming someone's lunch. The most adequate and relatable character in the whole setup is her grandfather - he is the only one who tries to save her, who cares about her, and who advises to show that miserable Mog who's boss. And you know what? His granddaughter finally decides to fight - when she's on the sacrificial pedestal. And that's the very beginning of her story which would not become any more mundane...

Our other main character is Shay, a boy who lives on a spaceship and was raised by the ship's computer, which pretends to be his Mom and Dad. The computer is overprotective of him (but doesn't care about the negative impact of boredom) - day after day, Shay toils away on the same humdrum missions - so safe they might cause a toothache. He craves any little bit of excitement but it's just not there... up until the very moment you figure out how to bring a little bit of novelty to the usual routine. That's when things start to be exhilarating for the first time in Shay's life.

On top of everything else, Broken Age occasionally throws in a good joke. Especially stands out in this regard your trusted companion which you get at the beginning of Shay's story - Your Very Own Spoon. With a lot of sensors and artificial intelligence.

Gameplay - 9/10

Broken Age is a typical representative of a point-and-click adventure genre. Talk to characters, collect info, collect an array of various items, and go find a use for them by applying your wits. When you finally solve intricately woven puzzles, you progress a little further, maybe watch some cutscenes, and repeat the cycle. And that is everything there is to it. Does the game offer anything beyond the basic formula it implements so well? Yes - a few things, including mini-games and unique in-world activities. There are even small differences in gameplay depending on who you play - Vella or Shay. But they're mostly story-related, so not much in that direction.

Graphics & Visual Design - 10/10

Broken Age is done in its own catchy and vibrant art style. Not every shape here is geometrically correct: a circle sometimes may be more like an oval with depressions and elevations along its contour - and skewed to one side at that. Not everything adheres to realistic proportions - some humans have feet that are too small, while others have bodies that are too big. But these graphics and design suit the story and overall weirdness really well, they feel like an integral part of everything you see. It's hard to imagine that world portrayed in any other way.

Soundtrack - 9/10

The game mostly features lively, playful compositions that include a whole array of musical instruments: pianos, violins, trumpets, maracas, etc. They invariably keep you company on your adventures and accentuate all the whimsical characters and landscapes you meet on your way. Overall, a beautiful and well-arranged collection of tunes that stand on their own, even outside the story.

Atmosphere - 9/10

Broken Age presents two distinct atmospheres, which later shift due to plot-related circumstances, effectively giving you four - and eventually five - different ones. How many games can boast such a feat? Moreover, each of these atmospheres is thoroughly worked out and conspicuous. A peculiar rural world where each person and tradition is stranger than the last? Yes. An overprotective spaceship with dull games and a never-ending routine that consists of just doing the same things over and over until you figure out how to break the vicious cycle? Yes. They couldn't be more different... but at the same time, they have a weird affinity with each other.

Verdict - 9/10

Broken Age is a charming adventure game I'd happily recommend to anyone looking for something out of the ordinary. You won't find another one like it, that's for sure. Besides, the story raises a lot of questions... but finding answers to them is up to you.