Broken Age: Act 1 quickly introduces players to its two main characters. Shay, voiced by Elijah Wood, has lived onboard an advanced spaceship controlled by an intelligent AI for his entire life. The AI has taken on overly attached motherly qualities, as it continues to control every action of Shay while keeping the outside world a secret from the young man. Shay's world is about to change when he encounters a new character that encourages him to venture outside of the watchful eye of the computer program and leave the childish life behind for good.
Vella is the second star of Broken Age: Act 1, and though her world is completely different from Shay's, Vella still has many problems of her own to deal with. The young woman lives in a fantasy world where human sacrifices are made to keep a massive beast known as the Mog Chothra appeased. Vella is offered up at the Maiden's Feast event and must find a way to fight back against the monster and save her own life from a fate she does not wish to accept. Both storylines are interesting and full of interesting characters that make exploring each world a blast.
In Broken Age: Act 1, players can switch between either of the game's two storylines at anytime. This can be a good idea for a multitude of reasons including as a way to keep both storylines fresh on the mind while playing, using the switch to take a break from solving a difficult puzzle, keeping progression in each storyline equal or even sending items to the other character's world to see what effects it could have in solving puzzles or changing the storyline. Switching between two characters in different worlds with different objectives is a feature rarely seen in games, but it works very well in Broken Age: Act 1.
One thing not so expertly crafted in Broken Age: Act 1 is the game's puzzles. The puzzles can range in difficulty from too complex and difficult to tediously simple. The spike in difficulty can be distracting from the overall storyline, and the easier puzzles can help players further understand Shay's problems while playing a game whose AI often gives puzzles that gives boring, unimaginative tasks that any child could figure out on their own.
Despite some flaws in puzzle design, Broken Age: Act 1 manages to be an enjoyable experience. This is due to a strong storyline that features many memorable characters throughout the four-hour campaign. The cast of characters feature some great celebrity appearances including Jack Black, Wil Wheaton and Pendleton Ward, and branching dialogue allows for multiple reactions to arise from a single encounter. The dialogue choices aren't a plentiful or diverse as players would see in Telltale Games' releases, but most are more well thought out and humorous. The game manages to exude a charm and humor that few other games can grasp, while still touching on some very serious issues, chief of which is simply growing up and entering adulthood.
Broken Age: Act 1 is a great looking game with a unique aesthetic. Characters and environments look like expertly crafted paper mache brought to life with great animations for character movements and other minor touches. Both characters and the places they inhabit are diverse with a strong fantasy influence that makes the journey to a new location exciting and anticipated. The game controls fine with mouse controls allowing players to easily cycle through in-game menus and select dialogue options. The entire game also features a strong soundtrack that helps bring the worlds to life while further emphasizing character's emotions during certain scenes throughout the game.
All in all, Broken Age: Act 1 is a fun game that point and click adventure fans will greatly enjoy. The game features a strong storyline full of great humor and fun encounters, though unfortunately, fans will have to wait until later in the year for the conclusion to the game and to learn the fate of the protagonists. Broken Age: Act 1 manages to overcome some often poor puzzle design to make a game that is well worth playing even at a high price point of $25. Enjoy one of the month's best releases in Broken Age: Act 1 only on Steam.
Broken Age is now available for PC, Mac and Linux exclusively on Steam and can be purchased for $24.99. For more information on the game, check out the official Broken Age website.
Game Features:
- Single Player
- Epic 2 Part Storyline
- Control Two Characters in One World
- Steam Trading Card Support
- Achievement Support
Game Information:
Developer & Publisher: Double Fine Productions
Platforms: PC (reviewed), Mac & Linux
Release Date: January 28, 2014
- Unique aesthetic
- Strong soundtrack
- Great humor
- Flawed puzzle design