Ahead of the Game - Broken Ranks thrusts you into deeply strategic turn-based combat across a dark fantasy MMORPG
Time to tune your tactics
- Strategic turn-based combat
- Choice-based dialogue and distinct classes
- Gorgeous hand-painted visuals
It's all about turn-based tactical tenacity in this week's Ahead of the Game series, where we tell you about a new mobile endeavour that's playable in one form or another despite its unofficial launch.
With how incredibly saturated the market is on mobile these days, it's hard for me to really find something that catches my attention. Broken Ranks, while incredibly unassuming at first glance, has somehow managed to do just that, because while it might seem like your average isometric MMORPG, its combat makes it stand out among the sea of copycats in the genre, in my opinion.
I can't claim to be an MMO expert, of course, but I've played my fair share in this lovely job of mine, and they all start to blur together inevitably over time. There's the dark fantasy setting, the small-town protagonist, the cruel invading forces and the quest for revenge. The classes are what you'd expect, from melee to ranged to magic, but when it came to the combat, that's when I started paying attention.
Broken Ranks, in essence, is your typical turn-based tactical affair - but what I feel makes it interesting is how you allocate attacks using action points in every turn. It's hard to explain it all in writing - as you'll just have to play it to really get what I mean - but essentially, you have a set number of action points you can strategise with in battle. You can prioritise your attacks or your defence, which also have different setups for melee, ranged, and magic attacks.
Defending isn't just about blocking or dodging, either - you need to maximise your character's strengths in a rock-paper-scissors manner, and do all this with a timer counting down until your turn is over.
It is, on one hand, incredibly stressful, but on the other hand, it's also immensely satisfying, mainly because it's not just about grinding to see who has the higher combat power. You really need to be strategic about what you're doing, especially since your chosen class also plays a role in your attacks.
And speaking of choices, I appreciate how the narrative flows here too, with dialogue options and lovely landscapes across hand-painted visuals. Honestly, it's hard to believe this isn't as high-profile as it should be, and since you can apparently play through the entire campaign without needing to spend a penny, it might just be a truly F2P-friendly adventure that respects your time, your tactics, and your wallet.
So, how do you play Broken Ranks?
The early access phase is slowly rolling out across different regions, with no official announcement as to the actual launch date just yet. There's a dedicated dev blog about how Broken Ranks is progressing with detailed features on each element, so really, it does feel very much like a passion project for the devs!
