Developer: RedRuins softworks
Publisher: RedRuins softworks
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
Breathedge – Review
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to try and survive in deep space with nothing but dwindling oxygen, your sharp wits and an immortal chicken? Well, wonder no longer! Because Breathedge, the new survival adventure game by RedRuins Softwork, lets you experience just that.
Story
The opening scene of Breathedge makes it clear we are playing episode one in what will presumably turn out to be an episodic series. Right now only this first episode is available, which according to the store page should take around 3 to 4 hours to complete, though there is a lot of extra stuff to explore if you so desire.
We play as a simple man who is just trying to get his grandfather’s ashes to an intergalactic funeral. Sadly, the space hearse suffers an unfortunate accident and the protagonist finds himself as the lone survivor, stranded in deep space in the middle of the wreck, with ample supplies and a crafting table, the only things at his disposal. A rescue shuttle is on its way, but it’s only able to dock a few hundred miles away, forcing us to venture out of our comfortable base and into the reaches of outer space to be saved. Oh, and there’s a universal conspiracy going on too.
Most of the story is told through short cutscenes, finding assorted pictures or the narrator suddenly hitting us with a few lines of unprompted dialogue, all of which focus mostly on humor more than actual storytelling, but they’re nice little details that slowly reveal more of the story as you go.
Graphics
The graphics of Breathedge are quite beautiful. The colors are very vivid and bright for a game set in space, and there is a wide variety of ships, comets and other locations to explore, none of which look quite the same. Some of the views are breathtaking to say the least. The survival tapes you can find and watch in your base have a certain animated edge to them which fits in surprisingly well with the rest of the game and make for funny little distractions.
Sound
Breathedge has a rather subtle soundtrack. None of the background music is particularly memorable or grand, but it isn’t annoying either. Mostly it fades in and out depending on your location. The narrator on the other hand is excellently voiced and downright hilarious. He keeps up a steady stream of ironic commentary and witty dialogue that shows how much care this game took for its more comedic aspects.
Gameplay
like most survival games, the main goal in Breathedge is collecting resources and crafting stuff out of them. Of course, you need to find a blueprint first to craft each certain object. The wreck you’re stranded in has more than enough metal and wire to go around, but for more sophisticated supplies you need to travel further away from your base to find them and explore deeper into space, proving to be very challenging at first.
As you do this, you need to keep an eye on your stats. There’s hunger, thirst, health and oxygen. Hunger and thirst can be easily managed by crafting various drinks and food items to tide you over. Health can be restored by sleeping. Oxygen is definitely the most difficult aspect of the game, as it only allows you to venture out of your base for a very limited amount of time. Later on, you can prolong this by building new oxygen stations or upgrading your gear.
Every equipment you build also comes with a durability, so it can only be used for a limited amount of time before breaking. This makes the game considerably harder, since you’ll have to return to your crafting table each time one of your tools gives out.
Furthermore, there are plenty of other dangers in space to content with. Radiation poisoning can take you out slowly and sneakily, killing you before you properly notice what is happening. And freezing can also be a problem, if you travel too far away from a heat source.
There are a few tutorials to get you started, but after that you’re on your own and it can be increasingly difficult to figure out what exactly you need to do to progress the story. Prepare for a lot of slow exploring, visiting the same place over and over again because you might have missed the one small thing you need to advance the game.
Conclusion
Breathedge is a challenge. Its smart comedy and unforgiving nature make for a unique experience that is sure to keep you occupied for a long while, even if it can be inhumanly hard to progress at times. It is unclear when the next episodes are going to be released at this point, but it’s a worthwhile game to check out in the meantime.
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