Broken Roads Forges A Peaceful Path
Versus Evil, publisher of the upcoming Isometric RPG Broken Roads from Victorian studio Drop Bear Bytes have released a trailer that shows off some previously unseen areas from the game, highlighting the ability to play through the game in a completely pacifistic way if you choose to, eschewing the combat that in many games is what helps to drive the narrative of the world. I got a taste of the pacifistic options during my hands-on at PAX last year, intimidating a would-be merc who is as useless as a glass door on a dunny into giving up his contract so Kokeby Station can hire someone who is competent. In taking that option I missed out on experiencing Broken Roads combat in the demo, but I knew that when I eventually got my hands on the full game I would be sure to have plenty of opportunities to enjoy the experience.
Just having the option to play the game as a pacifist doesn’t mean just deciding not to shoot people. It will require a lot more thought into the potential consequences your decisions will bring from fellow party members and the people and factions you will encounter throughout your journey. It will be a definite challenge and one that adds even more playability to a game that already has four different personality types that can affect your interactions with NPCs and party characters.
If you are after a taste of the sounds that will be regaling you as you venture through the Outback Wasteland you are also in luck, for Tim Sunderland, Audio Lead and Composer for Broken Roads has uploaded Stonefish, one of the OST tracks for your listening pleasure, with more to come monthly in the Broken Roads developer blog.
Unfortunately, there is still no solid release date for Broken Roads apart from 2023. In an interview with Game Director Craig Ritchie and Narrative Director Leanne Taylor-Giles, which you can find right here, Craig did say he was hoping to have some news by the middle of the year, so hopefully, it’s not too much longer.
