Breach is Atomic Games’ entry into the modern warfare first person shooting genre and was released on Xbox Live Arcade and PC. The game is class based with access to 5 different classes; Rifleman, Gunner, Sniper, Support and Recon. There’s also a heavy emphasis on the destructible environment where cover and buildings can be destroyed. Breach forgoes a single player component and is an online only multiplayer experience.
Breach controls like your basic First Person shooter with sprinting, hip-firing or looking down the site to fire and the one hit melee kill with a knife. The game features a mechanic called Active Cover which allows the player to snap into cover with the click of the right analog stick and then the player can blind fire and lean around and aim around corners and over cover. Active Cover works well but because of the destructible environments it always seems like there’s a part of the player sticking out just enough for the enemy to shoot at so it’s a good idea to move around and not stay in the same spot. One thing I found odd in the game is that it is almost impossible to hit a person while they’re sprinting unless they’re running directly at you. I don’t know for sure if it’s just a lag issue or what but that experience was pretty consistent throughout my time with the game.
The game features a class system in which players can gain experience to unlock new weapons, gadgets and perks for use in multiplayer. The classes included; Rifleman, which is the mid-ranged class that uses assault rifles and breaching charges, Gunner, which is slow but uses light machine guns and hand grenades, Sniper, which is a long range class that uses sniper rifles and breaching charges, Support, which uses shotguns, submachine guns and smoke grenades and finally the Recon class, which is only unlockable after mastering the Rifleman and Sniper classes and is the fastest class with less health but uses mid to long range weapons. The class I ended up liking the least was the Sniper class because the first sniper rifle is so underpowered and it takes 2-3 shots to kill someone with it. Playing a certain class enough will unlock new weapons and then with experience gained in games players can purchase attachments for the weapons such as better sights or suppressors. Experience can also be used to buy perks like Thick Skull which makes the player more resistant to headshot damage and gadgets like Dragonskin armor which enables the player to take more damage.
A big part of the gameplay revolves around the destructible environment which actually ends up being pretty impressive. Individual planks of wood can be shot out of walls to make openings to peek through and shoot enemies, which end up being really useful as a sniper using the hole to snipe across the map making it almost impossible for enemies to see you. You can also shoot out supports for shacks on the side of mountains and hills and the supports of balconies and cause them to fall killing enemies and teammates on them. Also placed around the maps are ammo stashes which have rocket launchers with one shot in them so everyone has a chance to get in on the destruction.
Playing Breach can actually be pretty fun when it works but unfortunately in my experience that wasn’t often and the issues with the game just bring it down so much. The number one biggest issue with the game is that if the host of the game quits the game ends and goes to the lobby. Doesn’t matter if the game was going on for 13 minutes and was a close battle you lose all of it if the host decides to ragequit or disconnects for whatever reason. This isn’t something that happens every once in a while but it happens a lot and is extremely frustrating. Another issue I had was with the hit detection in the game, I couldn’t tell if it was lag on my end, the host or if there was an actual problem with the game. Some games it would be ok and then others it would be extremely difficult just to hit someone let alone kill them. It actually made sniping impossible at times since it took like 2 shots to kill someone and then when they’re moving you can’t hit them.
Breach is another shooter in the sea of shooters out currently and while a couple things try to make the game stand out they wind up coming up short. Even though the game is enjoyable when it works currently there are just way too many issues preventing it from being decent. Now it seems like these issues can be fixed and changed with patches so maybe in the future it will be worth the $15 but right now it really isn’t.
Editors Note: Today (February 14th, 2011) Breach Xbox 360 was patched for lag issues. We will be updating the scores below if required before the end of the week.
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