Broken Age: Act 1 (PC) Review

Not only is Broken Age split into two Acts, this Act 1 is actually broken into two halves as well, with the option to choose which one to start with from the offset. Whilst many will say go with Vella's section first, personally, by the conclusion, the story made more sense completing it all by starting with Shay's shenanigans.

Going in that order then: Shay is trapped aboard a ship called the Bassinostra, complete with a computer 'mother' and 'father' figure watching over him, pretty much babysitting the 14-year-old lad to keep him safe from something that is never actually revealed. An endless cycle of eating mundane foodstuffs and taking part in 'missions' that are nothing more than happy-go-lucky games to entertain him, eventually he grows tired and must find a way to break from the monotony. Thus begins a process of looking for flaws in the process, triggering a chain of events that continue to rapidly escalate. However, the back-and-forth action to reach the end goal becomes slightly tiring after a short while, with plenty of "go here, fetch that, trek all the way back…" Thankfully, this part ends soon enough and Vella's exploits commence. It is not completely without merit, but after playing Vella's part there is a definite greater sense of satisfaction and pleasure.

If getting stuck or bored before completion of either stage, however, it is possible to flick between characters at will, which is a definite plus point and a stroke of genius by the development team. Broken Age is beautifully presented and it would be a shame to restrict players to the point of frustration. Vella's side of the story is a breath of fresh air, though, so there are seriously no issues on this front and many will keep plugging through without the old switcheroo. Everything is balanced perfectly and the layout of the action is extremely intuitive indeed, with some brilliant characters to meet along the way.

Vella is also 14 years of age, just like Shay, and is in somewhat of a similar situation to the ship-bound young chap in that she is locked into a set of events that she truly wishes she could break free from. There is a slight twist on this side, though, in that her tale revolves around a monster called the Mog Chothra that devours young girls, with the youths acting as sacrificial lambs to keep the peace. Vella decides the simplest solution for smashing this seemingly impenetrable chain into smithereens is to destroy Mog Chothra. Thus commences a very strange set of events, but one that is filled with hilarity, mystery, and very smart puzzle combinations. The simple mouse point-and-click controls are as easy to use as ever, with an inventory available at the bottom of the screen where items collected are simple to access, and a cursor that is context-sensitive, responding in the appropriate manner when hovered over a person or object, rather than unnecessarily leaving the player to choose the direct action (the same applies to Shay's side of the story, for reference…). Also, being able to double-click to skip from one location to the next is a true blessing. No more 'click the arrow and wait for the painfully slow character to traipse to the next area'! *Phew* Broken Age: Act 1 is a delightful taste of what is to come, and it is hoped the premise set up here is delivered satisfactorily later in 2014 with the release of Act 2. It is all to play for!