The final decision I made in Into the Breach cost me the life of one of my pilots, and almost cost me the entire game.
Into the Breach isn’t really a game of comebacks. As the game shows you enemies’ attacks before they play out, any bad decisions made are basically your fault. Sure, there’s a lot more nuance to Subset Games’ brilliant tactical game. But for the most part, carelessness gets you killed in this strategy title. You really have to weigh every viable outcome to your actions. And I made plenty of poor choices during my time with it.
I could not have an explicit comeback moment in how I played that last round. I had to change how I approached the game entirely to even get me to the final battle. Into the Breach gets progressively tougher—enemy types and attacks can account for this. There are four distinct islands with different mission types and environmental factors to consider. Once players unlock islands, they’re allowed to visit them in any order they like in subsequent playthroughs before tackling the final location (clearing at least two of four islands is mandatory). I always opted to clear all four before challenging the last board but would consistently make it to the fourth where I’d fail.
I once made it all the way to the end of the game, and at my final decision, a miscalculation killed everything and I lost. It was awful, and I still don’t know how or where I went wrong. Not one to give up very easily (unless it’s Resident Evil 2 . Ha!), I kept noticing this pattern of getting really far but never making it again to the final battle. So I changed my strategy. I decided to visit the island that I was best at, last, and used its terrain specific boards and missions to my advantage. It wasn’t the only change I made but it played a big role in how everything else just fell into place.
And wouldn’t you know it? I beat the game and I got the credits to roll. It was my greatest, well-earned victory in recent memory. I mean, it wasn’t too good for my poor pilot since I still managed to be screw things up when it mattered most… Sorry, Isaac. Please forgive me in our next timeline.
What about you, Kotaku Readers? What are some of your best comebacks in a video game? Did you change how you played against a tough boss or a section of a game you just couldn’t get through but managed to turn the tides? Tell me your stories! Let’s celebrate our achievements.