Point and clicks. I’ve written about them before. I have shared my thoughts before. It may be that I don’t have much left to say, but if that’s the case, this is going to be a very short review. Glancing down at the scroller on the right side of the screen, I can see that it exists, so clearly, I still have thoughts about point and clicks, and about Broken Age more specifically. Let’s chat, shall we?

First click!

Broken Age is a point and click adventure game in two parts, each following the story of a child trying to change their role in the world. One part follows Vella (on the left) as she is chosen to be sacrificed to Mog Chothra, a giant monster stalking the Badlands. The second part follows Shay (on the right) as he tries to take control of an AI-controlled incubator ship in the midst of a galactic war. Their stories initially seem disparate, but over time, they grow closer and closer, with tendrils extending from each to the other until they weave together. It’s a very unique world and very cool way of telling a story.

Also, the art. The art is excellent.

Broken Age has a lot of fantastic elements going for it. The world, as I said, is fantastic, packed with creativity and compelling characters and stories that I really wanted to get more of. The art is wonderful and engaging, and complements the story gloriously. There is love packed into every moment of this game, and it’s easy for the player to get swept up in that. I wanted more of the story. I wanted more of this world. I wanted to see where it was all going.

Smiles on everything

Broken Age suffers from the same issue as most games of its genre, though. The world I want to engage in is locked behind arcane puzzles, some of which I have to look up the answers to to move forward. There comes a point where a logical flow of answers to puzzles stop working, and where the puzzles themselves are just frustrating barriers rather than ways to navigate the world. You’ll notice most of my screenshots are from Shay’s story - I got frustrated by a clicking puzzle in Vella’s story and switched over.

I love the worlds of point and clicks. By necessity, they are some of the most engaging world’s you’ll find in games, full of witty dialogue and fun stories. However, the flip side is that they will always be hindered by arcane puzzles operating on moon logic, and there comes a point at which that is no longer fun.

I enjoyed Broken Age, but it came at a cost of patience. I hope someone with more love of the genre plays it and enjoys it.

Developer: Double Fine Productions

Genre: Point And Click

Year: 2015

Country: United States

Language: English

Play Time: 10 Hours

Youtube: https://youtu.be/9hnEiUqzqi4