The Riftbreaker (2021)

I'm still working against the alien elements in Riftbreaker but with a new campaign. I've built upon my previous failures and grasped each new resource to the best of my limited ability to form a semi-confident foothold of survival. My base isn't pretty but it works!

The joy of base creation scratches away that Protossian CONSTRUCT ADDITIONAL PYLONS itch. Watching your defensive machinations make waste to any foolish xeno to wander in sight is a fulfilling thing, still with an undertone of catastrophic failure lurking somewhere in the jungle.

The core concept is gripping but starting to weaken as resource complexity increases, only in repetition of gameplay rather than the application and creativity of resources in base construction and equipment. Outpost bases are required in other planetary climates (new maps of Acid planes, Desert environments) to find rarer resources, to construct higher tech buildings/items. Rebuilding a base from scratch provides an optimistic clean slate to build anew but the time required to get things functional eventually feels like busy work. Walls, power, towers, resources, repeat.

The alien swarms use similar tactics with, at least on Normal Mode, slight changes in defence requirements in the form of damage resistances that only require another defence tower types to repel. So far, these towers look great in action and function differently on paper but must still be peppered with the others along a wall. The end result being that the tactics and structure to survive doesn't change, only the bells and whistles. A counter argument would be that it gives players to indulge in preference and creativity, leaving room for play and experimentation in higher difficulty modes. A direction I would ultimately prefer in the end.

The most intriguing aspect is building bases in new environments but it falls short. Both the Acid and Desert biomes require their own flooring to keep base deteriorating fungus or quicksand at bay. These new floor types provide needed environmental relief but don't change the way they are constructed upon. It would have been fascinating to have new limitations that challenge the players building style gained from learning the headquarters basics. The environment layout does this with obsticle layout, thinner sprawls of usable land, more and varied lake formations but it plays lightly upon base planning.

The moment I enjoyed the most was discovering a single tile gap in the rock that led to a pool of the sludge resource. This gap felt placed by design. A perfect spot where a pipe could be placed to transport liquid resources into the base without fear of enemy infiltration which a gap in defensive walls would normally provide. If Riftbreaker could unleash more of this approach in the environment, it would certainly put a rift between this and any other game I'd be playing in the moment.

I'm looking forward to the back half to see where things go!

The masters of Factorio, who wield their industrial grip on a planet is an impressive sight. Looking into their symmetrical machines of wonder, quickly grabs my appreciation and curiosity but the unravelling complexity overwhelms me away from the title.

Riftbreaker seems to be a lighter take on the formula. One that's blended with a combat and character upgrade system that made me feel safe enough to face the alien horde.

Unfortunately, my capacity for urban planning and tower defence still leaves me in a stupor. After the game introduces the 4th resource of water, with all its pipes, storage and filtration, my brain glazed over like a dense poundcake.

The format encourages me forward but the learning curve forecast and required time makes me hesitant.