Broken Roads - Review After 100%

Talking about my experiences with Broken Roads, a post apocalyptic crpg, just ahead of it's official launch.
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:18 Overview
02:35 Technical State
03:06 Character Creation
06:24 Story Set Up & Thoughts
10:11 Progression Systems
12:56 Gameplay & World
15:51 Combat
19:20 Steam Deck
20:15 Positives/Negatives
21:27 Conclusion
22:43 Wrap Up
Intro Music By Juan Andrés Matos, www.juanmatosmusic.com/
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#gaming #gamereviews #brokenroads #crpgs

[@ComissarYarrick]

Game is set in post-apocaliptic Australia. So in other words, just rural Australia

[@Nostromo2144]

Don't come the raw prawn with us mate! And git a ded dawg up ya! ;)

[@accesschilly]

@@Nostromo2144 please translate lol

[@tubularmonkeymaniac]

@@accesschilly”don’t try me. F off”

[@greenskarbrand]

So dingo elysium got a publisher cool

[@FelisImpurrator]

Dingo Elysium lmao. That's brilliant.

[@happyninja42]

@@FelisImpurrator I' now picturing a "heaven" type layout, lots of white marble and greek architecture, but it's filled with nothing but dingos wearing togas.

[@darksiderahb]

OMG, HA!

[@EyeGodZA]

You fuckin’ savage!

[@sodapopinksi667]

Damn, I can't even call it Broken Roads anymore

[@CaravelClerihew]

Only played the demo, but it for any Aussies out there playing: The slang is so thick that there's definitions in the in-game dictionary.

[@noctoi]

Ugh no, and I really, *really* hate that we lean so much into the 80's and 90's Leyland Brothers/Steve Irwin/Paul Hogan "ocker" BS in games and the media. Most of us really do not talk like that... and I only know one person in my too many decades of life, who *actually* unironically wore a cork hat too. We just don't.

[@peterrjg6843]

@@noctoi Yep, I'm from rural Australia too and nobody I know talks likes that. It's like categorising all Americans by the way Gomer Pyle talked. Not realistic, not real and ridiculous.

[@oldmanramblingatclouds]

I dunno; I'm not Aussie, but from what I've seen so far that doesn't seem to be the case. There is obscure slang (at least, obscure to my Malaysian arse), true, but it's not like everyone's Crocodile Dundee.

[@FelisImpurrator]

@@noctoi Who's actually dumb enough to believe that's an accurate representation of the population? It's just a really funny bit. I WISH all nationalism everywhere was just committing to a good meme like that. Beats the tryhard cultural insecurity we have over here in the Philippines.

[@adarmus4768]

@@noctoi As an Aussie myself I am aware you are the designated arbiter on how Aussies should be represented. Thank you for standing up and speaking out for misrepresented Australians who are a homogeneous population that all speak, act and live the same. I have been to my family members cattle farm where they absolutely speak in an "ocker" way as did their friends but I am sure they were playing it up for us city slickers. It is particularly insulting that this game is made by Australians.

[@Taranchule]

The fact this game has both Drop Bears and Kalgoorie already makes it the Aussiest game I've ever seen. I'm eager to get me paws on it.

[@yellchai]

Imagine if more games were based in Australia. We’ve done USA to death. I want to see gta in Sydney. Thief simulator in the western suburbs. 🤣

[@MadfellaDuke]

Imagine zombie roos lol we'd be fucked

[@breadguytv]

Oh shit kalgoorlie? wonder if my house is in it

[@yaelz6043]

​@@yellchaiyeah nah, that's just called a doco mate.

[@Kyle-zs4lt]

Being from and living in Perth my whole life I’m so happy this even exists

[@amateurpwn4182]

Perth crew!

[@eldengarrett9153]

Woo

[@mitzee8621]

It's always nice when the world or even the other side of the country remembers we exist.

[@yaelz6043]

​@@mitzee8621ah come off it mate, you lot are easy enough to remember, I mean, there's only like ten of ya eh?

[@The-Random-Hamlet]

Broken roads, take me home To the place I belong West Australia, aussie mama Take me home, Broken roads

[@georgeshoemaker7221]

Just wanted to let you know that you've become the only reviewer I trust. Seriously, your thoroughness and extensive takes are refreshing, and has driven me to play some of my favorite games (Like Wrath of the Righteous). Keep up the good work!

[@enmunate]

The only completetionist I trust.

[@stinger822]

Being from the state in Australia where this takes place is cool, I knew it took place in Australia from your coverage prior to now, but the Western Australia mention surprised me. I look forward to playing this and seeing what I get out of it, being a local and all.

[@ewe_e-]

morality system and a turn based combat? this game looks really dope. also it being in Australia sounds great, finally something a lil different

[@caineconlan1234]

If my character can't have sports shoes and smoke out of a mould ridden Gatorade bong I don't want it

[@mr.hotdog5690]

I felt the same way during wasteland 3. I get your excitement. Having that game based in Colorado was pretty awesome. And while they were some really cool references like Santa's workshop in a few other things and the garden of the gods.. just go in with the real expectation that the representation might be off lol

[@ewe_e-]

​@mr.hotdog5690 oh yeah, I don't expect an exact representation of Australia but to see something that's not in the US for a change is a nice touch

[@aoihitori]

Baldur's Gate had system like that as well and other crpgs that I already forgot their names.

[@owbu]

I really hope that the "something bigger going on" is in no way related to the main character actually being the target because they are the Special. Being just a guy who wants to save his friends sounds much more interesting to me.

[@benjaminwaite5970]

Brother, as someone born and living in WA, drop bears are no joke.

[@maidstone_fox1163]

Superb as always. Thank you for this. I shall be looking out for it (another one for the backlog pile of shame!)

[@SpiritStoneWarrior94-yx3gs]

How am I Aussie and haven't heard of this! 😂

[@ducky36F]

I saw them at Pax Aus in Melbourne last year at the Indy showcase. Pretty friendly team, hope it’s good

[@Taranchule]

I got wind of it a couple of years ago and played the demo back in July last year. A big plus is that, with the devs being locals the characters spoke actual Strine, not that weird nonsense Hollywood seems to think we speak.

[@Fredrik7le]

I Love Australia! (Im from Norway) Lived there a year in 2005/06. There is so much lore and history in Australia. Hope they make more games about this fantastic continent.

[@r4plez]

Youre imposter

[@stoibajee]

Hehe, hearing someone refer to it as a 'Unique Setting' certainly got a chuckle out of this Aussie.

[@vinniecorleone62]

I have been waiting lovingly for you to share your experience with this game! Quite enjoyable!

[@edwardwallace9011]

Keep up the great work buddy!

[@rebecca99994]

Thank you for this! I have been keen for Broken Roads for forever as an Australian, and I really enjoyed getting to see it in action and confirm that it looks like for me it'll be worth the money. I was particularly curious to see them use mostly real-life places as the setting of the game, and I'm really curious to see what that plays out like as someone who used to live in WA.

[@pilouuuu]

You're so fast! I'm excited for this game. It reminds of Disco Elysium.

[@Valkbg]

I think the main thing is the quality of the background. Its great

[@Oroku_Sensei]

I saw a comment out there calling it "Dingo Elysium" and got a good chuckle out of it. Looks pretty intriguing.

[@adelahogarth2761]

'Punt' or 'Taking a punt' or 'Being a punter' is Aussie slang for gambling. To risk for greater reward, or to do something uncertain for a desired goal. So I like how the systems themselves blend Aussie culture into the skill system itself. Because if there's one thing that Aussies are, it's that we're inveterate gamblers. .... I mean, it's a serious problem here, a real social problem ... But still, nicew to see how they blended Aussie culture into the skill system with the Punt mechanic.

[@MortismalGaming]

Oh it's used here in the US as well just slightly different and not a common phrase outside of American football. In the US it usually means either to delay/fall back or that something is a long shot (a gamble)

[@PeculiarNotions]

Thank you for this review. I've been waiting for this game for a while.

[@ThomasPaine01]

This gig is right up my alley. Gonna buy it. Great review, Mortym!

[@phtefanphtefan3873]

First i really thought, i missed the Release somehow :D thank you for review👍

[@thefrozenpanda]

The explanation you gave in your conclusion helped a lot. While I'm a sucker for a good post-apoc game with an interesting setting, I would realistically only play through the game once... Seems like something I should wait for a sale on.

[@AyarARJ]

Yep. This.

[@No-Analysis]

Nice looking game and great review, but in the end it was the cute koala at 20:32 that convinced me to get this title.

[@vitaminc2161]

7hrs with replayability?! finally a new RPG that makes sense

[@MrNorker77]

My thoughts as well (Though he said probably 10 to 15 hours for people that don't play CRPGs on the regular). While I enjoy(ed) Baldur's Gate 3, I have yet to finish my (first) playthrough and I'm not sure I will be able to do a second (or further) one. Would be nice to have an impactful decision and story based CRPG that I can not only actually finish but replay for different approaches.

[@babaduk7679]

@@MrNorker77Sorry for a late response, but there is a game called alpha protocol, while it's not really a crpg, not in a top down view sense, it's like 10 to 12 hours but with insane replay value in my opinion, I passed the game like over 20 times and seen different things, it is however a little rough around the edges

[@andorandor5462]

Love how you review/explain the games. From someone from the "first" game Era I am amazed by the amount of games that are coming out, get's tricky to appreciate smaller indie games and a review like this helps allot. I will definitely give it a try one day, it seems they've put in allot of work and passion into it.

[@ryanspartan7853]

Mort, you are honestly one of the best reviews out there. You really go above and beyond yo explain things. Thank you for the great work you do and spending my money

[@theWhiskeeYankee]

I'm super excited to play this and then I go to YT and I find Morty's got a review up. My man!

[@ZendegiLeonard]

Got to see their display at PAX Aus and I walked away excited to give it a go. Also proud to see another cool game from here.

[@Yithiru]

Some interesting ideas and concepts. It's not a must-buy, but I will add it to my wishlist and might get it when it's on sale for 60% or so in a couple of years.

[@Lukuigi]

Always appreciate a thorough and honest opinion of every game. Thanks for your content

[@_george84]

Watching this while I wait for its launch!

[@JamesB-xz2zw]

good review - more generous than the others I have seen since its release

[@JimmyValmer85]

Sweet. I've got my eye on this one for a while now.

[@purgedome2386]

Looks interesting.. really like the graphic art. Always interested in morality systems in games.

[@AshleysCamera]

Great review thanks!

[@Darkholow]

I really dug my time with the demo and was wondering if a review would pop up, since in a few hours the game releases. Thanks for the video Mort! Can't wait to dive into this one, since I just finished my Dragon's Dogma 2 100% run a few hours ago.

[@LDiCesare]

Nice review but I would like to make a suggestion: For games like this one, which had a demo, and you played it, it would be really nice if you could add a section on how the final game differs from the demo. In this case, say how long the demo was vs total playthrough, giving an idea of how much we saw of the game in the demo. You hinted that companions were less interesting later on that when you meet them, so I guess that falls in the same category. I bought from the demo mostly because I think the morality system sounds great, but had I been on the verge, I think a section on demo vs full game would be really great, and would also let people know a demo exists, and that is always good to know. Thanks for the good review, you do a consistently interesting job.

[@noctoi]

Holy crap! An RPG set in Australia! I've never seen a game set over here before! Will have to give it a go 🙂

[@eriiicj.1558]

Saw IGN gave this a 4/10 and immediately ignored that and came here. Sounds like a fun, short indie crpg. Def gonna check it out. It’s also already on sale on Steam.

[@ClovrCat]

Thank you for including Steam Deck performance in this review! It's a great addition, and you've earned my sub as someone who almost exclusively plays titles on the Steam Deck 😊 Please include these sections in your future reviews if you can!!

[@MortismalGaming]

I put it in every review but glad it was helpful

[@Mako2401]

Aussie Disco Elysium huh? Might be interesting to check out.

[@butcherbird4195]

This looks great. I grew up in the Wheatbelt and recognise all these names and locations

[@Arasaka]

As an Aussie I'm looking forward to playing this. I wish more games were set here. Never been to WA (I'm on the other side) so should be interesting!

[@Fredrik7le]

I wish i had your focus and intelligence. Im not stupid. But you are a beast in content creation. You are absolutely killing it. Love your content! I wish you all the best and lets get to that 1 million subscribers!

[@intogrey2038]

Just got this tonight enjoying it so far.

[@hiddenone98]

Was waiting for you to review Dingo Elysium

[@Jasta85]

For some reason I thought this got delayed again, what a nice surprise to see it coming out in like an hour as of this video haha.

[@StefenGrey]

I wonder if your experience with the game taking a supernatural angle was akin to mine when, as a person who knew little about Shadowrun, was thrown when suddenly there was a dragon. Seemed like solidly a sci-fi/cyberpunk theme that took a turn down Fantasy Lane. I love the setting a lot. This game looks great and watching this review has me thinking about playing it sooner than later.

[@john0doesnt]

Plot twist : none of these creatures mutated. That's just Australia on a thursday

[@hakarthemage]

I do like it when games have interesting morality systems

[@TheHanmore]

Excited for this review. As an aussie, this game caught my interest.

[@drewk3259]

Super pumped for this game!

[@stnilus3294]

As someone who loves CRPGs and Aussies, I'm pretty excited about this. I just wish they hadn't pulled the demo and had it up for sale on the Humble Store.

[@ChrisHMusic95]

Woah what its coming out real soon?! When it was delayed all talk about this game stopped so I assumed it was going to be a while before it drops

[@OnlyTrueProletariat]

one complaint as an australian.... there's too many guns

[@DieElemental]

dammm you fast as flash

[@marquislexil]

The morality system in this game is awesome. It should be added in every RPG from now on.

[@ericd4910]

Thank you for the great review. That said, I was really looking forward to this game and am quite disappointed about the length, combat, and companions that you mentioned as negatives. I will maybe pick it up when it’s on sale. Thanks again!

[@roguerifter9724]

What's the weapon selection like? I figure from what you've said there won't be much in the way of variety within a type but what types show up and how hard are they to find? I figure things like Shotguns and Hunting Rifles will be fairly easy to find but what else can we stumble across?

[@HaldolBerries]

Thanks boss

[@02owo32]

Hey Mortis I really appreciate your videos, I know your focus are cRPGs, but maybe one day could you rank the 1st person games you played, those are my favorites. I'm watching your Bioshock vid since I'm playing the series now

[@ThomasTheSkankEngine]

Reminds me a bit of the Shadowrun games, only a little bit more complex. Definititely a buy from me

[@jasonz7788]

Cool !

[@sundancekid6237]

Hey Mortismal! I love your reviews and like how you mention Steam Deck playability. I wanted to ask if you have a favorite Crpg that runs well on steam deck. Thanks for your time and great reviews.

[@MortismalGaming]

I wouldnt say I have a favorite just because in general I don't think the genre is great for it due to their length but really anything with controller support tends to play way better.

[@nemoralis4713]

Taking a punt on something is like taking a gamble on it, so in essence it just translates into luck, I guess. Being an Australian I must say that many of the accents are quite strong and mostly what you would come across in more remote areas of Australia, which makes sense as most of the city folk were incinerated. As always, I enjoyed your review and, with this game having been on my wishlist since the demo, will be getting it when it is on sale.

[@tinalava68]

Thanks for the honest review! I had this game on my wishlist but wasn't sure. Seems like the asking price is a bit too much...

[@OscarGiudici]

Great review! Chapter so far, I'm loving it. Mort any tips for the pacifist run?

[@alessandrodecarlo4913]

I wonder if they are going to add more origins and particolar customization options. But it seems a nice game, I'll buy it after I finish my thesis if i find it in offer, question was the Game System (like stats and co) properly balanced or there was a clearly a preferred build for starting or not? I distinctly ember that in some games like Fallout 1 and 2 if you start with more melee than ranged skills you are somewhat helped

[@SolarisKane]

The game is doing poorly. I would expect only some bug fixes; no new content.

[@matthiasbreuer8710]

Nice review! I missed one thing, and I'm afraid the answer is "no", but let me ask anyway: does this game have stealth? My usual playstyle in CRPGs, and would seem to fit this setting/narrative, but I didn't see a trace of it in your footage.

[@tilnit]

At around 10:00 you mention it's not one of "the best gamin stories ...". I wonder, what would you ranks as your top five (or top three) gaming stories? Thanks for the review! Will check out this game.

[@michael2968]

will you be playing nightfeed? just released last week.

[@erikskoog8415]

Good show sir

[@timmyburch6501]

❤

[@axelni]

Hey mortismal, you stated you finished the game in about 7 hours. What are your favourite short, but replay-able games ?

[@schemage2210]

IT ACTUALLY HAS DROP BEARS!!!! As an Australian, I love this!!!! LOL. :)

[@OisEucalypt]

Feel kinda obliged as an Aussie to check this one out.

[@seagrey75]

Great

[@Orosian5]

"set in West Australia ... and a unique morality system." Sounds about right.

[@Plebeb123]

Did Mortismal ever try Commandos?

[@ducky36F]

Woooo Straya! 😆

[@zackeryparkerson]

This game’s short length actually sold me on it.

[@chancepaladin]

love this game

[@Somebody374-bv8cd]

Post apocalyptic Australia: So the emus took over?

[@FelisImpurrator]

Hey, why is the picture upside down?

[@tiagoferreira5368]

Thank you for another great review. I am very sad because i was very excited for this game. Unfortunately they srewed it. I like everything i saw about this game: setting, story, morality system, different aproaches, replayability etc. But game lenght and combat are among the 5 things i most value in a game and sadly this misses the mark completely. Also, it is just stupid, very stupid, that there are no difficulty settings because one of the things that i like about replaying a game is to increase the difficulty. Also what one person thinks is hard is easy for another. As you said i will buy this but not above 20 euros.

[@AyarARJ]

Really valuable review, for me. I think I had unrealistic/inaccurate expectations and was overly enthused based on little actual info; so this grounded me nicely. Given that it would be a single playthrough for me and given all the, um, careful/non-demoralizing wording throughout Mort's review here, I think I will probably pass.

[@garchomowner]

I need to know if there are any giant wombats in the game

[@DerScvngr]

Hey Mort, i would love a review of Witcher Thronebreaker. Its a short and wonderful trip into the witcher world

[@54032Zepol]

Are you gonna do a pillars of eternity 2 playthrough? That would be awesome

[@MortismalGaming]

I've reviewed it and did a story series on it, I'm not doing like a lets play or anything if thats what you mean

[@aaronphillips5721]

Are you excited for skald after it's official release date announcement brother

[@MortismalGaming]

Yes

[@aaronphillips5721]

@@MortismalGaming hell yes

[@onatgz]

free comment.

[@Redfren]

I'm looking forward to playing this game. :")

[@nwahally]

That are the most sound morality options I have seen so far. Seems to be firmly built upon real world, still relevant (meta-)ethical & moral philosophical theory. Which makes it very interesting. Will be harder for me than normal to step away from my usual tendency to primarily RP virtually all games as a humanist socialist.

[@crozraven]

does the moral compass system make the outcomes more predictable? Like this colored choices will results into outcomes that always go toward those colored choices, etc...

[@MortismalGaming]

Not necessarily, a few of them surprised me

[@DirkusTurkess]

Post apocalyptic Western Australia? So current day WA?

[@mayormccheese2478]

Finally i can be a nihilist and get credit for it

[@darkholyPL]

I don't mind a shorter game, as long as the price is right. Might look into this one, the setting seems interesting, if nothing else.

[@DrMoe.Lester]

Looking forward to a Rise of the Ronin review!

[@MortismalGaming]

Gonna be waiting a while unless it hits PC out of the blue

[@henrychang2267]

I see some comments on Steam about this game saying that not only the Roads are broken, but the whole game. lol. Now it's mostly negative.