How Game Mechanics Can Tell a Story | An Into the Breach Video Essay

[@bugjams]

7:11 I'm pretty sure the Reinfield Bomb only takes out an entire island, which is where the Vek come from. The volcano island isn't inhabited by anyone else, so there's no innocents killed. Presumably it doesn't take out the nearby inhabited islands. Also the other islands might not even be anywhere close to the Vek hive island, it may just appear that way when you're choosing your islands due to gameplay convenience. For all we know, the islands are hundreds of miles apart from each other - which would make sense. Pinnacle is a frozen tundra, whereas RTS is a desert wasteland. It would make sense they're nowhere near each other.

[@JamesLikesGames]

thanks for the info! I had no idea

[@darkhobo]

​​@@JamesLikesGamesit's just... You aren't on Earth. This isn't earth. The vek aren't invaders... We are. You don't need Terraformers on Earth.

[@scottleland403]

*pushes up glasses* "you know...I was reading the Jim Jimmers manga BEFORE it became an animated show" Great video and breakdown! One of the things I truly love the most about this game.

[@JamesLikesGames]

Can't wait for the Jim Jimmers card game to come out too!

[@NotNormalYT]

Games like this show you the stakes of the situation without a single word being spoken. Most people never think about how terrified the characters must be. To the player, It's just a game. But to them, It's life or death. I'm always a sucker for strategy games like this and I'm sure I'll have a good time with this. You do a great job at telling a story. And tell your brother that his art is fantastic! Great vid man.

[@JamesLikesGames]

thanks! if you like strategy games then this is a must play. just such a different feel from others

[@lonewaffle231]

Not true. Words are spoken but not a lot of them, just enough to create the scene. Imagine if the civilians didnt talk when they got targeted or when Mechs landed. Now imagine if it didn't say how many people died in every building crash. Its already 5 times worce

[@MatthewKingpin]

Gameplay mechanics can be just as story rich as the cutscenes themselves - especially if they are deep enough and the story is vague enough to allow your own created headcanon to be supported by the game's actual story.

[@JamesLikesGames]

yes! that's why i love open ended games, you can tell your own stories and sometimes that's more powerful than any other

[@mr.motorbike3698]

Another little detail that really enriches the games lore (I think at least). There's an event that has a small chance of happening, where the Kestrel's escape pod (the ship from FTL) crashes onto the battlefield, and if you secure it, you unlock 1 of 3 FTL races as characters. In terms of Lore for the games, it could imply heaps of different things. Like in the future, the Vek destroy earth, causing humans to leave and create the Galactic Federation, or in FTL side of lore, the Kestrel was destroyed by the Federation Mothership, but one of the crewmembers managed to survive and fall into a time warp. Also makes me wonder what the relationship between the Mantis people in FTL and the Vek are. Even though it's likely just a neat little easter egg, it has some interesting lore implications

[@JamesLikesGames]

ooh i always knew it was the same creators but hadn't seen that you can unlock FTL characters too. thanks for the tidbit, awesome to know!

[@theextraordinaire3098]

Nice video! I bought this game on sale a while ago and haven't gotten around to it yet, this video has me even more excited

[@JamesLikesGames]

if you're big on turn based strategy this is one of the best ever!

[@HomakHakerok]

oh damn papa, what a channel big future ahead for you, keep making those vids, you are really good at that

[@JamesLikesGames]

thanks bro! appreciate you checking it out

[@ThanatoselNyx]

The word casualty doesn't necessarily mean death. All the casualties in my games only got paper cuts and stubbed toes.

[@9thmaggot]

thing is.. any other game (yes, even massive cutscene-based game) is actually telling a story if we take only its gameplay events. I appreciate the love you spread for into the breach (one of my favourite game ever), but the game doesn't do anything special, anything MORE than others

[@PlatinumDestroyer]

banger vid