If you’ve ever wondered what the original Fallout might play like if it was set in the Aussie desert, the upcoming local RPG Broken Roads might scratch that itch for you.
Broken Roads leans heavily into traditional computer role-playing games (such as turn-based tactical combat), while also taking the best bits from modern iterations and further player freedoms. As an added bonus, the game brings the local flavour through the iconic Western Australian desert in a “desolated future Australia.”
While RPGs present many options to make your own choices and branch out the story in unique directions suited to your playstyle, Drop Bear Bytes (the team behind Broken Roads) holds a mirror to these choices through the Moral Compass morality system. The Moral Compass sees dialogue and quests “influence (and be influenced by) a character’s philosophical leaning,” similar in style to the kinds of systems seen in Disco Elysium.
In an interesting take on the system, “good” and “evil” are thrown out the window in Broken Roads in favour of a more free-form wheel system based on philosophies (including utilitarianism, humanism, nihilism, and Machiavellianism), which can shift with each difficult choice as players try to survive. The game promises to bring a level of “roleplaying realism” through this system – as you can’t take an ‘evil’ option only to immediately follow up with a noble choice (we love consequences in RPGs!).
One of the most interesting parts of Broken Roads, however, comes down to the in-depth worldbuilding and Outback setting, resplendent with “decaying urban centres,” open-pit mines, run-down outback pubs, and treacherous desert stretches that players must navigate to forward the story, build alliances (or break them), and survive. Some of the hand-drawn settings look like they’ve come straight out of a postcard (just mind the post-apocalyptic decorations scattered about) and feel uniquely Australian in setting, theme, and overall vibe.
Broken Roads promises a world filled with content, potential party members, and an engaging, uniquely Australian narrative – and it’s currently in development for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox. You can also check out a demo on Steam now, where you can play as a Hired Gun (one of four origin stories available on full release).
Broken Roads is also one of the local titles heading to Germany for Gamescom 2023 with IGEA as part of Drop Bear Bytes with a large contingent of other Aussie studios, including Mighty Kingdom, PlaySide Studios, Chaos Theory Games, and League of Geeks (so it’s in good company for great domestic talent coming from our shores).
While no release date has been confirmed, it’s scheduled for release sometime this year, so keep an eye out if you’re fiending a mix of Mad Max, Fallout, and something altogether unique to cast your RPG fanatic eye over in the wake of Baldur’s Gate 3.
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