Moonbreaker
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Moonbreaker
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this game.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Moonbreaker is a downloadable science fiction themed turn-based strategy game available on Windows and macOS based computers that's currently in Early Access. The game's presented as a tabletop miniature game, complete with virtual figures that can be given customized paint schemes. Players compete against the computer or online players to defeat the opposing team's Captain. Though combat is core to the gameplay, there's not graphic violence or blood, with defeated units simply breaking apart and disappearing from the board. Players are encouraged to use in-game or real world currency to buy booster packs and other items from the game store to gain new units and cosmetic upgrades.
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What’s It About?
MOONBREAKER is a tabletop turn-based strategy game set in an original universe created in collaboration with renowned science fiction and fantasy author, Brandon Sanderson. The game's designed to faithfully recreate the experience of a real world tabletop miniature game, without the hassle of setup, breakdown, and other gameplay frustrations that come along with it. You'll build your armies from your ever-expanding collection of Units, found in Booster Packs earned through gameplay or purchased at the in-game store. Then, you can further customize your experience by taking your favorite figures and giving them a personalized paint job with the game's extensive digital painting tools. You'll pit your best armies against the AI or against online opponents in 1v1 skirmishes. You have to use the skills and abilities of your Units, as well as the cover of the environment, to defeat the opponent's Captain while protecting your own. You'll also recruit reinforcements from the bridge of your orbiting spaceship, or in a pinch, call in a spectacular Ship Assist to turn the tide of battle. Just be sure that when the dust settles, it's you that controls the flow of Cinder throughout the Reaches.
Is It Any Good?
There are plenty of video games that try to translate existing tabletop games to a virtual environment with varying degrees of success. Moonbreaker, on the other hand, instead decided to start with a clean slate, taking the tabletop experience that fans love and faithfully recreating it in a fresh and original universe that isn't bound by the limitations of an existing property's expectations. The game's absolutely gorgeous to look at and the animations do a fantastic job of bringing the detailed miniatures to life in the confines of the board's 3D modeled environments. And tabletop enthusiasts will also appreciate the ability to add a little of their own personality to the game by making use of its surprisingly deep virtual painting tools, including familiar techniques like washes for shadows and dry brushes for highlights.
While Moonbreaker might look like a physical board game on the surface, the gameplay does a phenomenal job of streamlining the formula and welcoming players of all skill levels to the genre. Players can choose to spend time tweaking their rosters to take advantage of every conceivable strategy or simply choose a couple of Units they like and let the Auto-Fill option take care of the rest. Thanks to extensive tutorials, the basics are easy to pick up, but still leave a lot of room for players to improve and develop over time. AI matches make for great practice, as well as a good way to get in some training while earning experience and character masteries. But nothing beats taking the fight online against live (and often unpredictable) competition. If there's one ding against Moonbreaker, it lies with the in-game purchases. While players can earn some credits by completing matches and challenges, it's frustrating nonetheless to have a slew of Units and Captains locked behind microtransactions after already paying for the base game. It makes the earlier moments of the game feel incomplete and can also lead to some minor irritation when facing a foe that's built up a substantially larger and more varied collection of Units to pull from.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about physical versus virtual gaming. How can virtual board games like Moonbreaker encourage players to try physical board games? What are some of the advantages and disadvantages to both?
How much of an incentive or deterrent are microtransactions in video games? Would you rather pay more to have instant access to content, earn content through gameplay, or buy content piecemeal over time?
Game Details
- Platforms: Windows, Mac
- Pricing structure: Paid ($24.99)
- Available online?: Not available online
- Publisher: KRAFTON, Inc.
- Release date: September 29, 2022
- Genre: Strategy
- Topics: Adventures, Pirates, Robots, Space and Aliens
- ESRB rating: NR for No Descriptions
- Last updated: October 11, 2022
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