By: Laura Collins (Blu3Rizing)
I’m typically not one for games in the Battle Royale style of gameplay. Not being into shooters so much, they are usually somewhat of a struggle for me, but the developers over at Proletariat have done something different with Spellbreak and it just might be my new thing.
I tend to be a sucker for fantasy stories and mystical lore and Spellbreak aims to provide all of that for me. The graphics gave me the impression of a water brushed painting of an old abandoned and forgotten castle or village. The soundtrack also kind of fed into and amplified that whole feeling of being in that fantastical and derelict world for me.
You are spawned in and carry the role of a Breaker in the Hollow Lands and seek to gain as much power and loot as you possibly can to give you an edge on survival. I won’t spoil the backstories and all that Proletariat has provided for the players and the community, but I would suggest looking into it because they seriously put some thought and heart into everything that they have done here.
Spellbreak has you play with magic as your method of weaponry which is one of the things that earned major points over most of the other Battle Royale games I’ve played in the past. You start off with choosing one of six classes: Pyromancer, Frostborn, Stoneshaper, Toxicologist, Conduit, or my personal favorite; Conduit. Because who doesn’t like a bit of lightning?
The class of choice doesn’t exactly stop even there though. While playing, one arm/gauntlet is dedicated to the element determined by your class, but the other is determined by what you find out on the field and can be switched up and combined with your primary element to unleash some pretty powerful and uniquely fun combinations. Because each class kind of has its own playstyle from what I’ve been encountering, the addition of the secondary magic means that the kinds of play styles you can adapt have an even wider range.
The maps are populated with no shortage of chests amongst the ruins and cliffs that will provide you with those extra gauntlets along with potions, armor shards, equipment, and special runes that allow you to do things like control the flow of time, to fly, or teleport, or to even become invisible. Finding the right playstyle that utilizes my magic and runes the best is quickly becoming a highlight of my year.
Increasing your Mage rank will earn you gold which can then be used in the store to get things like new outfits, emotes, and badges. The class ranks work just a bit differently as leveling them up will allow you different talents or cosmetic things at varying levels which could definitely lead to having an edge over other players if you concentrate your efforts. That being said, ranking up either the class of the rank undoubtedly will be worth it in what can be gained.
Spellbreak rounds play out a lot like your typical Battle Royale game in that you’re thrown out onto a map and then forced into a smaller area along with other mages that you are in charge of “exiling” in order to win the match. In this particular case, there just happens to be a storm deemed the Spellstorm surging around you and that is what is causing the circle to tighten and collapse around everyone.
To top all of this off, this free to play also supports cross-play between all the major platforms so whether you happen to be playing on the Switch, the Xbox One, the PS4, or PC, you’ll find yourself capable of playing with any of your friends.
Check out Spellbreak to learn more for yourself, or to play the game for free HERE!