Breach (cancelled video game)

Breach was an action role-playing game developed by American[1] studio QC Games, a former studio of ex-BioWare and EA Games developers. The game was released on Steam Early Access on January 17, 2018, but its development was cancelled entirely on April 3, 2019, along with the closure of the studio itself. The game received mixed reviews from critics.[2]

Breach
Developer(s)QC Games
Publisher(s)QC Games
Platform(s)Windows
ReleaseJanuary 17, 2018
Genre(s)Action RPG
Mode(s)Multiplayer

Plot edit

The story of Breach involves a group of "modern-day mages" who attempt to prevent a magical apocalypse when monsters of legend emerge from portals known as "breaches".[3]

Gameplay edit

The gameplay of Breach is "a hybrid of dungeon crawling and Devil May Cry" with an "MMO-lite structure". The game is 4v1 asymmetrical multiplayer in which four players attempt to get through a dungeon while a fifth controls a "Veil Demon" that can possess enemies, traps and boss monsters inside the dungeon.[4][3] It had 18 playable classes.[5]

Development edit

The concept for Breach initially came from Shadow Realms, a planned BioWare Austin game that was unveiled in 2014 but cancelled by EA due to a "change in strategy" away from free-to-play games.[6] Breach initially had an upfront cost, but was planned to eventually be free-to-play, though the game's designer stated that it would not be "pay to win".[6][4] QC Games announced it was closing on April 3, 2019, ostensibly due to lack of funding, though they did not cite a specific reason for the shutdown.[7]

Reception edit

Breach garnered mixed reviews on Steam, with detractors citing crashes and framerate problems that resulted in the game being a "laggy mess", as well as the game's microtransaction system.[6]

References edit

  1. ^ "@qcgamedev" on Twitter
  2. ^ Khan, Imran. "Action RPG Breach Is Closing Down Alongside Developer QC Games". Game Informer. Retrieved 2019-09-07.
  3. ^ a b Tarason, Dominic (2019-01-17). "Breach busts into early access, for a price". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2019-09-07.
  4. ^ a b Jagneaux, David (2019-01-17). "Dungeon crawling meets Devil May Cry in Breach, out today on Steam". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2019-09-07.
  5. ^ Feature, Lucas Sullivan 2018-09-29T19:56:15Z (29 September 2018). "I'm a believer in fun 4v1 multiplayer now that I've played Breach". gamesradar. Retrieved 2019-09-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ a b c Bell, Alice (2019-02-08). "Breach was nearly made at EA, but then business happened (twice)". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2019-09-07.
  7. ^ "QC Games shuts down". GamesIndustry.biz. 3 April 2019. Retrieved 2019-09-07.