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Breakaway
Breakaway marks Amazon's first true attempt to break into the video game industry as a publisher. We finally spent some time with the multiplayer brawler from Double Helix Studios to see how deep its hooks go.
A match of Breakaway is essentially football but with MOBA character classes thrown in. You start in a mid-sized arena with the goal of pushing a metal orb in the middle of the arena (called a relic) to the opponent's goal. Each team is comprised of five players that everyone chooses from a roster of characters. There are your typical tank characters as well as supports and sharpshooters who are fragile but deal high damage.
If you get hit by anyone while carrying the relic, it bounces off of you, so every enemy attack basically functions as a tackle. However, the game doesn't stop whenever you go down with the ball like it does in football. Instead, the relic remains in play, with characters on both sides trying to grab it. If an entire team is eliminated before anyone on it can re spawn, the opposing team wins, which encourages players not to recklessly throw themselves at the ball but to play strategically.
In addition to each character's offensive capabilities, usually either a melee or shooting-based attack, they also have special abilities. The ninja Chiyome can cut through enemies and move swiftly across the battlefield with the relic, though she is fragile. Merwarmaiden Kyra Tol can spawn turrets and attack enemies from afar with a sniper rifle that's useful for offing single enemies or defense installments.
At its best, Breakaway feels like Overwatch with a sportsy twist, with the colorful characters even having similar taunts. The gameplay is smooth and fun. It'll be interesting to see if Breakaway can make a splash when it releases in full next year. For now, you can sign up for the alpha if you want by checking out the game's site.
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