The first half of Broken Age has been released; read our Broken Age Act 1 review.
Four hours or so of the first Tim Schafer-led graphic adventure in 16 years are now buyable and playable for just shy of £20 on Steam. A bit like a real game might, rather than a nebulous concept predicated on nostalgia and desperation for an ill-served genre.
Don't worry: it's turned out good.
I spent much of last night with Broken Age. It must be the most polished point-and-click adventure game ever made – as you'd hope. The UI is quietly pretty. The way it cuts in and out of conversation is exquisite.
The voice acting is stellar; its celebrity vocal chords bent to understated ends. But perhaps the thing I've enjoyed most is recognising Schafer's voice in the writing – his silly, toothlessly snarky sense of humour. That's not something I expected to care about going in as a fan of Double Fine, not Lucasarts.
Buy it now, and know you're only getting half a game – and not a half built especially for episodic structure like Telltale's are, with a climax and a cliffhanger. You'll also be Double Fine ran out of money.
It's a good half, though. D'you think you'll buy in? Or maybe you've been playing it for two weeks already, as a backer?