BROKEN ARROW REVIEW: A BRILLIANT RTS WITH A SERIOUS SELF-SABOTAGE PROBLEM
Ever wondered what would happen if a developer crafted one of the most brilliant, deep, and satisfying modern warfare RTS engines you've ever seen, but then wrapped it in a package that seems to have a deep-seated contempt for its own players? That's the maddening experience of playing Broken Arrow, a game with sky-high potential that's currently grounded by some of the most baffling design choices I have ever witnessed.
The General's Sandbox
Let me be clear: the core of this game is fucking brilliant. The deck builder, where you customize your army, is pure, uncut military hardware porn. You can bolt anti-tank missiles onto an Apache helicopter, turn a B-1 Lancer into a city-leveling carpet-bombing nightmare, or just decide to drop a goddamn nuke on the battlefield. When you get into a massive 5v5 multiplayer match and the chaos unfolds, and your perfectly designed army composition works exactly as you planned, it is a sublime, strategic experience. The sheer scale and tactical depth on display here are top-tier.
A Test of Patience for Solo Players
Now, let's talk about the single-player experience. If you're primarily a solo gamer, this game is going to test your fucking patience. The campaign missions are long, complex, and often brutally difficult. And you can't save your progress. At all. A single phone call or a pizza delivery can mean losing an hour of hard-fought ground. It's an old-school, hardcore design choice that feels completely out of place in 2025. It doesn't make the campaign impossible, but it makes it a hell of a lot more frustrating than it needs to be, and it's a massive barrier to entry for anyone who can't dedicate uninterrupted two-hour blocks to a single mission attempt.
The Wild West of Multiplayer
Jumping into multiplayer feels like the Wild West right now. The core 5v5 gameplay is fantastic, but the community infrastructure is still being built. You'll run into matches where people leave after the first skirmish, leaving you in a lopsided battle with no recourse. There are rampant reports of cheaters and significant faction imbalance that can sour the experience. It's undeniably fun when you get a good, full match where everyone sticks around, but be prepared for some deeply frustrating sessions until better systems for leavers and balancing are put in place.
The Unfinished Blueprint
Beyond the major, glaring issues, the whole thing just feels unfinished. The PvE skirmish mode is a joke, with bizarre restrictions that don't even let you add AI teammates to your side. The campaign's writing sounds like it was penned by a fourteen-year-old who just watched Red Dawn for the first time. And the optimization is so poor my high-end GPU starts screaming for mercy, despite the visuals not really justifying it. It's a game with the bones of a masterpiece but missing most of the connective tissue, ligaments, and skin.
The Verdict
I am so conflicted about Broken Arrow. The core tactical gameplay and unit customization are absolutely top-tier, a real love letter to the genre. But it’s wrapped in an early-access shell that feels actively hostile to solo players and is still finding its footing in multiplayer. There's a genuinely great game in here, struggling to get out. For hardcore PvP players and extremely patient RTS veterans who can look past the massive flaws, there might be something special here. For everyone else? It's a very conditional recommendation. Know what you're getting into, and for the love of god, clear your schedule before you even think about starting the campaign.
Score: 5.5/10 - Barely passing. A brilliant strategy game that is its own worst enemy.