I love finding every ridge, valley, and hidden bunker in open-world games, so I jumped into Broken Arrow with high hopes. This live-action tactics game puts infantry, tanks, artillery, and planes at your fingertips on massive battlefields. After many hours in both single-player missions and multiplayer battles, here’s what shines, what stumbles, and how it stacks up.
Overall Impressions
Broken Arrow’s huge maps—ranging from deserts to city blocks to snowy woods—give you plenty of room to flank enemies or set up strong defenses. You’ve got a wide mix of units, from drone-guided guns to attack helicopters, and each one feels useful. Pulling off an airstrike while your troops move in creates nail-biting thrills. The game’s pace means you must think fast under fire, blending strategy and action in a way that really stands out.
Even with its strong points, Broken Arrow skips key comforts. You can’t save during a mission, so a crash or power flicker forces a full restart. There’s no match history, no way to pick a server region, and no option to save replays. Plus, the gorgeous graphics demand a lot from your PC—high-end builds (such as an RTX 4080 Super with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D) still run hot. Fixing these issues will be crucial.
Comparison to Peers
Broken Arrow bridges the deep tactics of Steel Division 2 and the nonstop action of Warno. It pushes combined-ops further than most RTS games, but it still misses the mid-mission saves you see in newer titles. It’s solid overall, yet rough spots keep it from reaching classic status.
Gameplay Mechanics
Broken Arrow excels with seamless joint-forces integration, letting players coordinate attack helicopters as mechanized infantry secures objectives. Authentic tactics—where suppressive fire, cover usage, and line-of-sight matter—turn every artillery barrage into a game-changing breakthrough. Meanwhile, 10v10 multiplayer conquest delivers memorable matches: stealth recon drones, surprise flanks, and team coordination can swing victory in seconds.
However, Broken Arrow’s lack of a mid-mission save forces solo players to restart lengthy maps after crashes or power flickers—a frustrating setback. The single-player AI often stalls at wrong objectives or clogs chokepoints, while sparse custom-match options limit gameplay variety. Additionally, high GPU demands without DLSS, DLAA, FSR, or NVIDIA low-latency support push hardware to its limits, undermining performance and accessibility.
Standout Moment
On a frozen map, my drone spotted an enemy anti-air site. I called in smoke, howitzers, and a helicopter drop. The blast rattled my screen, and pushing forward after that remains one of my top strategy-game highlights this year.
Story and Characters
The plot leans on familiar modern-war tropes—a rogue network threatening peace. Briefings use real satellite images and unit specs, which pull you in. A few commanders crack jokes or deliver serious orders, but the story mostly serves as a backdrop. You’re here for tactics, not drama, and the game keeps the focus on intense battles.
Visuals and Graphics
High-res satellite shots and clear map overlays help plan each move. Terrain features stand out, making every flank or stronghold feel well thought out. While a small cast of officers adds flavor in cutscenes, their lines don’t stick. Visually, the game impresses, but it asks a lot of your hardware.
Sound and Music
Gunfire bounces off walls, artillery thunders in the distance, and rotor blades cut through the air. Voice lines are clear but could use more character. The sparse soundtrack builds tension without getting in the way, though a memorable main theme would help the game stand out.
Difficulty and Replayability
Veteran and hardened modes offer a real challenge—AI adapts to your moves and punishes weak spots. Multiplayer 10v10 matches stay fresh thanks to team tactics. Solo play suffers without mid-mission saves, and two-hour maps feel punishing. Fans want ranked 1v1, region servers, and better performance options to keep coming back.
Behind the Scenes Trivia
Broken Arrow marks Steel Balalaika’s jump from turn-based to real-time tactics, built on a new engine co-developed with Slitherine. Special-ops advisors helped shape every unit and radio channel for realism, giving battles a grounded feel that strategy fans will appreciate.
Final Thoughts
Broken Arrow offers a huge, authentic modern-warfare experience that shines in multiplayer. But missing mid-mission saves, key quality-of-life features, and performance tweaks hold it back. I’m hopeful patches will fix these. For now, it’s best for seasoned tacticians and multiplayer fans who can overlook its rough spots.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Broken Arrow delivers an immersive joint-forces combat experience that keeps players engaged from start to finish. Detailed, expansive maps—from urban canyons to frozen forests—provide strategic depth and varied tactical puzzles. With a strong 10v10 multiplayer mode, coordination with allies, stealth recon drones, and surprise flanks create fresh, adrenaline-fueled matches every time.
However, Broken Arrow’s lack of a mid-campaign save feature undermines solo play, forcing restarts on lengthy missions. High hardware demands push even top-tier rigs to their limits, while missing quality-of-life options—no match history, region select, or replay saves—hinder long-term engagement and player convenience.
