Eagles Down: Release the Breakpoint Cut!
It's been my contention for a while now, that everything wrong with how Breakpoint's narrative and theme is presented, is encapsulated in the very first mission of this game.
In the interest of expanding on that assessment I'd like to offer a short analysis of BP's opening mission and how it's execution deters from it's core theme to manifest through both gameplay and cutscenes alike.
The game opens up with a Skell Tech promotional video establishing the setting and idealized principles which motivate Skell's whole Auroa 2.0 enterprise.
While this video gives you a good idea of the game's world, it's inhabitants and it's mainly there in the benefit of informing the player, I'd however argue that, it could've been better implemented in the context of a GR game, and NEVER in place of a proper military-style briefing.
Yet, instead of a briefing aboard USS Wasp what we get is a promo for Skell Tech and 3 sentences summarizing what the situation is and why we're there. This isn't a movie, WE ARE Nomad, we're NOT watching these people do their thing, this isn't a film!
After that we're immediately presented with a scene showing 4 helicopters flying our Ghosts into Auroa where, soon thereafter we get a glimpse of a Nomad, not OUR Nomad mind you, but a randomly generated one right before we get to apply any modifications to him. Jarring doesn't even begin to describe it.
Why not instead have us customize our Nomad BEFORE starting the game?!
On the topic of cosmetics and loot why not, offer every piece of gear and clothing at the start, just this once, it would better suit the theme as well as preventing us from looking like budget weekend-airsofters instead of a well equiped Tier 1 operator (dead Ghosts and dead pilots should get this treatment as well, no more t-shirt-&-jeans-wearing pilots please).
I get this doesn't apply to Holt, Weaver or the Nomad figure for that matter, they're Funko Pop material now; cartoon characters, they have ascended to Ubisoft iconic status, they'll wear sweaters, squared shirts and t-shirts no matter the mission no matter the climate.
We clearly cannot be expected as viewers/players to recognize them in any other form of attire.
Right after we recreate our Nomad, the swarm hits and our chopper goes down. Hard cut and we're presented with an upside down Nomad hanging from a tree, representing in no subtle terms that everything's not going all that great for our Ghosts, only to comically precipitate himself to the ground; landing right by a dead Ghost wearing none other than the now mythical Covered Bump Helmet.
Nomad grabs the pistol from his departed team mate (he should've taken the helmet as well) and painfully stands up as the game's title slowly fades in.
Now, you could stand there, by the wreck of your chopper 'til the end of time and not one Sentinel or Wolf will come around looking for survivors ever. Completely disolving any pretense of immediacy or danger. You stand up, bandage yourself up and see how the main premise of the game begins to evaporate as you watch your health rapidly fill back up.
So, why not get some Sentinel or even Wolves in there, executing a few dying Ghosts as they advance to your crash site, forcing you get down in the mud, crawl your way out of there, use prome camo. Get more smoke and fire in the scene, flares, mist even, to make it more foreboding and facilitating your sneaking away from the whole predicament. Have them talk amongst each other, as they seach the wreck.
The whole mission needs to be imbued with a sense of commotion; screams in the distance, yelling of orders, gunfire, etc.
The general area of the crashes needs to be swarming with enemy troops; seach parties, helicopters with seachlights.
This is how you establish this game's theme of survival and resilience.
Instead what we see up to the Weaver cutscene, is pairs of Sentinel PMCs, here and there, with their backs turned towards the general direction you're coming from, standing around, as if nothing happened, merely 50 mts from the crash sites.
Around that time we get our hands on a primary weapon and well, I feel like I have already survived my breakpoint by now, a mere 15 mins into the game.
And we come upon the infamous Weaver death scene; I've never cared about any of these characters myself but, for the narrative's sake, Nomad should and yet, even if you take the effort of dispatching every Wolf down by the crash site, there's no moment when Nomad leans over Weaver's body, says a few words, I mean, something, anything at all.
What I propose instead is, let us rescue a mortally wounded Weaver from Sentinel or Wolves, carry him on your shoulder to a safe spot where to treat his wounds. Have us sneak around or deal with Sentinel search parties as we desperately try to save our buddy's life. Have Weaver speak to Nomad on a personal level as he dies. Should we take too much time to reach a safe place, he dies on us, on the other hand if we manage to get him in time, play a scene in which Nomad does his best to save him but he dies anyway.
By this time is already light, which further dissipates the tension, we come upon the last wreckage, after a bit of seach party action across the marsh (which is the better part of this mission), talk to Holt over the radio and do a beeline all the way up to Erewhon, encountering 3 or four Sentinel PMCs along the way.
This is where, right before Erewhon I usually do a detour to a small Sentinel outpost south of my destination. You know why I do that? Because I can, 'cause the whole Breakpoint premise died a few minutes after the title crawl, there's no tension or urgency to get to safety. None.
THE WHOLE PROVINCE SHOULD BE TEEMING WITH ROADBLOCKS; CHOPPERS; TROOPS, YOU NAME IT.
This is the first mission, it sets the mood for the whole game, for God's sake.
TL: DR: Redo the first mission.
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