Broken Arrow: The Ultimate RTS Game Blending Realistic Milsims and Action

In an interview with Gamefusionusa the director of Broken Arrow talks about how the RTS combines the excitement of Command and Conquer with the realism of simulation games.

Even as a big fan of Command and Conquer I know its battles can sometimes feel too fast or simple and smooth. For a more realistic military strategy experience games like Warno Steel Division and World in Conflict are better choices. But these games can be hard to understand because they are slow complex and feel like too much work. I want the fast pace of C&C but also something more grounded and challenging. However I don’t want a full simulation game. Broken Arrow is the first RTS to get this balance right.

The maps are based on real locations, and all units are carefully designed to look like their real world versions. In Broken Arrow there’s no instant building. When you need reinforcements you have to call for them and wait for them to arrive. The combat is both large scale and detailed, mixing big strategies with small tactics. In my latest multiplayer match my team split the map into sections. I was in charge of protecting the eastern flank called site C. I placed tanks around it but the enemy destroyed them with artillery and helicopters. I then sent jets to regain air control. but the enemy set up SAM sites in the trees and shot my planes down.

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For over an hour we fought a tough battle, constantly trading control of site C with bodies and burned vehicles piling up. In the end it all came down to controlling one building. I moved my infantry into a tower that overlooked the main square giving cover to my armored units and stopping any counterattacks before they could get too close. The games sound design with explosions followed by a rumbling noise added to the tension. Broken Arrow’s focus on strategy where brute force isn’t enough made it feel like a real military simulation.

You need to consider things like combining units predicting enemy moves transportation times and how solid the cover is like a damaged building offering less protection. On the other hand, Broken Arrow is simple and easy to understand right away. I skipped the tutorial and any onboarding but within five minutes of playing multiplayer. I got the hang of the menus, map and systems. It’s quick to pick up similar to the classic drag and-drop mechanics of Command and Conquer making it feel more like a traditional RTS.

It’s been 15 years since Command and Conquer 4 was released and many strategy game fans are hoping for something similar. Felix Habert the director of Broken Arrow, and the Steel Balalaika team understand this and see some similarities between Broken Arrow and C&C. However the two games are quite different in how they play and their scale, even though they share some themes.

explains to Gamefusionusa that the comparison to Command and Conquer is mainly because both games deal with modern military conflicts a rare topic in games. However the comparison ends there. C&C is a traditional RTS focused on gathering resources and building units. In contrast Broken Arrow's gameplay is more like World in Conflict where reinforcements come directly to the battlefield. Everything, including artillery planes, missiles and even nuclear bombers is on the map there are no off-map support assets.

Our maps are based on real locations in the Baltic region, where the campaign takes place. We include key cities and important sites like harbors, air bases airports a nuclear plant, and a dam. We aim to keep the scale and layout accurate including roads forests and buildings. While we are not exact down to individual houses the maps are accurate to the city block. If you compare our maps with satellite images you should easily recognize the area.

We like realism but Broken Arrow isn’t trying to be a simulation or a history lesson. Habert explains Realism is just a tool to help players understand the game faster. But we have a small problem: we want to include everything. The game was meant to have 200 units at most but whenever we see something new at a military expo we want to add it. Now we are almost at 350 units and thousands of customization options.

Broken Arrow set for release in June, is entering a crowded market of military strategy games. Games like Tempest Rising pay tribute to Command & Conquer Warno feels like World in Conflict and there are more niche titles like Armored Brigade Sea Power and Regiments. Despite this competition Habert is confident that Broken Arrow’s mix of RTS and simulation along with its realistic presentation will help it stand out.

The director says. I don’t think there's much competition. None of these games have a realistic modern setting they're always historic or fantasy. That's why we wanted to create this game. We are gamers first and if a real-time strategy game with great visuals and sound in a modern setting already existed we'd probably be playing it instead of making it.