How Born of Bread Turns RPG Combat Into a Unique Gaming Delicacy
Hi buddies! Welcome to Born of Bread, a home-cooked turn-based role-playing adventure full of fun characters and charming stories for children and adults alike. Beings from another age are causing havoc across the land and their mischief comes as a great threat for everyone. The unlikeliest hero, Loaf, a golem born of bread who possesses a never-ending childlike wonder, finds himself and his newfound friends in the middle of a drama that’s thousands of years in the making. Adventure awaits!
Today we’d like to give folks a gander at Born of Bread’s unique take on turn-based combat. You play as the doughy golem Loaf, a being made of flour by the culinary crackerjack Papa Baker. Just as bread is tasty on its own but requires other ingredients to make a sandwich, Loaf needs companions to really get cooking. It’s up to you to build up a party of allies in Loaf’s quest to stop the unruly invaders wreaking havoc about town.
His friends include Lint the racoon, a neurotic aspiring writer with a penchant for digging and the ability to attack with his tail and manuscripts; Yagi, a talented goat martial artist who can materialize ethereal platforms by mediating, and land flaming strikes on enemies; and Chloe, a young aspiring detective with a lantern that can burn obstacles, and who can use her deduction skills to inflict status ailments.
Battles are largely tactical, though you’ll need precise timing to really get the most out of your attacks. For basic moves, like walloping a foe with a ladle or tail, you’ll need to hit a button the moment a needle crosses the green part of a meter to deal extra damage. More powerful blows, like using the dreaded Druidic Sickle, require you to rock the joystick as quickly as possible to fill up a meter for maximum damage. These cost Will Points, however, so use them wisely. For rare emergencies you can deploy Special Attacks using rare Resolve Points. For example, Loaf’s Roast special will prevent him from taking any damage at all. Simply hold A to heat up – but be careful not to overheat. Nobody likes burnt toast after all!
Just as important as a good offense is a strong defense, and you can mitigate damage by pressing A the moment an enemy makes contact with you. Quick reflexes are also crucial to kicking off combat encounters, as a good smack to an enemy during the game’s exploration phase will ensure that you get to take the first turn in battle.
As important as timing is, it will take wits as well as reflexes to come out victorious. Every enemy has its own strengths and weaknesses. In the early parts of a battle you’ll want to use your Type Sight boon to display enemy weaknesses and resistances. Husky Hornets are weak to normal attack types, like your ladle or a pickaxe, while Spidusts will be weak to leaf attack types, like Lint’s tail ability, but they resist slashing attacks like Loaf’s druidic sickle. You’ll have to manage your maneuvers carefully to efficiently obliterate your opponents before they crush you into crumbs!
Of course you’ll want to prepare for a rumble even during peaceful times, so make sure you’re managing your Hit Points, Will Points, and Resolve Points during your breaks between fisticuffs. Feed your party with apples, chocolate cakes or croissants (don’t think too hard about the fact that Loaf is eating baked pastries) to replenish your points, and defeat foes to level up for permanent upgrades.
That should be enough to get you started on your journey. You won’t have to wait long to see what further adventures Loaf and his buddies have in store, as Born of Bread emerges from the oven onto Xbox platforms on December 5. Bon appetit!
