Our strategy gaming veterans dive into Broken Arrow, the upcoming real-time tactics game that promises to revolutionize modern military combat simulation. With hands-on experience from preview builds, the hosts examine whether this highly wishlisted title successfully bridges the gap between arcade accessibility and tactical authenticity, covering everything from combined arms operations to the challenges of realistic infantry combat in large-scale battlefields.
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This episode provides an in-depth analysis of Broken Arrow based on actual gameplay experience with preview builds of both single-player campaign missions and multiplayer modes. The hosts explore the game’s approach to modern military combat, examining its realistic weapon systems, tactical depth, and visual presentation while discussing whether it successfully occupies the middle ground between casual RTS games and hardcore military simulations. The conversation covers artillery mechanics, infantry limitations, combined arms tactics, and the game’s potential to revitalize the real-time tactics genre when it releases in June 2025.
Critical Moves Podcast – Episode 23 Show Notes
Episode Title: Broken Arrow – The Best Military RTS of 2025?
Hosts: Al, Tim, Nuno
Episode Length: ~49 minutes
Episode Summary
The twenty-third episode of Critical Moves examines Broken Arrow, the highly anticipated real-time tactics game from Steel Balalaika Entertainment. With hands-on experience from preview builds, the hosts analyse whether this spiritual successor to World in Conflict successfully bridges accessibility and authenticity in modern military combat simulation. The discussion reveals a game that excels in visual presentation, artillery systems, and tactical depth while struggling with infantry mechanics and complete realism. The conversation explores the game’s combined arms approach, multiplayer dynamics, and potential to define the real-time tactics subgenre when it launches in June 2025.
Defining the Genre: RTS vs RTT vs Military Simulation
Tactical Combat Over Resource Management
The hosts immediately grapple with categorizing Broken Arrow, with debates spanning real-time strategy, real-time tactics, and military simulation designations. Unlike traditional RTS games with base building and resource collection, Broken Arrow focuses purely on tactical unit deployment and battlefield control through capture points that generate reinforcement resources.
The game’s approach mirrors World in Conflict’s design philosophy, emphasizing tactical decision-making over economic management. Players receive predetermined unit allocations while earning additional forces through battlefield performance rather than base construction or resource gathering.
Authenticity Without Full Simulation
Nuno distinguishes between authentic representation and true military simulation, positioning Broken Arrow as highly authentic but not genuinely simulative. The game captures the feel and decision-making processes of modern warfare without the complex systems that define hardcore military simulations like Combat Mission Black Sea.
This positioning creates accessibility for traditional RTS players while maintaining enough tactical depth to satisfy those seeking more realistic combat experiences. The game succeeds in making players think tactically about combined arms operations without overwhelming them with simulation complexity.
Campaign Experience: Road to Kaliningrad
Mission Design and Tactical Freedom
The preview build’s Road to Kaliningrad mission impressed the hosts with its tactical flexibility and replayability. Unlike linear mission designs common in RTS campaigns, this hour-long scenario enables multiple approaches to achieving objectives, encouraging experimentation with different tactical solutions.
The mission’s structure rewards careful reconnaissance and tactical planning over aggressive rushing, teaching players to think like military commanders rather than video game optimizers. This approach creates genuine tactical challenges that require combined arms coordination and terrain awareness.
Narrative Integration Without Interruption
The campaign’s storytelling approach receives praise for avoiding mid-mission cutscenes that disrupt tactical flow. Story elements appear through brief communications and briefings rather than interrupting ongoing operations, maintaining immersion while providing necessary context.
This design philosophy respects the tactical nature of the gameplay, understanding that players engaged in complex military operations shouldn’t have their decision-making processes interrupted by narrative exposition. The approach mirrors real military communications where information flows continuously rather than through discrete story beats.
Artillery Systems: Combined Arms Excellence
Fire and Movement Tactics
Tim’s multiplayer experience highlights artillery as Broken Arrow’s standout feature, implementing authentic fire-and-move tactics that create engaging cat-and-mouse gameplay. Players must coordinate artillery strikes while avoiding counter-battery fire, requiring constant repositioning and tactical awareness.
The artillery system’s effectiveness depends on proper spotting from infantry or reconnaissance units, creating meaningful interdependence between unit types. This mechanic forces players to maintain combined arms operations rather than relying on single unit types for battlefield success.
Visual and Audio Impact
The artillery’s visual and audio presentation enhances the tactical experience through impressive explosive effects and realistic sound design. These elements serve gameplay purposes by clearly communicating battlefield information while creating the spectacle that makes tactical success feel rewarding.
The variety of artillery options, from cluster munitions to precision strikes, provides tactical choices that matter strategically. Different artillery types serve different tactical purposes, requiring players to select appropriate weapons for specific battlefield situations.
Infantry Limitations: The Tactical Gap
Simplified Infantry Mechanics
The hosts identify infantry implementation as Broken Arrow’s primary weakness, describing infantry units as simplified versions of vehicles rather than unique tactical assets. Infantry can occupy buildings and provide reconnaissance but lack the tactical depth that their real-world counterparts possess in modern warfare.
This limitation becomes particularly apparent when comparing infantry systems to the detailed vehicle mechanics featuring subsystems, specialized ammunition, and complex armour interactions. Infantry operations reduce to basic combat calculations rather than the nuanced tactical possibilities that infantry provide in actual military operations.
Cover and Positioning Challenges
Nuno suggests that infantry mechanics would benefit from Company of Heroes-style cover systems adapted for Broken Arrow’s larger scale operations. Current infantry positioning lacks the tactical depth that would make infantry feel authentically important rather than merely functional.
The absence of sophisticated infantry systems creates missed opportunities for urban warfare scenarios that should showcase infantry’s crucial role in modern military operations. Ukrainian conflict experiences demonstrate infantry’s continued importance, making their simplified representation feel inadequate for a game emphasizing authenticity.
Scale and Authenticity: Modern Military Realism
Weapon Range and Battlefield Scope
The game’s authentic weapon ranges impress players accustomed to traditional RTS engagement distances. Bradley Fighting Vehicles engaging targets at realistic ranges rather than point-blank distances creates more authentic tactical decision-making about positioning and line-of-sight management.
This scaled approach requires players to think about reconnaissance, target identification, and engagement ranges in ways that mirror actual military planning. The extended engagement distances make scouting and terrain analysis crucial for successful operations.
Combined Arms Integration
Broken Arrow’s combined arms requirements force players to coordinate different unit types effectively, with tanks requiring infantry support for reconnaissance while infantry need armour protection for assault operations. This interdependence creates tactical depth that rewards military thinking over gaming conventions.
The game punishes traditional RTS tactics like unit massing or single-type formations, instead rewarding players who apply real-world military doctrines about mutual support and role specialization in combined arms operations.
Multiplayer Dynamics: Team-Based Operations
Lane-Based Strategic Framework
Tim’s multiplayer experience reveals a team-based approach where players control specific battlefield sectors while coordinating with allies across the larger operational area. This structure creates the sense of participating in larger military operations while maintaining manageable tactical responsibilities.
The large map sizes enable flanking manoeuvres and artillery positioning while providing space for multiple simultaneous engagements. This scale creates strategic depth beyond typical RTS multiplayer encounters, requiring longer-term planning and coordination.
Unit Customization Systems
The multiplayer deck-building system allows extensive unit customization, enabling players to modify vehicles with specific armor packages, weapons systems, and specialized equipment. This customization adds strategic depth by allowing tactical specialization based on planned battlefield roles.
The customization complexity requires learning time but provides significant replay value through different tactical approaches and unit configurations. This system appeals to players who enjoy optimizing their forces for specific strategic approaches.
Technical Presentation: Visual and Audio Excellence
Environmental Realism
The game’s environmental presentation receives consistent praise for realistic countryside and urban representations that feel authentic to Eastern European settings. The visual design supports tactical gameplay by clearly communicating terrain features and cover opportunities.
The attention to environmental detail extends to tactical considerations, with terrain features affecting visibility, movement, and engagement opportunities in ways that matter strategically rather than merely aesthetically.
Unit Animation and Effects
While environmental graphics excel, the hosts note that unit animations can appear somewhat floaty or disconnected from the terrain. This visual disconnect doesn’t impact gameplay significantly but reduces the overall immersion that the environmental design creates.
The spectacular explosion and combat effects compensate for animation limitations by providing clear feedback about combat results and tactical outcomes. These visual elements serve both entertainment and informational purposes effectively.
Release Timeline and Market Position
June 2025 Launch Window
The confirmed June 2025 release window positions Broken Arrow among the year’s most anticipated strategy releases, with significant wishlist numbers from Steam Next Fest indicating strong market interest in tactical military games.
The game’s positioning between casual RTS accessibility and hardcore simulation complexity could capture audiences from both gaming communities, potentially expanding the real-time tactics subgenre’s commercial viability.
Genre Revival Potential
Broken Arrow’s comprehensive approach to modern military tactics could revitalize interest in the real-time tactics genre that has seen limited commercial success since World in Conflict. The game’s combination of accessibility and depth addresses historical barriers to broader tactical gaming adoption.
The development team’s focus on tactical authenticity while maintaining gameplay accessibility suggests understanding of what prevented previous tactical games from achieving broader commercial success.
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Episode Verdict
This episode successfully captures both the excitement and analytical depth that Broken Arrow generates among strategy gaming enthusiasts. The hosts’ hands-on experience with preview builds provides authentic insights into the game’s strengths and limitations, revealing a title that excels in artillery systems, visual presentation, and tactical authenticity while struggling with infantry mechanics and complete simulation accuracy. Their discussion demonstrates how Broken Arrow occupies a unique position between casual RTS accessibility and hardcore military simulation, potentially appealing to diverse strategy gaming audiences. The conversation’s strength lies in balancing technical criticism with genuine enthusiasm, helping listeners understand why this June 2025 release could define the real-time tactics genre’s future. The hosts’ military tactical knowledge enhances their analysis, providing context that pure gaming reviews might miss while maintaining accessibility for listeners less familiar with military operations.
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