Born of Bread review

Yeast of Eden

Sure, there are plenty of role-playing games that deliver epic experiences. But occasionally, it can be refreshing to undertake an adventure without sweeping backstories and complex geopolitics. Instead, Born of Bread adopts a Paper Mario-style approach to tell a pun-filled tale of a curious doughboy and his eccentric entourage. And at about 16-18 hours to complete, Bread doesn’t require a mammoth commitment of time.

Consistently, Born of Bread’s script is as light as a flaky croissant. The introduction details a band of reckless explorers accidentally resurrecting a group of evildoers who are hellbent on collecting sunstone shards, undoubtedly for nefarious reasons.

While this is going on, a royal baker tackles a new recipe, inadvertently bringing the game’s doughy protagonist to life. While there are fleeting moments of heart-warming dialog between the baker and the boy (named Loaf), don’t expect much more than light-hearted conversations. Later, you’ll make the acquaintance of sidekicks like Lint the Raccoon or Dub the Dragon, who’ll accompany you around devotedly. But Bread spares little time on exposition. For some, that might feel more like a missed opportunity, especially if you delight in learning more about your adventuring acquittances.

Loafing Around

Loaf’s adventure sends him through a multitude of detailed environments that range from castle interiors, lush forests, to picturesque snowy regions. Largely, the paper-thin protagonist remains positioned in the center of the screen, as a fixed camera zooms in and out of each area. In execution, it’s an attractive perspective, elevated by near-spotless fluidity on hardware like the Steam Deck. Of course, desktop users can dial up the settings, intensifying the sumptuousness of each setting.

However, the viewpoint isn’t without issue. Following pathways can be a bit tricky since Bread doesn’t emphasize traversable routes. And sadly, the lead character’s jump feels a bit half-baked, forcing a bit of navigational experimentation, especially if you’re searching for in-game clovers, which are used as the game’s currency. Fortunately, the penalty for landing in hazardous areas like water isn’t too punitive. Instead, developer WildArts Studio wants to cultivate a feeling of exploration, as you use your assistants’ distinctive skills to forge pathways.

Cuties and QTEs

Combat is turn-based but incorporates timed interactions for bonuses. On offense, Loaf and a single support character can issue basic attacks. Your standard weaponry might do a few points of damage, but pressing a button in time with a spinning dial hand can intensify your strike. While your standard attacks don’t have a cost associated with them, assaults that tend to exploit enemy weaknesses do, requiring some very basic resource management. Save for boss battles, fights are quite forgiving. So even those who might struggle with the QTEs won’t be too disadvantaged.

Largely, Born of Bread’s doesn’t expect too much strategizing from players. This straightforward approach means there will be few difficulty spikes that force a reassessment of your abilities. Instead, there’s lightweight opposition, making for an adventure that’s ideal for younger players. Inventory management is constrained by a Resident Evil 4-style system, where you’ll have to position items on a grid that represents backpack space. But even this requirement feels fair since you can soon increase your carrying capacity. Likewise, level increases make space for boons, which are bonuses that can be slotted in to do everything from increase your health, perceive enemy weaknesses, or grant immunity from elemental attacks.

Conclusion

Save for the occasional frustrating game crash, Born of Bread offers an entertaining adventure. But sporadically, there’s a sense that the game could have spent a bit more time in the oven, allowing the developers to realize all their ambitions. Between a concluding dungeon that’s disappointingly small and partner abilities that are clearly intended but never utilized for puzzles, there are a few undercooked bits in an otherwise indulging recipe.

Born of Bread was played on PC with review code provided by the publisher.