If you love epic battles squeezed into bite sized sessions, you’re going to love newly released Fleetbreakers. Launching into Steam Early Access today, Last Keep’s action RTS roguelite takes the fleet building, tactical decisions, and enormous space battles you’d expect from a strategy game and squeezes them into much shorter runs.
Considering the team includes developers who previously worked on Age of Empires, Age of Mythology, and Halo Wars, they know a thing or two about keeping strategy players busy.
Build a Fleet, Then Try Not to Lose It
Fleetbreakers puts you in command of a mothership as you push deeper into territory controlled by the Voltari Empire. Battles happen in real time, with different squadrons deployed around the battlefield to deal with whatever the enemy sends your way. Agile fighters can move quickly into position, heavier units can hold the front line, and special maneuvers give you more options when things start going wrong.
Your mothership isn’t just sitting around watching all this happen either. Its abilities can protect your squadrons, punish groups of enemies, or help create an opening when the Voltari have you pinned down. Choosing when to use them could be the difference between pushing deeper into the sector and watching your carefully assembled fleet become nothing but space debris.
Your Tiny Fleet Can Get Pretty Big
Every run starts relatively small, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. Resources collected during missions can be spent expanding your fleet, unlocking new squadron options, and picking up upgrades that change how your units behave. Relics add something else to builds, with different combinations creating synergies you can work around as your run develops.
The idea is to build momentum. Survive one encounter and your little strike force gets stronger. Keep making the right choices and eventually you’ve got an armada capable of causing the Voltari some serious problems. Of course, this is a roguelite so getting attached to everyone probably isn’t a great idea.
There’s More Than One Way Through the Galaxy
The campaign changes between runs too. Generated maps bring different encounters, discoveries, allies, and route choices, so pushing through Voltari-controlled space won’t always mean following exactly the same path. Some decisions can lead toward bigger rewards, while others give you an opportunity to adjust your fleet before whatever comes next.
You’ll also meet other factions caught up in the invasion. Recruiting allies can provide unique bonuses, while boss battles are waiting to see whether the fleet you’ve been carefully putting together is actually as impressive as you think it is.
Persistent progression means losing doesn’t completely send you back to square one either. You’ll carry upgrades forward, learn what went wrong, and hopefully make slightly fewer terrible decisions next time.
This Fleet Is Just Getting Started
Today’s release is only the beginning for Fleetbreakers. Last Keep expects the game to spend around a year in Early Access, with plans to add more playable factions, additional units, and new content on the road to 1.0. The team also intends to keep adjusting balance and gameplay systems using feedback from players.
There’s already plenty to work through, though. The entire main story can currently be completed alongside numerous side quests, so this isn’t an Early Access launch consisting of a couple of battles and a promise to come back next year.
Strategy players have heard that one before.