Reverse Collapse Code Name Bakery

Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery is a new tactical RPG that has popped up by Girls’ Frontline developer, MICA Team. They have experience in making even a simple gacha game and require some thought and planning in order to execute a mission with the best outcomes. So it’s no surprise that they released a new tactical game that takes place in the same universe as their other titles. Girl’s Frontline and its sequel as well as Neural Cloud take place within the same universe as Reverse Collapse. The game is standard in how tactics games are played, but it’s still a compelling and unique game in the genre. We’re given a new story in an established universe that doesn’t even need prior knowledge of the other games; it’s a stand-alone experience that can stand on its own two feet.

After the Collapse

Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery is a tactical RPG and visual novel at the same time, which is standard for the genre. You’ll get a solid and consistent visual novel story accompanied by solid tactical gameplay. Since this is a shared universe between four games now, we might want to know how much of the world is shared between them. T-dolls, or Tactical Dolls, which are AI-piloted androids designed to be easily replaceable, are still a major plot point in this sequel. But this is still a completely stand-alone story in the world of Girls Frontline. Reverse Collapse happens thirty-some years after Girls’ Frontline and gives you a glimpse at what the world has turned into.

In Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery, players will get to see through the eyes of Mendo when the game first starts and what life is like for a soldier in the war-torn world. The first mission we see with him quickly goes off of the rails and we’re left running away with a mysterious girl sporting a Mosin–Nagant rifle that saves his life. What’s nice about the start of the game is that the tutorials are not just a wall of text for you to sort through. A quick plot relevant point is given alongside a brief text describing the action you must take, and then it’s all up to you as the player from then on out.

Satisfying Turn-Based Tactics Gameplay

Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery does deliver tried-and-true elements of tactical RPGs, offering a variety of skills and items to expand on your strategic arsenal. There are plenty of story-driven events that are going to pit the player against unexpected enemy reinforcements, ensuring that you’re always on edge and coming up with new strategies to handle the onslaught of enemies.

Like most tactical RPGs out there, each character in the game is going to have their own role to play in each stage. Snipers take care of targets at a distance, while your SMG user will run down and provide cleanup to what’s left. But there’s also an in-depth skill system for each character. How you customize each character will affect how each of them can handle missions. From something simple like gaining +30 to your evasion stat consuming all of your Action Points to deliver a singular powerful blow, there are interesting and creative ways to build your characters for missions in Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery.

To accompany the character’s having their own skills on how to deal with each mission, there’s also weapon enhancements. Each unit is going to specialize in their own respective weapon, but they can also switch before each attack if you so choose. Upgrading them will cost a special material that you can get by defeating specific enemies or going to supply nodes on missions. You can enhance and remove them as you please throughout your playthrough, so make sure to upgrade your tools for maximum utility per unit.

It is worth mentioning that the missions do have a specific vision of how they were designed, but it’s not a difficult challenge to complete each mission and its side objectives on the normal difficulty. If you’re looking for a challenge, you’ll want to think about putting the game at its maximum difficulty. You can always drop the difficulty, but do be mindful that you are unable to move it back up to a harder one.

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Amazing Visuals and Audio

Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery is fun to play and visually appealing. Each character has well-made sprites that perfectly resonate with the aesthetic established in Girls’ Frontline. We do end up getting some of the animations from Girls’ Frontline being reused for the sprites, which might seem odd at first glance, but considering these are AI-operated androids, it does make sense that they would share animations and actions, right? But on top of the game being visually appealing, there’s also the sound design that went into it. The music sets the tone while the sound design packs the punches needed. Even without an English dub the voice acting in the game is solid, gunshots have the impact that one would expect and explosions that truly pack a punch, delivering an immersive experience that feels just right for the setting and genre.

Closing Comments:

Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery has all the makings of a top-notch narrative-driven tactical RPG. It has amazing art, sound design and unique options for making each mission victory feel personal to the player. All of these fit in well with the vision of how Girls’ Frontline operates, and the developer is respectful of its origins while still moving on to create something new. This is a rich experience, and while it might be lacking in the ability to challenge veteran tactical RPG players, it’s a fantastic place to start for newcomers of the genre.

Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery

Version Reviewed: PC

Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery is a story-driven tactical RPG from the Girls’ Frontline developer. Lead your team into battle and outsmart the enemy with a variety of tactics learned throughout the game.

Released

March 22, 2024

Developer(s)

Shanghai Sunborn Network Technology Co., Ltd.

Publisher(s)

XD

Pros

• Solid art and music.
• Compelling story.
• Easy to get into without prior story knowledge.

Cons

• The normal difficulty is fairly easy.
• No English dub.