Born of Bread

Born of Bread is a fine spiritual successor to the Paper Mario games of old, with a lighthearted story, hands-on combat system, and charming characters all coming together to make for a worthwhile experience. That said, it can feel kind of rough around the edges with a long list of bugs (at least at launch), confusing level designs, and occasionally oddly paced story. We'd recommend Born of Bread to any fans of Mario's traditional RPG adventures, as the positives here do outweigh the negatives, but just bear in mind that this loaf feels like it could've spent a little more time in the oven.

A decent game whose second half is far better than its first.

Born of Bread is a wildly inventive, charming, and laugh-out-loud funny game with a colorful cast and gorgeous world to explore. Unfortunately, its Paper Mario-inspired combat system quickly becomes such a repetitive chore that it markedly detracts from the overall experience.

Born of Bread ends up as a good RPG game and a fun experience. If you are not demanding with this type of proposals, it is an option to consider, but even more so if you have you have been distant from the genre because of the turn-based combat and everything that has to be done in the menus. In the end, this adventure made of bread serves as a good video game, remembering that there is a lot of value in turning to the past to bring it to the present in a proposal with its own soul.

Usually, when we say a game is “fun,” we mean it is fun for the player to play. Born of Bread is a game that is fun in that sense. It is cute, colorful, quirky, punny, and witty. The developers clearly enjoyed themselves while making it. Characters make funny faces and have fun designs. It’s a silly game in the best sense. I likely would have enjoyed it as a kid. But when it has to stand against my adult criticisms, I unfortunately find it lacking.

There's something special here, buried amongst a lot of redundancy. Dial back some of the mechanics and forced humor–trim the fat (or crusts)–and this would be a definite recommendation. As it stands now, though, maybe wait for a Thousand-Year Door-inspired sequel.

Born of Bread is a colorful, fun-first RPG that fans of the genre and newcomers alike will find a lot to love in. Across its 15-20 hour journey, it'll charm you, it'll remind you of some classics, and it'll set up a superb look and sound for an adventure. But it won't be without its issues. Add in a few progression-halting glitches and you've got a game that doesn't quite reach its greater ambitions, but is still worth tossing in the oven to watch rise.

Born of Bread takes a few ingredients from Paper Mario but has enough seasoning to be its own flavor. Even with the visual glitches, it’s an entertaining title to feast upon, silly puns and all. Now bake up a good time!

Playing Born of Bread was the best choice I made to finish 2023. I was very happy that my last game was a party-based RPG that warms you so much in these winter days.

I enjoyed my time with Born of Bread. The characters are cheery, the combat is smooth (if simple), and the dialogue, though verbose, offers just enough charm to keep the player reading. That said, it’s far from a perfect substitute for a Nintendo-level release. We’ll see whether a patch (or a few) helps ameliorate some of its bigger technical stumbles. For now, though, Born of Bread is a competent Paper Mario-like that’s held back from truly leavened greatness.