In the distant future, the powerful Empire tries to hold its ground against the ever-growing Independent Confederation. The two states are trying to gain the upper hand in the struggle, at the same time dealing with the Rebels, who fight against both. The Empire has many agents specializing in sabotage at their disposal. One of them is sent to investigate a shady activity in a food-producing factory. This investigation gradually leads to a larger scheme, and the saboteur is forced to choose sides in the imminent war.
Sabotain: Break the Rules is a hybrid of a first-person shooter and a role-playing game, somewhat resembling Deus Ex in concept. The player can choose to control either the commando Kent Reed or the female assassin Alex Keeton; the first is tougher physically, while the second can specialize in stealth and has access to more versatile abilities. In the beginning of the game the player assigns main attributes and skills to the protagonist by distributing correspondent points. Main attributes influence the protagonist’s weight capacity limit, defense rating, maximum hit points, maximum energy points, and the amount of experience points received further on. Skills include weapon specialization (melee, light guns, heavy firearms, explosives), various abilities that require energy (e.g. slowing down time), efficiency of medikit application, etc.
During the course of the game the protagonist receives experience points for killing enemies and completing quests. This experience is converted into attribute and skill points when the player character levels up. The player can then choose where to allocate these points. It is also possible to acquire armor, implants and tattoos, which raise the protagonist’s defense rating and other attributes. Weapons, ammunition, health- and energy-restoring kits, and other items are stored in the inventory, occupying correspondent amounts of free space and weight.
The game take place in a large city, which is divided into a dozen districts, each with its own places of interest. Districts can be accessed and explored at any time and in any order by using the city’s transportation system. The player can also choose between day or night time for these visits. At night there are firefights in some of the districts; the player can choose to ignore them or join any of the sides. The player can also opt to kill any of the many innocent citizens populating the city; however, this will turn other people hostile and alert the authorities.
The game’s structure is mission-based; typically, the player has to travel to specific districts and either find certain characters to talk to or confront a hostile group. There are vehicles on the streets, but the player is not allowed to hijack them; instead, a vehicle can be purchased for a large sum of money, which normally requires the player to complete several main quests beforehand.
