'I Am Bread' Leaves Steam Early Access, Retail Version Discounted By 25 Percent

Men prepare bread at a bakery in Cairo March 12, 2013. The Egyptian pound has lost more than 8 percent of its value against the U.S. dollar since the end of December as concern deepens about the state of the economy, which is being undermined by political instability and rioting. Annual consumer inflation in Egyptian cities leapt to 8.2 percent in February from 6.3 percent in January, reaching the highest level since May last year. Food and drink prices rose 9.3 percent year-on-year last month. Picture taken March 12, 2013. To match Feature EGYPT-FOOD/ REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

Highly acclaimed by critics as well as gamers, developer Bossa Studio's off-beat PC game "I am Bread" has just received a full retail release. The game is available on Steam with an early bird discount of a handsome 25 percent, which brings the asking price down from $13 to $9.75.

That's terrific value considering the surprising amount of gameplay depth and the sheer volume of additional content available in the retail version. The limited time offer is only valid until April 16, according to Gamespot. The game was initially launched through Steam's Early Access programme, which gave a taste of the game mechanics, even as developers added new content and environments with each update.

The retail version adds a host of new features such as a brand new condiment dubbed as magic marmalade. As the name suggests, the bread spread magically reduces the game's often frustrating level of difficulty by disabling edibility and grip limit. This should be a welcome change for those who find the game too overwhelming. The game's Steam page claims that the all-out rampage mode is now better than the original and includes a new layout and destructible objects.

The overall difficulty has been rebalanced to reduce frustration and make the game more enjoyable. The keyboard control option, which is considerably more challenging to use than the joypad, has been improved with enhanced grip to make up for the handicap. Levels have also been rearranged in the increasing order of difficulty level to ensure an even learning curve.

Also included are three new environments that aren't found in the Early Access edition, according to The Sixth Axis. This includes the Cell, which serves as a tutorial for the game's deceptively simple yet deep control and physics mechanics. Two additional story levels come in the form of the Petrol Station and Car. The former incorporates a rather deviously unexpected means to toast the bread. The Car setting also serves as the epilogue, which the developer teases as a possible cliff-hanger finish promising a sequel.

"I am Bread" packs in a surprisingly compelling plot that involves players assuming control of a sentient and animated slice of bread. Apart from navigating various hazards in the environment that can ruin edibility, the primary goal of the game is to toast the bread in a perfect manner. Players are graded according to the edibility and quality of the toast.

What sets the game apart is an overarching plot where the evil bread slice gradually chips away at the apartment owner's sanity by messing about with the house. Each level of the game is punctuated by conversations where the apartment owner shares his concerns about the evil slice of bread with his psychologist.

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