Brawl
- January 20, 2019
- Bloober Team SA
"Brawl" is a fighting game featuring local multi-player options for 2 players, including co-op and single-player modes. Navigate through 6 different scenes with smooth animation and responsive controls, battling various enemies and improving your fighting skills. Though the last two levels are donation-dependent, the game is open-source and encourages learning about multi-platform game development through its repository on GitHub.
Reviews
- Brawl features an interesting dark and gritty setting with unique character designs and abilities, adding depth to the gameplay.
- The game offers a variety of modes, including a well-structured single-player campaign that serves as a tutorial for each character's abilities.
- It provides solid local multiplayer gameplay, making it a fun option for playing with friends, despite the lack of a robust online community.
- The level design and gameplay mechanics are often criticized for being unfun and repetitive, leading to a lack of excitement.
- Controls can be uncomfortable, especially when using a keyboard, and there are issues with responsiveness that detract from the overall experience.
- The game is considered overly difficult, with some players finding it frustratingly punishing, particularly in single-player mode.
- story15 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The story mode is well-voiced and offers a twisted narrative that, while sometimes lengthy and corny, adds depth to the gameplay. Each character's storyline serves as an engaging tutorial, providing backstory and skill insights, while the fast-paced missions and challenging boss fights enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the dark and gritty atmosphere, likening it to a mix of Bomberman and Twisted Metal, making the story mode both strategic and enjoyable.
“I've completed all of the campaigns, and each character's storyline is pretty well put together for a game like this.”
“Also interestingly, there is a story mode where the stories of these different dark and gritty characters are told by what seems to be the owner of the emporium, who teaches you their abilities, as well as their personalities and ideas for how to use them.”
“The story mode was well voice acted but long-winded, and I ended up skipping most of it.”
“The story modes play out like in-depth tutorials for each character; you will get to learn a little bit of their backstory, but at the same time, you're going to learn exactly what their skills do, instead of being forced to simply try trial and error.”
“If you wish to survive and complete more than two levels of story mode, or stand a chance in multiplayer, you really need to learn to use those abilities to your advantage.”
- graphics9 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received positive feedback, with users praising the exceptional visuals and mature art style that enhance the overall experience. While some note it as a clone of Bomberman, the game's graphics are considered a standout feature, contributing to its solid gameplay.
“The visuals are exceptional.”
“For me, I like the more mature art style in this game.”
“This seems to be a well-executed clone of that game, with great graphics.”
“The graphics are underwhelming and fail to impress, making the overall experience feel dated.”
“The visuals lack detail and polish, which detracts from the immersion of the game.”
“While the game has potential, the graphics are a significant letdown compared to other titles in the genre.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay is heavily inspired by the Bomberman formula, featuring unique tweaks and character abilities that enhance the experience. However, some players find the level design and controls frustrating, detracting from the overall enjoyment. While the game offers solid mechanics and a nostalgic hot seat play option, it struggles to establish its own identity beyond being a Bomberman clone.
“The gameplay resembles that of Bomberman, except with a few unique features.”
“The thing about this game is that it not only gives you solid gameplay, but also offers hot seat play, which many of us gamers who grew up playing video games appreciate.”
“You can play as one of several characters, each with its own individual set of abilities that alter the gameplay.”
“Unfortunately, the level design and gameplay are just not fun.”
“Thematically it works really well and the gameplay tweaks to the old Bomberman formula are interesting, but the controls are a bit too stubborn to enjoy, at least on a gamepad.”
“The gameplay resembles that of Bomberman except with a few unique features.”
- music5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with users noting its attention to detail and its ability to enhance the overall atmosphere. The soundtrack, along with the sound effects and voice acting, effectively immerses players in the game's mood and character.
“Also, the sound, music, and voice acting are great and put you into the character and mood of the game.”
“The soundtrack is just okay.”
“They seemed to really try and nail the details with the music and the quick button switch from keyboard to gamepad.”
“The menu music also added a lot of appeal for me.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its engaging characters, immersive cut scenes, and effective voice acting, creating a dark and grotesque environment reminiscent of twisted metal. Players appreciate the complex and gritty storytelling that enhances the overall experience, making it a standout modern take on the bomberman genre.
“The characters, cut scenes, and voice acting are very atmospheric.”
“Brawl is dark and grotesque; it also features a really atmospheric voiceover by the narrator.”
“I am greatly enjoying the game so far, and I love the fact that this is a Bomberman-like game with the atmosphere and grittiness of something nearly like Twisted Metal, with grim and dark storytelling.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game is well-optimized, running smoothly even on older hardware, though it is primarily designed for controller use, as keyboard controls are uncomfortable and lack remapping options.
“The optimization is good, and the game works smoothly even on older rigs.”
“The game is also optimized for a controller, and while you can play with a keyboard, the controls are uncomfortable and cannot be remapped.”
“The game is optimized for a controller, but playing with a keyboard is uncomfortable and the controls cannot be remapped.”
“The performance issues make it hard to enjoy the game, as it frequently lags and stutters during gameplay.”
“Despite the potential of the game, the lack of optimization leads to frustrating experiences, especially on lower-end hardware.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its high replayability, offering a wealth of polished content and various modes that encourage competitive play, such as tournaments and deathmatches.
“To me, this is a very well-polished game with a ton of replay value, and there's a good amount of content to experience, including the possibility of tournaments to see who the best is at deathmatches or any of the many other modes.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, users report a high level of stability in the game, noting the absence of bugs or glitches and describing it as solid.