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Brigador

Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.
Brigador Game Cover
89%Game Brain Score
story, music
grinding, stability
95% User Score Based on 9,304 reviews
Critic Score 75%Based on 3 reviews

Platforms

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Brigador Game Cover

About

Brigador is a single player action game. It was developed by Stellar Jockeys and was released on February 6, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

Brigador is an isometric roguelite featuring tactical combat in a destructible environment. As a mercenary pilot, complete contracts, earn money, and unlock a variety of mechs, tanks, and hovercraft with different weapons. With an expanded campaign mode, freelance mode, and a deep dark science fiction universe, the game offers engaging gameplay and over 2 hours of synth music.

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Brigador screenshot
Brigador screenshot
Brigador screenshot
Brigador screenshot
Brigador screenshot
Brigador screenshot
Brigador screenshot
Brigador screenshot
Brigador screenshot
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95%
Audience ScoreBased on 9,304 reviews
story350 positive mentions
grinding64 negative mentions
  • Engaging gameplay with a variety of vehicles and weapons, allowing for different playstyles.
  • Stunning visuals and an excellent synthwave soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
  • Rich lore and world-building that adds depth to the gameplay, with unlockable content providing additional context.
  • Repetitive mission structure that can lead to a lack of variety in gameplay over time.
  • Controls can be clunky and difficult to master, especially for players unfamiliar with tank controls.
  • Campaign missions often feel disconnected and lack a cohesive narrative, making it hard to stay invested.
  • story
    3,005 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in "Brigador" is minimal and primarily conveyed through mission briefings and unlockable lore, which some players find engaging while others see it as lacking depth. The campaign consists of a series of loosely connected missions with preset loadouts, often leading to repetitive gameplay focused on destruction rather than a cohesive narrative. While the game offers a rich backdrop and intriguing lore, many players feel that the storytelling could be more integrated into the gameplay experience, making it feel disjointed and less impactful.

    • “The sober sci-fi setting is superb, and the audiobook only augments the bleak war story of the game.”
    • “The plot remains fairly simple, but there's a surprising amount of flavor text accompanying mechs, weapons, pilots, etc. that does an excellent job at fleshing out this doomed world and its inhabitants, always ready to offer up a bit of pitch-black humor to inject some much-needed levity.”
    • “Brigador’s story and world building is perhaps the aspect I love the most about this game, every piece of equipment, vehicle, and pilot has back story detailed in various logs that take on different perspectives some of which going so far as to bring a bit of humor to what would otherwise be a bland lore document.”
    • “The good looks get nullified by a lack of a challenge, unclear direction, and there isn't really a story.”
    • “Story however... what story... it is basically a bunch of vignettes loosely tied together.”
    • “There is no story, no character arcs, no progression, and no real conflict.”
  • music
    2,724 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in Brigador has received widespread acclaim, particularly for its synthwave soundtrack composed by Makeup and Vanity Set, which many players describe as a standout feature that enhances the game's atmosphere and gameplay. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to complement the game's retro-futuristic aesthetic, with its energetic and immersive tracks making it enjoyable both in-game and as a standalone listening experience. While some players note that the music can become repetitive during extended play sessions, the overall consensus is that the soundtrack significantly contributes to the game's appeal and is worth purchasing alongside the game itself.

    • “A perfect synergy of gameplay, visuals, music, and vibes.”
    • “The soundtrack alone makes this game worthwhile.”
    • “The music complements the action and gameplay in an excellent way; I am a player who usually listens to my own music while playing other video games, but I never felt the need to do that playing Brigador.”
    • “My only gripe is that the music doesn't loop during missions, so missions that take a while to finish can become unnecessarily quiet in the later section, sucking out the enjoyment.”
    • “The only gripe I have with the game on this front is that it seems like during particularly long missions, the music has a tendency of cutting off entirely, leaving me many times with dozens of minutes of nothing but the in-game sound effects.”
    • “The music loop is like 15 seconds and gets old fast.”
  • gameplay
    1,853 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Brigador is characterized by its fast-paced, tactical vehicular combat, offering a variety of mechs, tanks, and hovercraft, each with unique mechanics and customization options. Players appreciate the depth and complexity of the gameplay, which rewards strategic thinking and skillful execution, although some find the mission design repetitive and the learning curve steep. Overall, the game combines engaging mechanics with a captivating aesthetic and soundtrack, making it a standout title in the indie isometric action genre.

    • “The gameplay is chaotic and intense.”
    • “The gameplay is deep and sandboxy.”
    • “The gameplay is fun and satisfying, and it is just the right mix of fresh and nostalgic.”
    • “However, it feels like there's no variety to the gameplay.”
    • “The main loop of the gameplay is quite boring; there is a lot of walking around and stomping on barriers which is both slow and unsatisfying, each level is very similar to the others mainly being just a large square.”
    • “Honestly, it's a well-made game but the gameplay is too repetitive and the plot is just some generic cyberpunk plot I did not care about.”
  • graphics
    1,418 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of Brigador have received widespread acclaim for their vibrant, retro-inspired aesthetic, combining detailed sprite work with a striking cyberpunk theme. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke nostalgia while delivering modern graphical fidelity, with many noting the impressive destructible environments and atmospheric lighting. Overall, the visuals are described as stunning, immersive, and integral to the game's engaging experience, complemented by a fitting synthwave soundtrack.

    • “The visuals showcase an obvious admiration for PC gaming of the mid to late 90s, completely bypassing tiresome polygons in favor of highly detailed spritework, which combined with the pumping synthwave soundtrack and abundance of stark colored lighting, brings the cyberpunk-inspired world alive beautifully.”
    • “The graphics are gorgeous, highly detailed little environs that are satisfying to level.”
    • “The art style is absolutely gorgeous to look at, nailing that 80s cyberpunk look with a spritework that is just downright beautiful.”
    • “Graphics come from the 90s, some of the rubble can't be passed and you can't tell the difference between the bits that you can and can't pass.”
    • “The graphics are nothing to write home about but the design and look is interesting enough to make you forget that.”
    • “Fun concept, sound design isn't great and the visuals are hard to use in any mode.”
  • replayability
    310 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game boasts exceptional replayability, primarily driven by its freelance mode, which allows for endless customization of vehicles, weapons, and loadouts. Players appreciate the variety of challenges and the ability to approach missions with different strategies, ensuring that gameplay remains fresh and engaging. While some users noted limitations in replay value due to a lack of multiplayer options or progression systems, the overall consensus highlights a rich and rewarding experience that encourages repeated play.

    • “The freelance mode provides almost endless replayability, allowing you to tinker with so many vehicles, weapons, and scenarios.”
    • “With infinite combinations of pilots, vehicles, and weapons to pick from, this game has endless replay value!”
    • “The campaign gets very challenging, and freelance mode gives you almost endless replayability as you challenge yourself with new loadouts.”
    • “This is such a cool game, but sadly not a lot of replayability I've found.”
    • “While the current system is good in the sense that you can literally play anything you like right from the get-go, provided you have enough credits - I feel as though that completely guts out the replayability factor, which is sad for a game that is otherwise so excellent.”
    • “If you can't find ways to challenge yourself, this game will probably have rather limited replayability for you.”
  • atmosphere
    286 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, combining a striking visual style with a captivating synthwave soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the rich lore and worldbuilding, which contribute to a unique cyberpunk ambiance that feels both gritty and engaging. Despite some critiques regarding gameplay variation and narrative depth, the game's atmospheric elements are consistently highlighted as a standout feature, making it a compelling choice for fans of the genre.

    • “The music is spectacular, the lore is fascinating to read, and the atmosphere the game creates is truly unique.”
    • “A beautiful and atmospheric game with great music.”
    • “The story of the game is flat, but a game like this doesn't need a spectacular story to divert attention from the amazing gameplay; compensating for this flaw, the game provides an extreme amount of atmosphere, lore, and worldbuilding to make up for the lack of direct storytelling.”
    • “The atmosphere is all-consuming, the lore and writing is compelling, and I can't help but get lost in the world of Solo Nobre and its struggle.”
    • “The atmosphere is of extreme cynicism and insanity while performing these terrorist acts.”
  • humor
    80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of dark, pitch-black comedy and dry wit, often found in the flavor text of mechs, weapons, and pilots, which adds depth to the otherwise grim narrative. Players appreciate the absurdity of the gameplay, where they can engage in over-the-top destruction while laughing at the satirical elements and humorous lore that accompany their actions. While some mission briefings may feel too dry, the overall atmosphere is enriched by a unique mix of humor that resonates well with fans of grimdark themes and chaotic gameplay.

    • “The plot remains fairly simple, but there's a surprising amount of flavor text accompanying mechs, weapons, pilots, etc. that does an excellent job at fleshing out this doomed world and its inhabitants, always ready to offer up a bit of pitch-black humor to inject some much-needed levity.”
    • “This love letter to the 80's not only has a bombastic synthwave soundtrack, it lives and breathes it: dark humor sci-fi that laughs at the absolute carnage that a mechanized war machine can wreak upon densely populated urban areas.”
    • “Brigador’s story and world building is perhaps the aspect I love the most about this game, every piece of equipment, vehicle, and pilot has back story detailed in various logs that take on different perspectives, some of which bring a bit of humor to what would otherwise be a bland lore document.”
  • grinding
    74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews on the grinding aspect of the game are mixed; while some players find the grind for unlocks tedious and time-consuming, others appreciate the balance and generous rewards that minimize the grind. Many highlight that the game avoids excessive grinding through engaging gameplay and a variety of unlockable content, though some still feel that certain missions can become repetitive or frustrating. Overall, the experience of grinding varies significantly among players, with some enjoying the challenge while others find it detracts from the fun.

    • “Mech game with crispy graphics, baller soundtrack and varied weapons, mechs/tanks/hovercraft, pilots, maps... despite all the unlockable content, the game is not grindy and pretty fun with the basic stuff.”
    • “Unlocks also come really fast so there is pretty much no grinding involved in getting to try out new stuff.”
    • “Incredible, not very grindy and very easy to pick up and play, good balance.”
    • “Core gameplay is great, but the lack of a story mode and the excessive grinding to unlock content made the fun wear off quickly for me.”
    • “Your game doesn't magically become fun by making it extremely tedious.”
    • “The campaign forces you to start with several very tedious training missions, only to limit you to a measly 4 vehicles (with pre-set loadouts) when you finally get through the tutorial.”
  • optimization
    42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised, with many players noting it runs smoothly even on low-end hardware, such as older laptops. However, some users have reported occasional performance issues, particularly related to the destructible terrain and graphics settings, suggesting that while the game is well-optimized, there are still areas that could benefit from further refinement. Despite these minor concerns, the game's enjoyable mechanics and aesthetics contribute to a positive experience.

    • “The game's great, runs smoothly even on a potato laptop with beautiful graphics and, above all else, is fun to play.”
    • “The game runs silky smooth and is optimized very well.”
    • “It's not an unoptimized mess, and it still manages to have a lot of pretty features for those who want the most to look at out of their game (the aiming path is rendered to make the 2D look 3D, and there is a lot of dynamic lighting to do the same).”
    • “The destructive terrain seems like a big selling point, but all it does is add to performance issues.”
    • “I really like this game, but I've never not had performance problems.”
    • “My only major complaint is that the performance is a bit spotty.”
  • emotional
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, recalling feelings of nostalgia and excitement reminiscent of their youth, particularly when tackling challenging missions. The heartfelt appreciation for the developers' journey and the joy derived from engaging gameplay highlight the game's ability to evoke deep emotional responses, despite some technical frustrations. Overall, the game resonates with players on a personal level, making it a memorable experience.

    • “Genuinely heartbreaking to see what this poor team went through, but I'm glad it's getting love now.”
    • “It made me feel like a high school kid again, excited to come back home to try to tackle those late game missions in commandos.”
    • “I haven't played a game that made me feel like that in a long time.”
  • stability
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability, running smoothly on various systems, including Linux, with consistent performance at 144fps and snappy controls. While some users noted minor graphical glitches, the gameplay is largely bug-free, allowing for an immersive experience without interruptions. However, a few players mentioned awkward gameplay mechanics that could detract from the overall experience.

    • “I've encountered no glitches, and even though it's 2D isometric, I've quickly found myself immersed in this universe.”
    • “144fps nonstop, snappy controls, bug-free gameplay.”
    • “The game runs great even on my crappy laptop; the soundtrack is fantastic, and the combat is so satisfying.”
    • “The game offers some pleasant graphics and really vibrant colors, although some ugly glitches here and there. It is pleasant all the same; the game's graphics remind me of the classic SimCity games with its 2.5D perspective. However, the game does suffer from some really confusing and awkward gameplay mechanics.”
    • “Buggy mess.”
    • “Ask yourself these questions: do you love mech games but have been disappointed by the amateur, buggy mess that is Mech Warrior 5 and the 'eh' gameplay of Battletech?”
  • monetization
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization strategy of the game has received mixed feedback; while players appreciate the absence of intrusive microtransactions and the ability to earn in-game purchases through gameplay, they express frustration over excessive advertising for merchandise and community promotions on the game menu. Overall, the developers are recognized for their effort to create a polished experience without resorting to a typical cash grab model.

    • “For a small team to place this much effort, polish, and obvious enthusiasm into a $20 package, rather than a watered down $40-$60 game with in-game purchases and DLC level packs galore.”
    • “Don't worry, this isn't full of microtransactions; you spend the cash you earn doing missions to get access to more pilots, chassis, weaponry, special abilities, and background lore if you feel like reading it.”
    • “On the game menu, it's frustrating to see constant advertisements like 'please buy my official soundtrack!!!' and promotions for posters, shirts, figures, etc.”
    • “Do you really think people who enjoy this game want to see a bunch of advertisements on the game menu?”
    • “I can exploit two missions for maximum payout to unlock both in-game purchases and achievements.”
  • character development
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is minimal, with no significant story progression or voice acting to enhance emotional stakes. While character designs are solid and accompanied by well-written backstories in the lore section, they do not translate into meaningful development during gameplay, leaving players feeling disconnected from the characters.

    • “However, the solid character designs with well-written backstories in the 'lores' section will only expand your imagination while playing in 'freelance mode'.”
    • “But no story or character development is there to get in the way of your action.”
    • “The tank controls and cursor aiming system don't feel good; the cursor is tiny and feels off (you have to aim at the tile the enemy is situated on specifically rather than the enemy). Menus, mission selection, and briefing screens are bad, and with no voice acting or character development, nothing feels at stake.”
    • “However, the solid character designs with well-written backstories in the 'lores' section will only expand your imagination while playing in 'freelance mode.'”
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75%Critics’ scoreBased on 3 critic reviews
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4h Median play time
11h Average play time
2-5h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 16 analyzed playthroughs
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Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Brigador is a action game.

Brigador is available on Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

On average players spend around 11 hours playing Brigador.

Brigador was released on February 6, 2016.

Brigador was developed by Stellar Jockeys.

Brigador has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Brigador is a single player game.

Similar games include Brigador: Up-Armored Edition, RUNNING WITH RIFLES, Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus, Jydge, Ring Runner: Flight of the Sages and others.