Brigand: Oaxaca

About

"Brigand: Oaxaca" is an open-world, role-playing game set in 19th century Mexico. The player takes on the role of a bandit seeking to build a criminal empire amidst political turmoil and revolution. With various quests, character customization, and a rich story, this game offers a unique and immersive experience in a rarely explored setting.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 658 reviews

story36 positive mentions

graphics20 negative mentions

Brigand: Oaxaca offers a unique and engaging RPG experience with a rich world and story, reminiscent of classic titles like Deus Ex and Morrowind.
The game features a deep skill system that allows for diverse character builds and meaningful choices that impact the story and gameplay.
Despite its janky graphics and controls, the game has a charming atmosphere and a quirky sense of humor that keeps players entertained.

The controls and combat mechanics are often frustrating, with clunky aiming and instant-death scenarios that can lead to frequent player deaths.
The limited inventory system restricts players to only ten items, making resource management tedious and challenging.
The game suffers from technical issues, including long loading times and occasional crashes, which can detract from the overall experience.

story
194 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
78%
3%
The game's story is characterized by its chaotic and often absurd narrative set in a post-apocalyptic Mexico, featuring multiple branching paths and faction choices that significantly impact gameplay. Players appreciate the freedom of choice and the depth of the world-building, despite some technical shortcomings and janky mechanics. Overall, the story is engaging and entertaining, blending humor with genuine character development, making it a unique experience for those who enjoy unconventional RPGs.
- “A visionary RPG that features a rich world and story.”
- “The story branches off in multiple directions based on who you kill or who you befriend.”
- “Indeed, story and the unique settings, accompanied by a deep role play system, is one of the focal points of this game.”
- “The story is kinda all over the place.”
- “Extremely frustrating with how obtuse some mechanics feel, a story that feels like Fallout: New Vegas except it's in Mexico, you're tripping acid, and there's literally a man named Bob as one of the major faction heads, oh and aliens and techno-ninjas rule the skies in zeppelins.”
- “Genuinely - I cannot describe what the story is.”
gameplay
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
72%
3%
The gameplay of "Brigand: Oaxaca" is characterized by its deep RPG mechanics, open-world exploration, and a dynamic environment influenced by a day/night cycle and weather effects. While the game offers a rich character progression system and replay value through choices and quests, it suffers from janky mechanics and frustrating combat, which can detract from the overall experience. Players who appreciate challenging gameplay reminiscent of classic RPGs may find it rewarding, but the technical shortcomings and steep learning curve may be off-putting for some.
- “It has replay value with some choices to make and a fair amount of quests, has good and varied character progression, a fully realized world to explore, factions with a reputation system, it even has a day/night cycle and weather that affects gameplay.”
- “Gameplay really focuses on choice, serious character building across 14 skills with no real dump stat -- everything has decent benefits immediately and nothing in the future or nothing immediately and something amazing in the future; all with a good amount of choice and consequence thrown in to boot.”
- “Its emergent gameplay is something genuinely inspiring to see achieved in such a low budget undertaking.”
- “Its gameplay/combat is where most of the frustrations come in, but I can respect the vision it clearly has.”
- “I'd say the jankiness of the gameplay is the only thing holding this game back from being truly great, but everything else that Brian Lancaster has built around it is amazing.”
- “Gameplay is shit.”
graphics
100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
72%
20%
The graphics of "Brigand: Oaxaca" are widely described as simplistic and dated, reminiscent of 1990s titles, which some players find charming while others consider them a drawback. Many reviews highlight the low-resolution and low-poly assets, which can make gameplay challenging, particularly in item visibility. Overall, while the visuals may not appeal to those seeking modern graphics, they contribute to a unique aesthetic that enhances the game's atmosphere and storytelling for fans of retro styles.
- “Its graphics, although maybe simplistic, ooze both charm and a weird sense of coolness that can only be produced naturally.”
- “The simple graphics, unique setting, rudimentary mechanics, and open-ended story of this FPS-RPG all synthesize to create a game that's more than the sum of its parts.”
- “Even the retro graphics I regard as a charming plus, not a negative.”
- “Graphics are terrible, so is the audio, but the gameplay is incredible in a way.”
- “Graphics manage to be worse than the original Half-Life, movement is akin to an 8-year-old's first scratch game, and enemies like to instantly hitscan you from meters away.”
- “This game is choppier than Fallout 4 and takes longer to save and load despite having graphics from the 20th century.”
humor
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its warmth and genuine charm, with players enjoying the quirky and often absurd situations that arise, such as transforming ammo into laughing coyotes. The dialogue is noted for its cleverness and comedic timing, contributing to a narrative that balances humor with deeper themes. Overall, the game is described as hilariously entertaining, making it a fun experience for streaming and casual play, despite some gameplay frustrations.
- “Incredible game made by one very dedicated and funny dude over the course of more than a decade.”
- “If anything, it's a hilarious game to stream, while still being engaging and interesting.”
- “Brigand feels like a bedroom-coded Ultima Underworld with aesthetic direction from Fallout -- the people are friendly and the jokes are funny, but there's absolutely no doubt you're living in a kind of apocalypse.”
atmosphere
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
69%
19%
12%
The atmosphere of Brigand Oaxaca is widely praised for its immersive and unique hard sci-fi setting, complemented by a campy writing style and appealing low-fi visuals. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke a strong sense of place and personality, with atmospheric music enhancing the experience. Despite some criticisms regarding character creation options and gameplay issues, the overall ambiance is considered a standout feature, making it a memorable and thought-provoking experience.
- “Brigand Oaxaca wastes no time immersing the player into one of the most well-rounded and atmospheric hard sci-fi settings I've seen in a game of its type.”
- “The writing, combat, and other gameplay is okay, but the atmosphere is brilliant!”
- “The music is weirdly satisfying to listen to and serves the atmosphere of this game.”
- “Brigand Oaxaca plays in a very classic RPG vein akin to Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, System Shock, Deus Ex, or other immersive sims, but in terms of lore and atmosphere, it is unintentionally in the new weird niche of Morrowind, Pathologic, and Control, I would say.”
- “I lolled at some of the character texts, and the atmosphere/weather system affects gameplay in different ways.”
- “Atmosphere and personality in spades.”
music
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
50%
14%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and encapsulate the game's unique flair, despite being primarily composed of royalty-free tracks. While some find it satisfying and memorable, others describe it as somewhat bland compared to other elements of the game. Overall, the soundtrack is appreciated for its charm and effectiveness, with requests for a standalone release.
- “Well - if the setting itself is not enough - the game has a one-of-a-kind soundtrack (synth and tribal drums anyone?), ominous vibes outside of safety, and charming, highly memorable characters (which can also join you for increased destruction and fun).”
- “The music is weirdly satisfying to listen to and serves the atmosphere of this game.”
- “All of this coupled with the blocky models, lo-fi textures, slightly compressed sound effects and voices, and a soundtrack comprised of royalty-free tracks creates a game feel like none other that I've experienced; it's like those mock games in late 90s and early 00s sitcoms.”
- “Even its music, which is simply selected from a variety of stock and royalty-free sources, perfectly encapsulates the flair and personality of the game, and I still hear the freeway 175 music playing in my head at this very moment.”
- “Music is a little bland, but compared to everything else, it is probably the best aspect of the game, which is kind of sad.”
replayability
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
56%
19%
The game offers significant replayability through multiple story paths, varied character progression, and a rich world filled with quests and factions. Players can explore different skills and stats, enhancing the experience with each playthrough, reminiscent of immersive sims like Deus Ex. Despite some technical flaws, its charm and depth make it a worthwhile investment for those seeking extended gameplay.
- “It has replay value with some choices to make and a fair amount of quests, has good and varied character progression, a fully realized world to explore, factions with a reputation system, it even has a day/night cycle and weather that affects gameplay.”
- “Multiple paths through the story allow for considerable replayability, without being too blatantly signposted.”
- “Replayability extends to the skills and stats one can learn - I finished my first playthrough with less than half of the skill tree filled out and with zeroes in several stats, but each stat and skill felt well-developed enough that I could easily see a playthrough built around any of them.”
- “It scratches that immersive sim itch that Deus Ex instilled in me, and offers immense replayability as a result of that freedom - just like Deus Ex.”
stability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has improved significantly due to regular patches, with many users noting it is now surprisingly stable compared to earlier reviews. However, some players still experience glitches and freezing issues, particularly when reopening the game, leading to mixed feelings about its overall reliability. Despite its rough edges and bugs, some players appreciate its unique charm and continue to enjoy the experience.
- “Otherwise, it is still a buggy mess.”
- “More importantly, if I open the game, close it, do something else, then run the game again, it freezes while also taking over my computer to the point where I can't kill it with the task manager.”
- “Rough around the edges, buggy, brutal, and incredibly frustrating; it's a treasure the likes of which you'll rarely play.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly due to repetitive voice lines and a confusing user interface. While some elements can be annoying, many still find the game interesting and enjoyable overall.
- “The two that I ran with, Gao and LC, weren't very competent in combat, and LC constantly dropping his one voice line about chaos every five minutes was a bit grinding, though thankfully his voice is quieter than basically everything else in the game.”
- “It's kinda tedious.”
- “The UI is tedious and it's really confusing at first.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
50%
38%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many users noting significant performance issues that detract from the overall experience. While it runs on the Steam Deck and continues to receive patches, the optimization is described as poor, leading to frustration despite the game's appealing qualities.
- “All of this at a bargain price - the game has been on Steam for ages, runs on Steam Deck (with some performance problems likely related to Proton), and still gets patches today.”
- “I really want to like this game because it looks like it's right up my alley, but the performance is atrocious.”
- “Poorly optimized as heck but so darn good in every aspect.”
- “The performance, on the other hand, puts a dent in this otherwise amazing game.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers express a strong sentiment that the game's monetization model stands out positively against typical triple-A titles, which are often criticized as cash grabs. This suggests that the game offers a more genuine or fair approach to monetization compared to its competitors.
- “This game cannot be topped by any AAA, corporate multi-million-dollar cash grab.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Brigand is praised for its emotional depth, combining hardcore roleplaying elements with clever writing, which sets it apart from typical CRPGs and contributes to its status as an instant classic.
- “Brigand feels emotionally nuanced in a way CRPGs rarely are, and it's this marriage of hardcore roleplaying sensibilities and clever writing that makes it feel like an instant classic.”