Brume
- October 30, 2019
- Tom van den Boogaart
- 2h median play time
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Get on itch.io Store"Brume is a fantasy action-adventure game, offering a challenging single-player experience that lasts approximately 1-2 hours. Explore a deserted island and corrupt keep, battling knights, slugs, beetles, and ghosts while discovering powerful weapons and facing cursed bosses. Immerse yourself in the detailed, atmospheric world through cinematic cutscenes and unlock three challenge modes for an extra test of skill."
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Reviews
- The game features a unique and captivating aesthetic, reminiscent of classic horror films, which enhances the overall atmosphere.
- Combat mechanics are simple yet satisfying, allowing for a fun gameplay loop that appeals to fans of the souls-like genre.
- The game is short and sweet, making it easy to replay for different endings and challenges without overstaying its welcome.
- The game suffers from significant bugs, including a game-breaking issue that can prevent players from progressing after closing the game.
- Combat can feel clunky and inconsistent, with janky hitboxes and frustrating enemy behaviors that detract from the experience.
- The game lacks variety in weapons and environments, leading to a feeling of repetitiveness and a desire for more content.
- gameplay24 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this title is described as a simplified and clunkier version of Dark Souls, featuring a unique healing mechanic and enjoyable boss fights, but marred by frustrating design choices such as poor hitboxes and enemy behavior. While the game offers a short but engaging experience with a focus on exploration and atmosphere, it suffers from technical issues and a lack of depth in mechanics and storytelling. Overall, it provides a fun, albeit flawed, souls-like experience that may appeal to fans of the genre, especially if approached with tempered expectations regarding its length and complexity.
“The Bloodborne-like 'rally' mechanic based around healing via your enemies' spilled blood is a good idea though!”
“Boss fights are also pretty fun, with some of them even having interesting mechanics to help differentiate the fight.”
“I think this one does a worse job at emulating Dark Souls mechanically than White Lavender does; everything is a little clunkier and unexplained in a frustrating way.”
“Gameplay-wise, Brume plays like a simplified version of Dark Souls.”
“You are punished for swinging your weapon while the enemy is just out of range, you are punished for blocking (even with full stamina, in some cases), you are punished for running instead of opting for the painfully slow walk, you are punished for dodging certain attacks too early, you are punished for dodging very similar-looking attacks too late, and you are punished for using a core mechanic in the game that you are forced to learn in the tutorial.”
- graphics17 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and haunting art style, reminiscent of a fantasy art house film, which effectively creates an ominous and immersive atmosphere. Players appreciate the pixelated aesthetic and unconventional aspect ratio, contributing to a delightful experience that feels both mysterious and polished. However, some users noted technical bugs that detract from the overall visual experience, yet the game's focused design and artistic vision remain compelling for fans of the genre.
“Right from the get-go, the presentation is put front and center. The art style combined with the unconventional aspect ratio really makes it feel like you're in some sort of fantasy art house film.”
“I have no genuine idea how to explain the art style, but it is hauntingly beautiful in its simplicity.”
“Wearing good headphones while playing this for the first time was a great decision; the ambient sounds combined with the ominously cozy art style really pull you in.”
“A quick, short, souls-like RPG stripped down to bare necessities with bizarre setting and graphics.”
“Aside from all the above exceedingly questionable design decisions, the game also counts with some graphical/technical bugs outside of gameplay.”
“I can only assume that this playing experience is tied with how it was developed, minimizing effort on lore, sound and music, as well as visuals and a lot of stats and mechanics, and just making sure that the basics are fun.”
- atmosphere13 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in Brume is widely praised for its desolate and haunting quality, drawing comparisons to films by Robert Eggers and evoking a sense of loneliness and unease. Players appreciate the game's visual style and the way the environment enhances the overall experience, despite some noting a lack of ambient sounds. The combination of challenging gameplay and a strikingly atmospheric setting creates a compelling and immersive experience.
“Brume is founded solely on its desolate, lonely atmosphere reminiscent of movies by director Robert Eggers such as The Witch and The Lighthouse.”
“I love this game, the combat is great, the atmosphere is fantastic, like Dark Souls on the Game Boy Advance.”
“Brume is founded solely on its desolate, lonely atmosphere reminiscent of movies by director Robert Eggers, such as The Witch and The Lighthouse.”
“There is no dialogue in the game, but that only builds the atmosphere.”
“As the game begins, the first thing that struck me was the askew angles used in the cut-scenes to build an unsettling atmosphere.”
- story5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The story in the game is minimal and primarily conveyed through environmental storytelling, with players experiencing feelings of guilt and remorse through gameplay and brief cinematics. Set on a mysterious island filled with various enemies, the narrative is reminiscent of classic adventure games and Souls-like titles, offering a compact experience that lasts about 1-2 hours. Overall, while the plot is sparse, it effectively creates an engaging atmosphere akin to that of Dark Souls.
“The environmental storytelling is probably enough to string together lore, but it is light enough that Brume still feels like your classic adventure game.”
“There is no direct storytelling, yet the game makes you feel guilt and remorse for your actions, through short cinematics, gameplay, and the harrowing shadows that enemies leave upon death.”
“You get exactly what you pay for, a 'smaller' Dark Souls game pretty much, and my favorite part, the map and story layout is still just as mysterious and surprising as Dark Souls 1.”
“Story is almost nonexistent; you are an adventurer who visits an abandoned island with a corrupted blood amulet, and then go to an island filled with forest monsters, knights, ghosts, and ogres.”
“There is no direct storytelling, yet the game makes you feel guilt and remorse for your actions through short cinematics, gameplay, and the harrowing shadows that enemies leave upon death.”
“The environmental storytelling is probably enough to string together lore, but it is light enough that the game still feels like your classic adventure.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the game's multiple endings and the variety of weapons, which enhance its replayability. Overall, the game offers a fun and challenging experience that encourages players to revisit it for different outcomes.
“Multiple endings enhance the replayability.”
“It's fun and challenging, offering nice replay value with different weapons.”
“There is good replay value here as well.”
“The game offers multiple endings, but they don't feel significantly different, which limits the replayability.”
“While there are choices to make, the overall experience remains largely the same on subsequent playthroughs.”
“I found the game fun at first, but after finishing it once, I had no desire to replay it due to the lack of meaningful variations.”
- music3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game features minimal music, with only occasional jingles, which some players find acceptable given its chill nature and focused gameplay. The lack of a robust soundtrack is seen as a deliberate choice to prioritize gameplay mechanics over audio and visual elements.
“The focused vision is definitely polished in terms of the gameplay feel, and I can only assume that this playing experience is tied with how it was developed, minimizing effort on lore, sound, and music, as well as visuals and a lot of stats and mechanics, and just making sure that the basics are fun.”
“Music is basically none, just a jingle here and there, I believe.”
“I can only assume that this playing experience is tied with how it was developed, minimizing effort on lore, sound, and music, as well as visuals and a lot of stats and mechanics, and just making sure that the basics are fun.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly when it comes to leveling up blunt weapons. The difficulty of certain enemies adds to the frustration, leaving some users confused about the grinding mechanics.
“Combat is a bit too tedious.”
“This meant grinding on blunt weapons for a while.”
“Certain enemies are really hard to kill; however, grinding confuses me.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is generally enjoyable but suffers from numerous bugs and glitches, particularly with hitboxes and quality of life features like respawning. A more polished experience could enhance its value, potentially making it worth around €5-10.
“Very enjoyable if buggy.”
“If the game was polished in regards to hitboxes, bugs and glitches, and quality of life features like respawning at full health, then maybe it would be worth something between €5-€10, though closer to €5.”
