Brut@l
- February 9, 2017
- Stormcloud Games
A neat dungeon crawler offering some fluid combat, with tough challenges wrapped up in an art style straight out of Tron.
Get on Steam"Brut@l is a modernized ASCII dungeon crawler, combining classic gaming with 3D visuals. Choose your hero and descend into a procedurally generated world to reach the 26th floor, battling various enemies and squads. Enjoy local multi-player, good graphics, and satisfying game mechanics with characters like the Minotaur, each with unique attack styles and weaknesses."
PC
Playstation 4
Windows
PlayStation
Reviews
- The game features a unique ASCII-inspired art style that is visually appealing and reminiscent of classic roguelikes.
- It offers enjoyable local co-op gameplay, allowing friends to team up and explore dungeons together.
- The crafting system is engaging, allowing players to collect letters to create and enhance weapons and potions.
- The platforming mechanics are frustrating, with instant-death pits that can end runs unexpectedly, leading to player frustration.
- Controls can feel clunky and unresponsive, especially when using a keyboard and mouse, making navigation difficult.
- The game lacks a sense of progression, as players lose all items and upgrades upon death, which can make it feel unrewarding.
- graphics19 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique art style, which effectively translates classic ASCII aesthetics into a modern 3D environment. Reviewers appreciate the clean visuals and smooth animations, noting that the art style serves as a nostalgic nod to traditional roguelikes while also providing a fresh and enjoyable experience. However, some players feel that the aesthetic may lack variety, which could be a drawback for those seeking more diverse visual elements.
“The art style is a nice nod to the roguelikes of yesteryear, and the developers did a great job translating the ASCII style into 3D.”
“The art style is cool, and the brawling has weighty but responsive animations which make it feel fun to fight the enemies.”
“Very fun game, do not underestimate this game with its simplistic yet very clean graphics.”
“If you are looking at brut@l because you like proper roguelikes (rogue, nethack, dungeonmans, caves of qud, adom, that sort of thing) and are tempted by the ascii-inspired graphics, move on.”
“5/10, for visuals and polish, and it could be enjoyed casually.”
“The aesthetic, while being a major selling point, can also conversely be a negative if you're a fan of variety.”
- gameplay18 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a mixed bag, featuring clunky mechanics and frustrating navigation due to poorly implemented platforming and instant-death traps. While some players appreciate the roguelike elements and the challenge of randomized dungeons, others find the overall experience uninspired and tedious, often reduced to mindlessly smashing barrels for loot. The game is better suited for controller play, as keyboard and mouse controls feel awkward, and despite some interesting mechanics, it lacks a cohesive understanding of engaging gameplay.
“The gameplay is decent, but I'd really like some sense of progression over time, even if it were really minor unlocks.”
“If you like randomized dungeons and challenging gameplay, then this is for you; if not, pass.”
“The mobs offer a very interesting difficulty mechanic called 'squads' in which mob placement, akin to Dark Souls, ensures that you practice appropriate focus fire and strategies to maximize success.”
“The platforming mechanics in this Nethack-themed Diablo clone are unsurprisingly terrible.”
“The camera, controls, and nearly everything about it are designed for hack and slash gameplay, and throwing in instant death bottomless pits is an exercise in frustration.”
“The block/parry/dodge combat suffers from the same delayed control issues; for example, you can only dodge if your shield has been up for at least half a second, making it among the more worthless dodge mechanics.”
- music5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as both relaxing and dramatic, enhancing the overall experience while keeping players engaged. Some users noted that the soundtrack can occasionally interfere with multitasking, but it effectively contributes to the game's atmosphere, evoking feelings reminiscent of titles like Titan Quest and Darksiders 2. Overall, the music is a standout feature that adds depth and tension to gameplay.
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
“The music is really nice; the potion creation screen is really cool. This game gives me Titan Quest, Darksiders 2 chills, and even Doom.”
“As good as this game is, you're still able to watch YouTube while you're playing it, but the music sometimes gets in the way of watching videos.”
“There's definitely enough to keep you playing for a long time, plus the dramatic soundtrack will permanently keep you on edge!”
- story4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game emphasizes the unpredictability of life and perseverance, highlighting a personal journey of overcoming challenges. While players appreciate the engaging gameplay mechanics and art style, there is a desire for a more structured, crafted story mode instead of relying on random elements. Overall, the narrative is seen as a backdrop to the gameplay experience rather than a central focus.
“Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“The art style is great, the crafting system is clever, the fighting feels good, the coop mode is enjoyable, the transition from turn-based to action works out great ... but why couldn't you add a manually crafted story mode and make the RNG mode optional?”
“The art style is great, the crafting system is clever, the fighting feels good, the coop mode is enjoyable, the transition from turn-based to action works out great... but why couldn't you add a manually crafted story mode and make the RNG mode optional?”
“And anyone who has played this game has a story of how their high-level character was taken down by a rat because they kept missing, and it kept hitting, solely by the random luck of the 'dice'.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and frustrating, often feeling that it involves excessive repetition and a lack of engaging challenges. The enemy AI is considered too easy, and the need to grind for weapon enchantments adds to the monotony, with many encounters feeling unbalanced or overly simplistic. Overall, the gameplay is criticized for being filled with dull exploration and mindless tasks rather than meaningful engagement.
“The AI of the enemies is ridiculously easy, repetitive maps, and there's too much grinding to get the enchantments for each weapon. Sometimes the game goes nuts and gives you an infinite rat maze that is so boring every time I have to pass through.”
“Doesn't seem to have a real understanding of what makes engaging gameplay; a lot of your playtime is spent walking through simple mazes devoid of enemies or tediously smashing every environmental object because half of the loot is hidden in them.”
“The grinding is excessive, and the gameplay often feels like a chore rather than an enjoyable experience.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users highlight the game's addictive nature and high replayability, indicating that players are likely to return for multiple playthroughs due to engaging content and mechanics.
“Addictive replayability.”
“High replayability.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The atmosphere evokes nostalgia for classic ASCII rogue games, effectively bringing that retro aesthetic to life.
“The atmosphere really does remind me of the old ASCII rogue games brought to life.”
Critic Reviews
Brut@l Review
Brut@l is a fun dungeon crawler regardless of whether the historical significance of collecting letters and throwing the @ sign at goblins is lost on you. A distinctive visual style complements simple and enjoyable combat, a satisfying collection of craftable weapons, and a rewarding learning curve. Dungeon runs can get a bit samey, but a co-op mode and robust dungeon creator reward further visits.
70%Brut@l PS4 Review
Arguably, Brut@l lacks the depth of some of its genre contemporaries while the uniquely touted ASCII-inspired veneer, though a flamboyant shift from the norm, results in some visually repetitive environments. All the same, Brut@l still acquits itself nicely as a decent hack and slash yarn whose prospects are elevated by co-operative play and a neat level editor that adds a good number of extra hours to its playtime.
75%Brut@l Review
A neat dungeon crawler offering some fluid combat, with tough challenges wrapped up in an art style straight out of Tron.
75%
