City of Brass

80%
Game Brain Score Based on 872 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • story
City of Brass Game Cover
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City of Brass is a first-person perspective actionPublishing game set in a procedurally generated Arabian Nights-themed city. Players must navigate through the city's many districts, fighting off enemies and collecting treasure, while dealing with traps and hazards. With a whip and sword in hand, players must use their wits and reflexes to survive and defeat the game's challenging rogue-lite gameplay.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

80%
Audience ScoreBased on 872 reviews
gameplay128 positive mentions
story16 negative mentions
  • The setting is unique and visually stunning, with a beautiful Arabian Nights theme that enhances the overall experience.
  • The combat mechanics are engaging and fun, particularly the use of the whip for both offense and environmental interaction.
  • The game offers a good level of challenge with customizable difficulty options through blessings and burdens, allowing players to tailor their experience.
  • The roguelike nature can lead to repetitive gameplay, as runs may feel similar and lack significant variety in items and enemies.
  • The game can be punishing, with traps often leading to cheap deaths, and the health system is limited, making it difficult to recover from damage.
  • Some players may find the movement and combat mechanics feel sluggish or unresponsive, detracting from the overall enjoyment.
  • gameplay356 mentions

    The gameplay of "City of Brass" is characterized by a mix of fast-paced combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving, with a strong emphasis on whip mechanics that allow for diverse interactions with the environment. While many players appreciate the engaging core gameplay loop and the variety of mechanics, some criticize the clunky controls, inconsistent hit detection, and a lack of depth in certain areas, leading to a somewhat repetitive experience. Overall, the game offers a unique roguelike experience with a charming aesthetic, though it may require patience to fully appreciate its mechanics and challenges.

    • “Great whip and parkour mechanics make City of Brass stand out from other first-person action roguelikes.”
    • “The gameplay is fluid, the challenge is high, and the environments are diverse and full of interesting enemies and items.”
    • “Really fun medieval combat, impressive whip play, fantastic and varied enemy mechanics, and diverse, effective movement and environment interaction capabilities make this a deeply immersive and addictive FPS action-adventure experience.”
    • “I like the idea of looting gold and the game is beautiful at times, but the general gameplay is so mediocre and bland.”
    • “Its repetitive and just a bit dull really, bosses are all very underwhelming, so are upgrades, the mechanics are fairly cool but still very clunky.”
    • “Overall, it's a really cool concept ruined by horrible hit detection and inconsistent gameplay.”
  • graphics180 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their stunning art style and attention to detail, particularly in the depiction of the Arabian Nights aesthetic. Many reviewers noted the beautiful environments, smooth animations, and vibrant city design, contributing to an immersive experience. While some mentioned minor visual bugs and performance issues at lower settings, the overall consensus is that the visuals are a standout feature that enhances the gameplay.

    • “The graphics are beautiful, the sound is good, the challenge is very customizable, and the game has tremendous replay value (which is expected with roguelike/roguelite games).”
    • “The game has some really beautiful environments and the graphics are really well designed and laid out.”
    • “What's more - it's a 3D rogue-like with magnificent, absolutely stunning graphics, breathtaking setting and fun gameplay!”
    • “The combat is janky as all hell, the movement is iffy and it's kind of graphically unappealing even if I like the setting.”
    • “Although, I must admit that the graphics when on medium to high settings were not very sharp or pretty.”
    • “It makes the game look a bit slow, and the graphics a bit cheesy, but when you actually play it, it's a lot of fun.”
  • story66 mentions

    The game's story is largely criticized for being minimal and lacking depth, with many players noting that it does not serve as a focal point of the experience. While some appreciate the potential of the game's setting, they feel it deserves a more developed narrative to enhance player engagement. Overall, the consensus is that those seeking a rich story should look elsewhere, as the gameplay overshadows any narrative elements present.

    • “The backstory of the world is great.”
    • “I feel that this setting is more deserving of a game that involves deep lore and story, that inspires the player to keep progressing because they want to learn more of the world they are in, not simply to reach the end of a stage and kill more enemies.”
    • “Hopefully, the level design of the game will become less repetitive and there will be more light shone upon the story behind the city, the character, the enemies, and the motive for exploring this beautiful but deadly location.”
    • “The game is nearly devoid of story, and thus plays as a rapid action-fest, which allows you to kill time for a level or two, or sit down for a constantly evolving nightmare session.”
    • “There is almost no narrative or story of any kind, aside from the intro captions on the character selection menu.”
    • “Important consideration before buying: there's virtually no story.”
  • replayability48 mentions

    Overall, the game offers significant replayability, particularly due to its randomized levels, diverse character options, and unique combat mechanics typical of roguelikes. While some players feel that runs can become repetitive and lack depth, many appreciate the variety and challenge provided by different playstyles and unlockable characters. The combination of beautiful graphics and customizable challenges further enhances its replay value, making it a compelling choice for fans of the genre.

    • “It's a game that you can sink a lot of time into, with a lot of replayability thanks to its randomized levels and loot system.”
    • “It has a unique setting, very satisfying and unique combat, and as a roguelike, replayability is naturally quite high with a lot of variables making each run unique and exciting.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful, the sound is good, the challenge is very customizable, and the game has tremendous replay value (which is expected with roguelike/roguelite games).”
    • “The store page claims 'eternal replayability', but in practice, every run plays out the same, even if you decide to challenge yourself with self-imposed limitations, try to find certain weapons/equipment, or hunt for specific achievements.”
    • “I watched a 10-minute speedrun of the game and the runner didn't really do anything more than I had done in my few minutes in the game, so I'm not particularly inspired to master its systems or see its later content for myself -- two things roguelikes/lites need to do to deliver the dozens/hundreds of hours of replayability needed to make permadeath and procedural generation worthwhile design choices.”
    • “While I might play it a little bit more, that's pretty much it in terms of replayability for me.”
  • music44 mentions

    The music in "City of Brass" receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its atmospheric qualities and fitting integration into the game's aesthetic, particularly in later levels. However, many criticize the lack of music during gameplay, noting that it detracts from the overall experience and leaves the game feeling void of atmosphere. While the soundtrack is described as good and enhances the mood, players express a desire for more active and varied musical elements throughout the game.

    • “From the sound of the player's footsteps echoing through the city's streets, to the atmospheric and immersive background music, City of Brass delivers an eargasmic experience that truly brings the game world to life.”
    • “The musical score fits the game perfectly and enhances the mood of the Arabian desert setting.”
    • “I think the gameplay is good, the aesthetic is great, and the music is fantastic.”
    • “This game has no music.”
    • “I'll stop with the irony and sarcasm, except for the boss fights (which all share the same minute-long loop of a 'song', I might add), and the main menu, the real meat of the game, getting through the city, has no music at all.”
    • “There is no music to press you forward; you don't get in frantic chaotic combat but rather methodical whip-smack takedowns from one enemy to the next as you do your best to avoid traps along the way to the exit.”
  • atmosphere42 mentions

    The atmosphere in "City of Brass" is widely praised for its immersive sound design, detailed environments, and engaging lore, effectively capturing the essence of an Arabian desert city filled with mythical elements. While many reviewers highlight the game's gorgeous visuals and atmospheric soundtrack, some express a desire for more dynamic soundscapes to enhance the experience. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a strong point, contributing significantly to its appeal despite some critiques regarding the implementation of rogue-lite elements.

    • “From the sound of the player's footsteps echoing through the city's streets, to the atmospheric and immersive background music, City of Brass delivers an eargasmic experience that truly brings the game world to life.”
    • “The levels are very detailed and fit the atmosphere; the lore is quite engaging and all the mechanics tie into the universe nicely.”
    • “I miss Prince of Persia games so much, and City of Brass has the perfect mythos and atmosphere for me.”
    • “Well, the game seems void of atmosphere; there needs to be an improvement in ambient sounds and background music to help set the scene.”
    • “The sound design is kind of mediocre; they could have done much more with the atmosphere but rather went for a cartoony, not-really-fitting approach.”
    • “Give players time to feel the atmosphere.”
  • grinding24 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and frustrating, with many players feeling that the repetitive nature of gameplay and the overwhelming number of traps detract from the overall experience. While some acknowledge that grinding is typical for the roguelike genre and that progression can be rewarding, the general sentiment leans towards the grind feeling slow and uninteresting, making it a chore rather than an engaging challenge.

    • “The sheer volume of traps placed everywhere makes the game very tedious and annoying to play.”
    • “But tedious repetition makes it as uninteresting to experience as it is severe to endure.”
    • “Traps are quite literally everywhere and will slow you down to a point of the game becoming tedious fast.”
  • humor18 mentions

    The game features a surprisingly humorous take on the roguelike genre, blending elements reminiscent of classic titles like Prince of Persia. Players appreciate the balance of humor, badass moments, and tension, although the comedic impact may diminish after a few runs. The absence of dialogue, replaced by grunts and laughter, adds to the quirky charm, especially when companions mimic enemy sounds.

    • “It has just the right length with just the right difficulty curve and just the right balance of badass moments, scary moments, and funny moments.”
    • “There is no speech in the game, only grunting, laughing, and cackling.”
    • “If you 'hire' a companion, he makes the same grunting and laughing sounds as your enemies.”
  • optimization14 mentions

    The game is highly optimized, running smoothly on various systems, including Manjaro Linux, with minimal hardware demands. Users report excellent performance and graphics, with no significant issues, making for an enjoyable gaming experience. Overall, the optimization is praised as a standout feature.

    • “The game is not very taxing in terms of hardware and is well optimized.”
    • “Performance is surprisingly good.”
    • “Graphics and performance are top notch.”
  • stability6 mentions

    Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability with minimal bugs reported, though some players have experienced minor glitches related to hit detection and item clipping. The gameplay mechanics, particularly the whip mechanics, function well, suggesting that the game is relatively polished despite having only received one update. Players feel confident that any existing issues can be resolved with future patches.

    • “I haven't picked up on much of the mechanics, but the whip mechanics work incredibly well. Knowing the game has only had one update, the whole game seems to be relatively bug-free from the short while I played it.”
    • “Game looks and runs great, but the real winner here is the great gameplay.”
    • “I haven't found any bugs so far, but there have been a few glitches with hit detection and items clipping through walls. It's nothing a few patches can't fix.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is described as lacking depth, with players feeling disconnected due to the minor effects offered by in-game vendors, which do not significantly impact gameplay or evoke strong feelings. The mechanics, such as needing to be close to enemies to engage effectively, contribute to a sense of frustration rather than emotional engagement. Overall, the emotional experience appears to be underwhelming and fails to resonate with players.

  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is generally viewed positively, with players appreciating the value they received during sales and feeling that the game delivers on its advertised promises.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

10hMedian play time
10hAverage play time
4-18hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 14 analyzed playthroughs

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