In "The Brew Barons," players must build a brewery, assemble a seaplane, and recruit fellow pilots to overthrow a corrupt pirate organization imposing a brewing monopoly. The game allows players to customize their plane and choose pilots with unique strengths, explore the world for ingredients, craft various brews, and design their own bar to sell creations and gain fame. Special delivery orders from other bars become available as fame increases.
The game features a charming art style reminiscent of Studio Ghibli's Porco Rosso, creating a visually appealing experience.
The gameplay loop of flying, gathering ingredients, brewing, and managing a bar is engaging and offers a unique blend of genres.
The developers are responsive to feedback and actively working on patches to improve the game, showing commitment to enhancing the player experience.
The use of AI-generated voices detracts from the immersion and quality of the game's narrative, leading to a lack of emotional connection with characters.
The flight controls can feel clunky and unresponsive, making it difficult for players to maneuver effectively, especially with a controller.
The game suffers from pacing issues, with long travel times between islands and a slow progression in contracts and brewing, which can lead to tedium.
gameplay
378 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
54%
10%
The gameplay of this title is a mixed bag, featuring a unique blend of flying mechanics, brewing, and business management that some players find engaging and relaxing, while others criticize it for being repetitive and poorly executed. The flight mechanics are generally enjoyable, but the overall gameplay loop can feel tedious due to slow pacing and a lack of depth in certain systems. Despite its charming visuals and interesting concepts, many reviewers note that the game suffers from bugs, clunky controls, and a need for better tutorialization, which detracts from the overall experience.
“Gameplay-wise you'll be island-hopping, looking for ingredients to mix into a seemingly endless assortment of brews and spirits.”
“The gameplay loop of collecting resources and recipes, brewing and delivering is quite fun.”
“The gameplay is rewarding without being too grindy.”
“Great visuals and artistic ideas, but very poorly implemented in terms of gameplay.”
“But the systems that should support gameplay actively detract from it and everything is weighed down by minutes of monotonous travel between bouts of actually playing the game.”
“The gameplay, honestly, is one of its worst sins.”
story
318 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
75%
4%
The game's story is largely minimal and revolves around completing missions with pilots, which primarily serve to enhance gameplay mechanics rather than provide a deep narrative. Players can engage in character-specific missions that unlock traits and bonuses, but the overall plot lacks depth and coherence, often feeling like a sandbox experience with scattered side quests. While some missions are creative and add variety, the reliance on AI-generated dialogue and a thin main storyline detracts from the overall immersion and emotional engagement.
“The story is okay, helps drive the gameplay forward and nudges you on to explore more of the game world.”
“The most pleasant surprise was the story missions, which are unexpectedly varied and elaborate.”
“Each character has their own backstory which is nice, I suppose.”
“The 'main story' of the game does not exist.”
“The story is badly delivered with the worst writing you've ever seen.”
“A paragraph of awkward backstory read by an AI is not enough for me to care about the characters or their motivations.”
graphics
226 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
39%
2%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning art style, reminiscent of Studio Ghibli's "Porco Rosso," and feature charming, detailed environments and character designs. While many players appreciate the unique aesthetic and vibrant visuals, some critiques point to issues with rendering and shading that can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game's graphics are considered a highlight, contributing significantly to its whimsical and immersive atmosphere.
“But in all seriousness, this is easily one of the most graphically beautiful games I've ever seen, with the seaplanes and flying boats of the golden age of flight giving this game such a cool feel.”
“The game's portrayal of its world is absolutely beautiful; the models in locations, animations of the planes, and the art style evoke a sense of Hayao Miyazaki's artistry.”
“Overall, very pleased with the game in its current state. I didn't think a brewing game would enthrall me as much as it has, but it's so chill I find myself just lost in the graphics and soundtrack for hours while collecting resources.”
“Regardless of your opinion on the many controversies and societal problems surrounding AI, it's just a fact that the AI-generated 'acting' in this game feels like very bad actors phoned in their worst performance, and that the AI (or AI-assisted at least) character portraits have a pretty boring art style, which lacks personality and impact.”
“While the graphics are very pretty, I don't feel like they should make my computer get quite so loud either.”
“Visuals, while the art style and also plane design is great overall, there are some issues (in my opinion) with it. The game often seems somewhat cheap or as if relying on pre-made shaders that really do not serve it well, either oversaturating and blinding you with washed out light effects cranked up to 11 or understating so hard that the nights tend to seem dull and way too bright at the same time. This sadly hampers the gameplay loop as often times underwater ingredients are almost impossible to spot or so indistinctly rendered/drawn that they outright disappear.”
music
112 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
42%
3%
The music in the game has received widespread praise for its ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many players noting its whimsical and relaxing qualities that complement the visuals beautifully. While some users expressed a desire for more variety in the soundtrack, the majority found it engaging and fitting for the game's setting, contributing to a calming and immersive experience. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, effectively capturing the essence of the game's art style and gameplay.
“The art direction and music are on point, contributing to the great atmosphere of the game.”
“The music is great and really leans into the art style; flying around is fun and making your own brews is dope.”
“The music, the freedom, the whole experience was really calming and fun.”
“The main flight music theme... it needs to be thrown away.”
“I had to turn the music off.”
“Music could use a bit more variety but otherwise has a whimsy very fitting of the setting.”
grinding
88 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
The grinding aspect of the game is a mixed bag, with many players finding the ingredient gathering and farming mechanics tedious and repetitive, often feeling like a chore rather than an engaging activity. While some appreciate the unique blend of flying and farming, they also express frustration over slow progress, long travel times between islands, and punishing mechanics that can lead to significant setbacks. Overall, the game offers a casual experience that can be enjoyable, but it suffers from grind-heavy elements that detract from the overall enjoyment.
“Progress feels very slow, repetitive, and there's generally nothing to do other than have long flights and really tedious battles.”
“The game feels very grindy when gathering ingredients for the brewery, but I will admit that I like the idea of gathering materials for brewing and selling.”
“It's really slow, tedious, and frustrating.”
stability
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
95%
The game currently suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous bugs and glitches reported by users, including problems with controller support, visual anomalies, and gameplay interruptions. Many players describe the experience as frustrating and unpolished, likening it to an early access title. While the core concept is appreciated, the overwhelming presence of bugs detracts from the overall enjoyment, leading to a general recommendation to avoid purchasing until these issues are addressed.
“The game runs smoothly without any bugs.”
“I haven't encountered any stability issues while playing.”
“The performance is consistent and reliable throughout.”
“Unfortunately this game is a buggy, buggy mess in its current launch version.”
“Tl;dr, you shouldn't buy it right now, it's ok but very buggy at the moment - really feels like early access. After they fix things up and tune it a bit, I might flip my review to recommended as the core game itself is interesting.”
“This turns what would be a chill, if a little buggy, flight/management game into an exercise in frustration and wasted time.”
atmosphere
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
76%
18%
6%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its lovely visuals, engaging art direction, and relaxing music, creating a cozy and wholesome experience reminiscent of Nintendo's style. Players appreciate the vibrant settings, such as flying between islands, which enhance the overall enjoyment despite some complexity in gameplay. Overall, the atmosphere is described as fantastic, fun, and immersive, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
“The art direction and music are on point, contributing to the great atmosphere of the game.”
“The atmosphere is amazing, being able to fly to different islands and spread your influence as an up-and-coming brew master; it's next to none in how it makes you feel.”
“And oh boy, should I say this game has such a nice and cozy atmosphere with a warm palette of colors and wonderful music!”
“The flight model is simplified but generally correct and most importantly it's consistent with the overall atmosphere of the game.”
“But the music and atmosphere is very relaxing.”
optimization
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
57%
14%
The game's optimization is a mixed bag, with some players noting that it runs well overall, while others report shaky performance, frequent bugs, and awkward controls that detract from the experience. While the user interface is praised, the reliance on AI-generated voices and character portraits has been criticized for lacking personality and impact. Many reviewers express a desire for further optimization to enhance gameplay and overall enjoyment.
“A game with multiple available flight schemes, a high degree of aircraft customization, and a large, well-designed world; all packed into an immensely optimized and low-storage package.”
“The game has great UI and is also well optimized.”
“Definitely worth doing the side missions with the characters you like as that will greatly increase their performance.”
“Some optimization wouldn't hurt to make the game experience much smoother, and I hope the devs will point their attention to this matter.”
“Eager to play more, but so far poor optimization doesn't help to enjoy the game at its full.”
“The shaky performance, frequent bugs, awkward controls, slapdash UI, and most egregiously the blatantly AI-generated voices and portraits prevent me from enjoying the lovely visual style and music.”
emotional
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, players describe the game as a cozy and wholesome experience, evoking feelings of relaxation and nostalgia reminiscent of classic titles and Studio Ghibli aesthetics. However, some users express frustration with the emotional presentation and the difficulty of certain missions, which can detract from immersion and enjoyment. Despite these issues, the game's charming atmosphere and engaging gameplay are highlighted as key strengths.
“It's definitely a little janky and has a couple of bugs, but if you're into flight sims and wanting a chill, wholesome time with big Porco Rosso / whimsical Studio Ghibli vibes, Brew Barons is absolutely worth it.”
“To me, 'The Brew Barons' is a kind of casual, wholesome, nice and relaxing game all in all.”
“The game is very wholesome and has a classic feel.”
humor
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with players finding amusement in the quirky physics engine, unexpected boss behaviors, and humorous pedestrian comments about the player's plane. While some writing elicits genuine laughter, it is often described as bland and excessive. Overall, the game's comedic elements contribute to a lighthearted experience, despite some inconsistencies.
“Once you wrap your head around the simulation/physics engine, you're away laughing.”
“On top of that, sometimes the bosses do not function correctly, die when out of HP, or spawn in funny locations.”
“I thought the random comments from pedestrians (you can't see) dissing the condition of my plane were funny, but excessive.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers appreciate the game's thoughtful design and development, contrasting it with the prevalent trend of asset flips and cash grabs in the industry, indicating a positive reception towards its monetization approach.
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game is currently perceived as somewhat bland and in need of refinement, though many players express optimism that the developers will enhance it in future updates, building on a solid foundation.
“The game still needs some polishing here and there, and the story as well as character development is a bit bland, but I am really hoping the devs will build upon what they have here: a really solid foundation for things to come.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players highlight the game's excellent customization options as a key factor contributing to its high replayability, allowing for enjoyable and relaxing gameplay experiences, such as farming and crafting activities.
“The customization is excellent; I can see the replayability being quite high. I can envision myself having long, relaxing hours in this game, just flying around and shooting apple trees to make more cider to stock my bar with.”