The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante

90%
Game Brain Score Based on 2,864 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • music
The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante Game Cover
Icarus-esque in its attempt to set a new standard in choices matter adventuring.
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In "The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante," players navigate a ruthless world in a narrative-driven RPG format, following a man who challenges the existing social order. The game is presented as a journal, with life-altering decisions and the struggle for freedom at its core.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

90%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,864 reviews
story692 positive mentions
grinding17 negative mentions
  • Great story with deep worldbuilding and complex characters.
  • Choices genuinely matter and have significant consequences throughout the game.
  • High replayability with multiple paths and endings to explore.
  • Stat requirements can be overly punishing, locking players out of choices due to minor mistakes.
  • Some choices feel railroaded, limiting player agency and immersion.
  • The game can become tedious with repetitive text and slow animations, especially during multiple playthroughs.
  • story1,673 mentions

    The story of "The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante" is widely praised for its depth, intricate world-building, and the significant impact of player choices on the narrative. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke strong emotions through its character-driven plot, which explores themes of class struggle, morality, and personal sacrifice. However, some players express frustration with the mechanics that can limit choices based on character stats, leading to feelings of being railroaded or locked out of certain story paths, which can detract from the overall experience.

    • “Despite being produced by a small studio, I think this game easily surpasses AAA titles in a heartbeat with its storytelling and great world-building.”
    • “The story is deep and thought-provoking - everything about this game is immaculate.”
    • “The life and suffering of Sir Brante is a captivating mix of visual novel and RPG, making you feel like you're living out a compelling story with added animations and sounds.”
    • “The story is filled with characters with inconsistent personalities and motivations, which is detrimental for any story game.”
    • “The story starts proceeding in ways that ignore things that have occurred, and on several occasions you cannot do things that definitely should be possible with the choices made.”
    • “The game practically begs you to play 'classic tropes bingo,' and preaching a clichéd moral about equality doesn’t automatically make the story deep or profound.”
  • gameplay309 mentions

    The gameplay of "The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante" is primarily centered around choice-making, with a heavy emphasis on stat management and consequences that can feel restrictive and frustrating. While the narrative and world-building are praised for their depth and engagement, many players find the mechanics—especially the willpower system—flawed, often leading to a sense of being railroaded rather than genuinely role-playing. Overall, the game offers a unique blend of visual novel and RPG elements, but its reliance on complex mechanics can detract from the immersive storytelling experience.

    • “Unique choose-your-own-adventure game with exciting and smooth mechanics implementation.”
    • “Amazingly written and absolutely neatly designed systems that tie narrative and gameplay together fully, without room to complain.”
    • “The gameplay consists of being presented with a series of events in the life of Sir Brante, and after each event, making a decision.”
    • “But the choice mechanics are fatally flawed.”
    • “The problem I had is that the narrative incentives are decoupled from the mechanical incentives.”
    • “The gameplay will not be for everybody, but if you like these kinds of games, it may be the very best among its kind.”
  • music186 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread praise for its ability to enhance the atmosphere and emotional depth of the narrative, with many reviewers highlighting its fitting and immersive qualities. While some tracks are noted for being repetitive, the overall soundtrack is described as beautiful, moving, and well-complemented by the game's art style. However, a few players found certain pieces annoying or forgettable, indicating a mixed reception in specific instances.

    • “The soundtrack is excellent, drawing the player into the game, its world, and the life of Sir Brante.”
    • “The music is moving and sticks with you.”
    • “The music and sound effects are sparse, but they fit the game and do enhance the mood.”
    • “But some music was rather annoying, like the music whenever you start a new chapter or when you became older and it's describing what's happening in the kingdom or the province as a whole... it just got old after a while... which is a shame because those are often the longest bits of reading.”
    • “The illustrations add a lot, but like the sound design (both effects and music) they're reused and tend to get repetitive.”
    • “Music is average, nothing to write home about.”
  • graphics163 mentions

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique black-and-white art style that blends comic book aesthetics with medieval illustrations, creating a visually striking yet minimalist presentation. While some players appreciate the artistic approach and its contribution to the game's atmosphere, others find the visuals unappealing or lacking in detail. Overall, the graphics are seen as a complement to the game's strong narrative and immersive soundtrack, though opinions vary on their effectiveness and appeal.

    • “The graphics and sound design emphasize the atmosphere of the game, creating a dark and exciting environment.”
    • “The artwork accompanying each chapter was drawn by a highly skilled artist who perfectly captured the bleak settings.”
    • “The life and suffering of Sir Brante pairs a medieval fantasy aesthetic, a gorgeous art style, and an immersive soundtrack for an experience that far outshines any other 'choices matter' RPG of its kind.”
    • “The illustrations are black-and-white, rather crude comic book art style ink drawings.”
    • “The game requires a lot of reading and very little graphic appeal.”
    • “The presentation and graphics are rough, as you can see, but once you get taken away by the story and the relationships, it hardly matters.”
  • replayability157 mentions

    The game is widely praised for its high replayability, attributed to its branching storylines, multiple endings, and meaningful choices that significantly impact the narrative. Many players express enthusiasm for exploring different paths and outcomes, with some noting the potential for multiple playthroughs to fully experience the game's depth. However, a few reviews mention that after several runs, the experience may become repetitive or less engaging, suggesting that while replayability is strong, it may vary based on individual player preferences.

    • “Very well written game, the branching and many endings make this a very replayable experience!”
    • “The game has great replay value as there are many different branches of how the story proceeds.”
    • “Incredible story, incredibly addictive, a lot of replayable value due to so many different choices, cause and effect so well done; I recommend it to everyone no matter what genre you like.”
    • “I loved it at first, but now I see this as an okay game, because unfortunately the replayability is very low and the whole game is short and unintuitive at times.”
    • “Finally, there is basically no replay value.”
    • “The price is quite steep, though, for something that you can complete in under 12 hours and has little replay value beyond seeing the different endings, so make sure you wait for a sale and grab this at a discount.”
  • emotional73 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is profoundly impactful, with players reporting intense feelings ranging from joy to deep sadness, often leading to tears. Many describe it as an emotional rollercoaster, where morally challenging choices create a strong attachment to characters and a sense of personal investment in the narrative. The game's writing, atmosphere, and music enhance this emotional experience, making it a memorable journey that resonates long after playing.

    • “I've never had a game be able to put me through such an emotional roller coaster.”
    • “The hurt it has made me experience is unforgettably real, and it has made me feel for the characters in the game as if I had known them personally.”
    • “This game hits you like a ton of bricks, emotionally.”
  • atmosphere58 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and engaging qualities, enhanced by a compelling soundtrack, hand-drawn illustrations, and strong world-building. Reviewers highlight the dark and gritty tone, which effectively complements the storytelling and player choices, creating a memorable experience. While some note that the repetitive music and certain gameplay mechanics detract from the overall enjoyment, the rich atmosphere remains a standout feature that captivates players.

    • “The graphics and sound design emphasize the atmosphere of the game, creating a dark and exciting environment.”
    • “This game pretty much swallowed me in with its great atmosphere, compelling writing, and everything it had to offer.”
    • “The atmosphere ties the entire game together and made me play through this game 5 times already.”
    • “Apart from its nostalgic atmosphere, I found it mostly mediocre.”
    • “The rest of the game has no voice acting at all (apart from background noises, like cheers or grunts, that work really well at setting the atmosphere), and the cutscenes are extremely short and provide basically no information that isn't conveyed in the text.”
    • “It's not good because the character is very jovial, which contrasts the general grim and serious atmosphere of the world.”
  • grinding22 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is frequently criticized for being excessively tedious and time-consuming, with many players feeling that the need to replay chapters to optimize stats detracts from the overall experience. The inability to save progress at critical points further compounds the frustration, making the game feel overly long and repetitive. While some appreciate the depth and replayability, the grind can become overwhelming, especially after multiple playthroughs.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “A lot of grinding.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The game is too long and tedious to go through for me to have enough interest to replay it just to get to the last chapter again.”
    • “The game has a decent enough story, but the constant repeating of the early game to maximize stats for the later parts of the game gets tedious fast.”
    • “The biggest downsides might only be the inability to save and the game getting a bit too grindy in terms of action points towards the end.”
  • humor11 mentions

    The humor in the game is inconsistent, with some players finding it completely absent and others appreciating moments of dark comedy and irony. While the writing is often criticized for being poorly executed, leading to unintentional laughs, there are instances where the game's serious tone is juxtaposed with humorous outcomes, creating a mix of emotions that can elicit both laughter and frustration. Overall, the humor is hit-or-miss, with some players enjoying the occasional comedic moments amidst the game's darker themes.

    • “It's funny having everything completely backfire on you, though, and you spend hours of gameplay just to end up in front of a firing squad or losing your life savings.”
    • “Brought me to tears often, and made me laugh with elation.”
    • “A thrilling, sometimes ruthless, often funny example of video games' great potential for storytelling.”
  • optimization9 mentions

    The game's optimization has been criticized for forcing players into a stat-driven decision-making process that detracts from immersion and enjoyment of the narrative. Many reviewers feel that the reliance on optimization mechanics can turn the experience into a puzzle rather than a story, leading to frustration, especially for those who prefer a more organic gameplay experience. Additionally, some users have reported technical issues that further hinder the overall performance of the game.

    • “My biggest nitpick of the game is that due to the core mechanics, it's almost impossible to play with the consequences of your actions hidden, so the game can turn into a bit of an optimization puzzle (especially after the first playthrough) and lose some of the immersion that the wonderful worldbuilding and writing offers.”
    • “It completely ruins immersion, and very often you are sort of forced to make decisions purely for the purpose of stat optimization so that you can get the ending you're actually going for.”
    • “Story is great, but the RPG part relies too much on stats optimization, so I would say if spending a lot of time on it or reading guides is annoying to you, better to avoid it.”
  • character development9 mentions

    Overall, the character development in the game is praised for its depth and emotional impact, with players appreciating the storytelling and choices that enhance the experience. However, some critiques highlight inconsistencies where gameplay decisions undermine character growth, and a few find the development to be overly simplified or unrealistic. The inclusion of a character development journal is noted as a clever feature that adds to the experience.

    • “The choices are interesting and the storytelling and character development are great.”
    • “There is some stellar character development here and extremely effective tear-jerking moments.”
    • “The game also features an interesting character development journal, which tracks everything from family, estate, status, titles, etc. which seems like a no-brainer, but it’s actually very clever and features well in the game.”
    • “The premise is good, the worldbuilding is good, but unfortunately the game imposes decisions that time and time again counter the character development you've been pretending to build.”
    • “That being an oversimplification of character development.”
    • “Short and overly simplified character development (not realistic enough).”
  • stability5 mentions

    The stability of the game is mixed, with some users reporting frequent crashes and freezes that hinder the experience, while others note minimal glitches and smooth performance, particularly on the Steam Deck. Overall, the game appears to have significant stability issues that detract from its otherwise engaging story and unique setting.

    • “Runs great on Steam Deck too, providing a fantastic experience of just laying down on the couch and enjoying this beautiful game.”
    • “Nice story and setting; it's unique, but it apparently still crashes on my end, and sometimes the story just freezes.”
    • “Do not recommend; it is buggy as hell in the most crucial parts of the story.”
    • “Much like the numerous glitches and unfinished state of the Stalker games, it adds charm to its world facing an existential threat from anomalies alien to traditional nature, but it is a game that never goes the way you want despite giving you the keys.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    Reviewers note that the game's monetization strategy, which includes ads, may initially misrepresent its quality, leading to a perception that the game is less impressive than it truly is. Despite the presence of ads, players find the game's brilliance shines through, suggesting that the monetization approach may not align with the overall experience.

    • “The hokey ads for this game belie the brilliance of what it actually is.”
    • “It's not a case of ads making me think it was better; it's the reverse.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

75% average critic score

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Play time

11hMedian play time
12hAverage play time
7-15hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 21 analyzed playthroughs

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