VLADiK BRUTAL

About

VLADiK BRUTAL is a single player casual action adventure game. It was developed by BRUTAL SOFTWARE and was released on August 9, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

In "Vladik Brutal," experience a fictional East European dictatorship's brutality, where citizens are chipped, monitored, and dressed uniformly. Navigate managed locations filled with easter eggs, diverse opponents, and allies. Wield 12 types of weapons, solve puzzles, uncover secrets, and engage in proven shooting gameplay in this one-person developed game. The dictator's Big Research Centre exploits prisoners for nefarious purposes, and you must navigate this harsh world. Please note that bugs and errors are possible due to the game's one-person development.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,242 reviews

story64 positive mentions

stability23 negative mentions

The gunplay is satisfying and feels impactful, with a variety of weapons that are fun to use.
The atmosphere is immersive, capturing a gritty, post-Soviet vibe reminiscent of Half-Life and STALKER.
Impressive for a game developed primarily by a single person, showcasing a lot of passion and effort.

The enemy AI is simplistic and often predictable, leading to repetitive combat encounters.
The story is weak and poorly translated, lacking depth and coherence.
Some levels feel overly long and drawn out, with frustrating enemy placements and boss fights.

story
282 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
68%
9%
The story in the game is largely considered weak and incoherent, often described as a barebones backdrop primarily serving to facilitate gameplay rather than engage players. Many reviewers noted its similarities to the Half-Life series, but criticized it for lacking depth, clarity, and meaningful character development, with some even suggesting to ignore the story altogether. While some found the narrative amusing or entertaining in a crude way, the overall consensus is that the gameplay is the main draw, overshadowing the uninspired plot.
- “Vladik Brutal's story feels like a combination of Half-Life 1 & 2, having an invasion take over a research facility while also living in a city under the thumb of a dictator.”
- “The atmosphere and story were awesome and the combat was insane.”
- “The story is simple but melds well with the overall gameplay.”
- “The story is incredibly dull and comes off as very amateur.”
- “The beginning makes no sense whatsoever (you're released from prison and sent to a lab to cause a catastrophe, there is no backstory or explanation as to why you were in prison or why you've been sent to the lab).”
- “The story is just a mesh of Half-Life 1 & 2 with barely any liberties or innovation apparent.”
gameplay
276 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
54%
7%
The gameplay is a blend of gunplay, parkour, and driving, heavily inspired by the mechanics of Half-Life, featuring linear progression and simple puzzles. While the shooting mechanics are generally satisfying and the atmosphere is engaging, many players noted that the gameplay can become repetitive and lacks depth, with some mechanics feeling underdeveloped. Overall, despite its rough edges and janky elements, the game offers a fun experience for fans of classic shooters, with a solid core gameplay loop that keeps players entertained for several hours.
- “The gameplay can be summed up in three things: gunplay, parkour, and driving.”
- “The gameplay is punchy, fast-paced, and satisfying.”
- “The core gameplay loop is fun and satisfying.”
- “The gameplay is a bit janky and the English translation isn't perfect, but you can feel the heart and soul put into this game.”
- “Gameplay: it's linear, with some very primitive puzzles, the AI uses the time-proven tactics of 'rush in a straight line' or 'walk to the side while shooting', the guns shoot arcade-y and feel satisfying.”
- “I was entertained and managed to do a playthrough, but there's a lot of poor enemy and item placement, that combined with repetitive gameplay started to get to me.”
graphics
236 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
49%
4%
The graphics of the game have received a generally positive reception, with many praising the extensive customization options and atmospheric design that evoke a nostalgic feel reminiscent of early 2000s shooters. While some textures and character models may appear dated or inconsistent, the overall visual presentation is considered impressive for a solo developer project, particularly with the effective use of Unreal Engine 4. However, there are occasional graphical glitches and performance issues that detract from the experience, but many players find the visuals to be engaging and well-optimized for various hardware configurations.
- “Now for my personal nerdy side, being a PC game certification tester, I gotta say Vladik has to have the best graphics options/settings menu I've seen in any indie game... now to think a single person took the time to make the UX this good?”
- “Graphics are gorgeous and dripping with atmosphere.”
- “The performance is astonishing considering how good the game looks, I have never seen a game with so many graphics settings, which can be adjusted in real time without restarting the game.”
- “The game runs smoothly but its visuals feel dated and it comes off as more of a paid mod than a full game.”
- “Don't expect a graphical marvel, especially in the details; everything looks quite simple and basic.”
- “The performance is astonishing considering how good the game looks, but the graphics performance leaves something to be desired.”
atmosphere
174 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
45%
2%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and intense qualities, drawing strong comparisons to iconic titles like Half-Life and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Players appreciate the authentic post-Soviet aesthetic, gripping sound design, and the overall sense of tension and horror that permeates the environment. Despite some jank and design flaws, the atmosphere remains a standout feature, enhancing the gameplay experience significantly.
- “Love the atmosphere and the stalker aesthetic.”
- “The atmosphere is intense.”
- “The atmosphere of the game is 10/10.”
- “It has a creepy atmosphere, but no real effort is put into setting any kind of horror atmosphere and the gameplay is too generic to have it fall into a good action shooter.”
- “- very dark and oppressive atmosphere”
- “The quality I would even say, if it weren't for the differential atmosphere and certain other elements, feels almost similar to Hunt Down the Freeman.”
optimization
88 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
51%
7%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised, with many players reporting smooth performance even on lower-end systems and at high settings. However, some users experienced significant frame rate drops and performance issues in specific areas, particularly when using advanced graphical features like ray tracing. While the game offers a wide range of graphics options and presets, including one for the Steam Deck, there are still calls for further optimization to address inconsistencies and glitches.
- “The game is very well optimized, and runs flawlessly on ultrawide at max settings.”
- “Insanely well optimized, looks great, uses its own engine, a lot of blood, sweat, and vodka went into this game.”
- “I also have a completely potato PC and I'm getting 60fps on high and ultra settings, so very well optimized while the graphics still look great and fit the theme really well.”
- “A bit unoptimized though, on ultra settings my PC gets a little hot.”
- “I had some really weird performance issues in the part after the gas station until you are on the train again (constant sub 30fps while the rest of the game is maxed out at 180).”
- “Experiencing bad performance and huge fps drops with a 4090.”
music
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
49%
4%
The music in the game has received widespread praise for its energetic and varied soundtrack, which enhances the overall atmosphere and gameplay experience. Many players highlighted standout tracks, particularly the intro song, and noted that the music effectively ramps up excitement during combat. While some felt that the game could benefit from more ambient music and environmental sound effects, the overall sound design, including the music, contributes significantly to the game's immersive quality.
- “The music, atmosphere, and graphics are all fantastic.”
- “The soundtrack is fantastic and when used in some setpiece fights it really helps pump the mood up.”
- “The music selection is great and really ramps up the excitement at several points, with special mention going to the assassin boss.”
- “Just needs more ambient music and more environmental sound effects; it felt a bit too quiet sometimes.”
- “Effects, lights, AI, sound, music, voice-overs, gunplay, etc. are low quality or even plainly bad.”
- “Overall aesthetic was pretty on point too, but the music and voice acting work weren't bad at all.”
humor
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mix of intentional absurdity and unintentional hilarity, often stemming from its quirky mechanics and poorly translated subtitles, which add a unique charm. While some players find the humor to be edgy and culturally specific, particularly for those familiar with Russian humor, others appreciate the game's blend of dark comedy and chaotic gameplay. Overall, despite its flaws, many reviewers highlight the game's ability to entertain and elicit laughter through its janky elements and absurd scenarios.
- “Most importantly, the guns kick like a mule with hilariously awesome ragdolls.”
- “The English subtitles are hilarious at times, due to how badly translated they are from Russian (literal translation of idioms which make no sense in English).”
- “What really stood out to me was the blend of fast-paced gameplay and intentionally absurd humor.”
stability
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
70%
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with some players reporting it as "almost bug free" and running smoothly at high frame rates, while others experience significant bugs, graphical glitches, and occasional crashes. Many acknowledge the presence of glitches, particularly during intense gameplay, but some express optimism for future fixes, attributing the issues to the game's solo development. Overall, stability varies widely among users, with a notable divide between those who enjoy a seamless experience and those frustrated by persistent bugs.
- “The game is almost bug free and it looks gorgeous.”
- “Game runs great on Steam Deck and I've just booted it up.”
- “Runs great!”
- “It's a buggy pile of shit with poor translations.”
- “This game is hilariously buggy; I picked up the crowbar at the beginning of the game and it turned into a pink, untextured AK-47.”
- “Needs bugs fixing; when there is a lot of activity, the game lags and freezes.”
monetization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The monetization aspect of the game primarily revolves around microtransactions for in-game purchases, which are noted multiple times by users. However, players appreciate that the game does not force the use of ads and provides ample ammo, allowing for a more enjoyable experience without heavy reliance on additional purchases.
- “[i] microtransactions - in-game purchases.”
- “[i] microtransactions - in-game purchases.”
- “[i] microtransactions - in-game purchases.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unengaging, often feeling more like a chore than a challenge. Despite some enjoyable gunplay and well-designed puzzles, the overall experience is marred by frustrating mechanics, such as poor hit detection and slow character movement, which detract from the excitement promised in trailers.
- “It's not challenging or engaging—just tedious.”
- “Games in this style, the challenge is in completing the content, not mindlessly farming the content for achievements.”
- “Don't be fooled by the trailers, the action is not as fast-paced as shown in the videos and the high difficulty is just a tedious mess of bad hit detection and enemies scooting around at 900 km per hour while the character you control has trouble running for more than 6 seconds.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
87%
13%
Overall, the game's replayability is considered limited, with some players acknowledging that despite this, they would still revisit it after a few years. The emphasis on longevity suggests that while immediate replay value may be low, the game's appeal endures over time.
- “Even if the game offers hardly any replay value, I will definitely play it again in a few years.”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is described as lacking depth, with players feeling detached during combat sequences where they easily overpower enemies. The experience seems to evoke a sense of power rather than vulnerability or connection, leading to a more superficial emotional engagement.
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game has received mixed feedback, with some players noting issues such as poor character design and bugs that detract from the experience. While the gameplay is described as fun and challenging, there are calls for improvements in player movement mechanics, particularly regarding acceleration and jump responsiveness. Overall, players express hope for a sequel that addresses these concerns.
- “The character design is really lacking, which detracts from the overall experience of the game.”
- “The character development feels shallow and uninspired, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
- “There are some small bugs and difficulty balancing that affect the character's growth and progression.”