If you’re ready for an adventure through time and history, Strange Brigade by Rebellion Developments, has just the game for you and your friends. Bring everyone and jump in to an adventure that feels a lot like Indiana Jones might show up at any moment.
In Egypt in the 1930’s an unnamed tomb is discovered but who it contains is the most baffling part. Seteki the Witch Queen has risen after 4,000 years. Your team is the only one that can defeat her and her mummified army.
With up to 4 players in a group, teammates will journey through pyramids collecting loot, solving puzzles and fighting through the hordes of destruction. The goal is to work together in order to complete each area in order to upgrade weapons and be prepared for the next challenge ahead. Some areas are a bit unusual compared to other game mechanics.
For example, when a member of the group falls wounded or dies, they get sent somewhere safe via sarcophagus. This is an unusual way to heal someone, but it technically gets them away from the fight, and eventually someone in the team will hit a button and bring them back to the match. Also, loot can be hard to come by. Loot is especially needed to upgrade weapons and get new items but there is hardly anything around, making the task a lot longer. Last, especially as a pretty orderly person, the non-governed ability to use the same characters in a round is annoying. A balanced team should realistically only have one of each character in it.
With every bad thing that may be brought to the surface, so does the good. Strange Brigade is actually fun. Everything mentioned in the grand scheme of things can be overlooked because the adventure sucks you in. Also, the weapons are very fine tuned and are impactful. This makes the fight feel worth everything else. Level design as well is great too. Players must pay attention and take advantage of the traps in the floors and walls to aid in winning, which is just plain satisfying when it all works out. The humor in the game is punchy as well, so things stay lighthearted among the challenge.
Overall, Strange Brigade has its up and downs but is worth the play. The plot is straightforward and has quirky moments of humor, the weapons are actually fun to use and the puzzles keep players engaged and encourage everyone to keep trying.
8/10
Available on: PC, XboxOne and PS4
