The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante Reviews
I cannot think of any other text-based game that made me want to go for another playthrough with completely different outcomes as soon as I had finished my first one. This might not be the most visually compelling or action-heavy game released in recent memory, but it’s easily one of my favorite games in 2021 so far.
I still have a small handful of complaints such as the uselessness of the “valor” stat and the arguably questionable balance of stat shifts on the noble route in general, but I spent time exploring different outcomes related to the inquisitor path that I had initially ignored and it ended up being my favorite storyline. The underlying mechanics feel significantly better when you can plan around certain stats required for specific outcomes, too, and now that my blind fumbling isn’t handicapping me, I’ve reached several different endings and realized that there’s more reactivity here than I initially thought.
Carving a destiny through The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante is a surprisingly heart-rending and engrossing experience. It won’t be for everyone – it’s a text heavy game and it navigates some heavy subject matters – but if you have a soft spot for interactive fiction, this is one of the best examples of the genre for quite some time.
The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante is a remarkable storytelling achievement. Ironically, though the game is rendered in an artful monochrome, none of its frequent moral decisions are completely black and white. Every choice had my mouse wavering over the screen, considering the consequences of my actions. It’s one of those rare gaming narratives that’s equally tragic, challenging and exhilarating. The message I felt came across is: don’t weep for the paths not taken or the limited change one person can make, but choose the life you want to live and live it to the fullest. As painful and filled with sorrow as Sir Brante’s life is, it’s one that’s well worth living through yourself.
The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante is not an ordinary game. It is closer to conversational adventures, board games, or "write your own adventure" books than it is to a current video game. But if his proposal convinces you, you will find a story full of twists, dramatic situations, and hard decisions that will not let you go until the end. Of course, only in English and Russian.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante is an engaging fantasy RPG. It’s not perfect, but the demo is worth at least a look.
Sir Brante is an excellent narrative-driven RPG delivering an engaging story in a richly detailed world. The game does stack the deck against you but hopefully, wise choices see you through it. Being played in the pages of a book paints a picture in your mind including some black and white landscapes too
An absolute joy from start to finish, The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante puts you in a tumultuous time and gives you a starring role. The story and hard decisions you're forced into makes this an engaging experience.
The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante is one of the better games of its kind I have played in recent memory. The world-building and writing are enthralling, and the prospect of guiding your character from life to death is a fun and challenging exercise. I would have loved more interactivity, especially in dialogues, and some decisions seem predetermined and stacked against you a few too many times to truly feel open. In the end, that doesn't detract from the otherwise fun RPG adventure novel. If you're yearning for a good RPG adventure that is heavy on the reading side, I'd highly recommend The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante.
The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante melds medieval fantasy and somber art with decision-making gameplay. With myriad options at the player's disposal, which path will you choose? Will you act out of self-interest, focus on your family, or try to please one of the many powerful characters you will meet along that way?
The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante hits all the right notes of a choose-your-own-adventure game, with just enough of its own spin to stand out from the crowd. A dark fantasy world rife with pseudo-historical politics and tensions is just the icing on the cake.
Icarus-esque in its attempt to set a new standard in choices matter adventuring.
A stylish visual novel with interesting gameplay and an engaging plot, The Life And Suffering Of Sir Brante will appeal to most people who like choosing their own adventures, classic literature, or even just a great story.
The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante is an interactive novel in which interaction is reduced to the bare bone, allowing us only to turn the pages of the book and choose our next moves from a list of options. So it should not be evaluated as a game but as a story. And from this point of view it is a brilliant tale, which manages to capture attention from the very first pages, making us suffer for the unfortunate protagonist. Like all products of this kind, however, after the first intense run you will only want to see the multiple endings, skipping most of the rest of the story.
Review in Italian | Read full review