Bramble: The Mountain King Reviews
A focused horror adventure with mature themes and cursed imagery, Bramble: The Mountain King is a hidden gem that will irrevocably leave a mark on some people. Inevitably all decisions carry their weight and change oneself, and Olle’s chilling journey must be witnessed by all who are interested in an epic, suspenseful tale.
As long as you go into "Bramble: The Mountain King" with the right expectations, it will serve you well in the short time that you're a guest in its universe.
There's a lot to like about Bramble: The Mountain King. Through its narration and fantastical environments, Dimfrost Studio does a great job at making you feel like you're taking part in an unsettling, if a little too long, fable laden with mythological creatures. The game's puzzle-platforming segments do nothing extraordinary, yet strike a nice balance between simplicity and challenge, and though the set camera and cumbersome movement can often get in the way, frequent checkpoints alleviate much of the frustration. However, depending on how much performance issues annoy you – stuttering, pop-in, frame rate drops – this is an adventure that might be best played elsewhere.
Bramble: The Mountain King is as gorgeous as it is horrifying, with surprises lurking around every corner. The game excels at building tension and suspense while maintaining visual splendor throughout. Although the game isn’t particularly long–I rolled credits around 7 hours–it is an experience that horror game enthusiasts will not want to miss.
Bramble: The Mountain King is a beautiful, charming and disturbing interactive dark fairy tale that is undone slightly by some dated gameplay moments.
At its core, Bramble: The Mountain King is a storybook brought to life in the best way possible. Olle's search for his sister is a wonderful journey inspired by Nordic folklore that is aided by magnificent landscapes, unsettling mythological creatures and an intriguing narrative that culminates in a touching tale of bravery in the face of darkness.
Bramble: The Mountain King combines elements of an under-explored culture in games to create a great fantasy and horror experience. It's a game that's definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of the genre.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
It's a shame Bramble: The Mountain King has such frustrating level design drawbacks because it undercuts a beautifully dark and disturbing fable. It's not doing a whole lot as a game that helps it stick out either, but the narrative structure behind it rescues it from the clutches of true disappointment.
A triumph of sinister mood let down by archaic puzzle design.
Bramble: The Mountain King finds ways to excel throughout the ~6-hour adventure. With superb audio design and some really satisfying and engaging storytelling centred around Nordic folklore, the game showcases glimpses of greatness and refuses to hold back from depicting the horrifying and grim world around you. It's a shame that every new enemy's introduction and build-up is undermined by the inevitable average boss fight. It's true there's obvious room for improvement with Bramble's gameplay, though the overall experience is certainly still worth uncovering, especially as the game goes from strength to strength with some seriously impactful core moments.