Brut@l Reviews
The visual look of the game is novel and fun, but underneath it is a shallow and only intermittently enjoyable dungeon crawler.
The rest of Brutal doesn’t live up to its inspired visuals but it still makes for a good time
I can’t recommend this to all but the most diehard of genre fans. Even then, the art style may be lost on people who aren’t old enough to remember MS-DOS or a ZX Spectrum. That seems to be the most unique feature of the game.
Brut@l is certainly a punishing experience for those not used to Rogue-like tropes. Yet it’s a visually attractive game that pays tribute to Rogue in its ASCII style that’s genuinely appealing, as well as having a clean interface and enough flair in the combat to not be devalued as a button masher. A few issues rise when it comes to cooperative play, which make this a harder sell, but Brut@l is otherwise a fitting tribute to Rogue and the genre that came from it that dominates the indie scene.
Brut@l is entertaining, but it is not a great game. This Stormcloud Games proyect has been too ambitious and due to that it has not succeeded in any concrete aspect.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Brut@l is a decent action game, only for fans of the genre.
Review in Italian | Read full review
A neat dungeon crawler offering some fluid combat, with tough challenges wrapped up in an art style straight out of Tron.
Brut@l is a clever homage to old-school ASCII dungeon crawler games, but its stiff difficulty, cheap deaths, and repetitive gameplay limit its appeal.
Arguably, Brut@l lacks the depth of some of its genre contemporaries while the uniquely touted ASCII-inspired veneer, though a flamboyant shift from the norm, results in some visually repetitive environments. All the same, Brut@l still acquits itself nicely as a decent hack and slash yarn whose prospects are elevated by co-operative play and a neat level editor that adds a good number of extra hours to its playtime.
Brut@l is a fun dungeon crawler regardless of whether the historical significance of collecting letters and throwing the @ sign at goblins is lost on you. A distinctive visual style complements simple and enjoyable combat, a satisfying collection of craftable weapons, and a rewarding learning curve. Dungeon runs can get a bit samey, but a co-op mode and robust dungeon creator reward further visits.
Hallways are outlined with hash symbols, doorways are represented with plus signs, crafting items are letters of the alphabet, and the dungeon map is a faithful top-down expression of a traditional rogue-like.
If you couldn’t tell, Brut@l is a game that warrants exploring. The dynamically generated world and character leveling systems help to emphasize its infinite replayability. After a few plunges into this violent abyss the repetitive grind will set in a bit, but the solid combat helps to take the sting out of infrequent bouts of déjà vu. Plus, the inclusion of couch coop and a fully featured level designer only further cements its value. Have no fear, adventurer. This is a quest that is well worth embarking upon.
Brut@l has visual style to spare, but like a dull book with a beautiful cover, the actual game itself is nothing more than a standard dungeon crawler with divisive rougelike elements.
The overall structure of Brut@l is well designed, and procedural generation of the dungeons is good enough to present sufficiently varied floors. Unfortunately a the combat system is soporific and too simplified to entertain.
Review in Italian | Read full review
When it comes to gameplay, Brut@l may not be very innovative to the rougelike genre at its core; it’s actually pretty standard as those kind of games go. This game has its artstyle and inspiration to thank for adding tons of charm to what would have been a pretty by-the-numbers entry into the genre. If you love roguelikes, or have fond memories of the old ASCII games, you will absolutely enjoy Brut@l. Even if it lacks the depth of some of its competitors, it makes it up in spades in old-school retro charm, and will hook you for hours.
People can argue the merit and worth of roguelikes until the sun goes down, but while they’re not the most assorted or varied of role-playing experiences, what makes Brut@l work is the very procedural nature of its design.
Brut@l could use some more content to make runs feel more unique, but the game is pretty fun as it stands. A lovely ASCII-inspired artstyle, entertaining co-op, and some great exploration help carry so-so combat and a lame dungeon creator.
Brut@l is an amazing game when you consider what it is representing. It's paying tribute to the history of RPG dungeon crawling games while offering a unique 3D and current gaming twist to it. Casually sitting between a game with depth and a game so simple in gameplay you can restart a couple times every day, every RPG fan could find something interesting about it.
When all is said and done, Brut@l is a decent hack’n’slash game with better-than-average combat and a totally wicked graphic style. While not on par with classic ARPGs like Diablo II or Titan Quest, it’s still a lot of fun and worth the $14.99 (11.99 through the 16th) price tag.