The Adventure Begins
In June 2017, Rebellion Developments, the company that brought us the Sniper Elite series and many other games, announced their next big adventure called Strange Brigade; and a rip-roaring adventure it is.
A Tantalizing Tale…
Set in the 1930s, players take on the role of one of the Strange Brigade: a group of elite secret agents sent by the British government to investigate and destroy an ancient evil named Seteki; a Witch Queen whose spirit has been accidentally released by an archeologist by the name of Edgar Harbin.
The game starts as a simple investigation of Harbin’s original dig site to gain information about what happened and how to vanquish the evil. As the game continues, the mystery unfolds and the intrepid Strange Brigade fight off waves of supernatural enemies. No spoilers here, folks – you will have to play for yourself to find out what happens to our daring adventurers.
The story is told in the fashion of a 1930s radio play, complete with cheeky narrator. Imagine Indiana Jones and The Mummy had a love child; it’s a wonderful concoction of adventure and supernatural themes.
For those who want to learn more about the story, there is a 240 page paperback now available on Amazon which delves deeper into the world of the Strange Brigade.
Now, though the story is fun in its own right, it just might be…
…Overshadowed by Glorious Gameplay
Plain and simple – the story is not the reason you stay and play. The gameplay of Strange Brigade is a fantastic frantic ride through waves of malevolent monsters that get more and more difficult as you progress through the levels.
It is a third person shooter in which players have 4 characters to choose from; each with their own unique abilities and specials. Correction! There are 5 playable characters, as Rebellion announced on August 24th that a new character will be joining the Strange Brigade; and he is absolutely free. From direct hit to AOE (area of effect) specials, each character has their strengths depending on your play style.
Each level is its own beast with new enemies being introduced in every one – from zombies to acid spitting armored guards to a giant armored bull that charges at you relentlessly. A wonderful aspect of these levels is that they aren’t quick. The first play-through of a level could easily take a player over an hour. Plus, the variety of the level designs as you progress through the game keeps things feeling fresh.
Hidden throughout the levels are collectibles and weapon upgrades, and for some of these treasures you have to solve puzzles in order to access them. And though the game will give you subtle hints hidden throughout the level, the solutions to these puzzles get more difficult as the game progresses. Also scattered through each level are terrifying traps that our fearless fortune hunters can either fall into themselves or use to their advantage against the army of Seteki, the Witch Queen.
Modes! Marvelous Modes!
Strange Brigade comes with three unique modes; One being the ubiquitous campaign mode. The campaign can be played through solo or with a friend. Although the campaign is fun in itself, it is the other modes that will keep you on the edge of your seat: Score Attack and Horde.
In Score Attack the game sets you up in smaller sections of the campaign levels but this time around speed is added to the mix. Your goal is to kill as many enemies as you can, as fast as you can, using either your weapons or the environment to do so.
In Horde mode, players are thrown into unique levels that are built to test your skill. Each round sends waves and waves of enemies at you. There’s a catch too. Resources are not as abundant as they are in the campaign. In fact, between waves, players are given the opportunity for about 30 seconds to upgrade weapons or open chests they discovered. Once the next waves starts, that’s it. You better be prepared. Remember those traps you can use to your advantage in the campaign? Well, in horde mode, they are one time use. So, will you use them right away or will you save them for the much larger enemies that come in later waves? Horde mode definitely tests your ability to strategize your management of resources and movements through the level.
Finders Keepers & Friendly Fire!
And if all that wasn’t enough, as mentioned before, you can team up with your friends to complete the massive levels and take on the waves of enemies.
However, there is a bit of a twist to this…resources are limited. This means whoever finds the gold, keeps the gold. This creates situations where you may figure out the puzzle to get the gold, but your friend swoops in and steals the prize.
Another aspect of the cooperative gameplay is that friendly fire is something to keep in mind. You and your buddy might be up against a horde of enemies when you accidentally bash your friend with a log trap.
Rebellion has stated the third person cooperative gameplay was largely inspired by the beloved Left 4 Dead games. Fans of the L4D series will be happy to hear that many elements of the games they know and love are present in Strange Brigade.
Scintillating Scenery
Rebellion Developments is unique in the fact that they have their own in house custom game engine, codenamed Asura. This gives them the freedom to update and customize their engine as they please.
Strange Brigade is not only a fun game to play but a beautiful game to play. While the levels are robust from a gameplay standpoint, a player can get lost in looking at the sprawling, beautifully-rendered scenery. Levels are impeccably detailed down to the plants, rocks and water features.
A Beautiful Balance
Strange Brigade is a beautiful balance of solo and co-op. Neither are mutually exclusive. A player can make it through the whole game on their own, but the cooperative aspect just adds to the fun of the overall experience. For example, some of the puzzles are just plain easier if you have a friend along to flip one time-sensitive switch while you flip the other. Can you do it on your own? Absolutely. But it’s a lot more fun with a friend.
On Day 1, Strange Brigade is a complete game. But based on marketing for end game content, there is a lot more to come for the Strange Brigade; including new heroes, new campaign, weapons, outfits and much more. If players are invested in Strange Brigade from the base game’s release, the new content will be a welcome addition. For players not interested in spending a few bucks more for the copious amounts of DLC, it’s okay because the base game is a fun ride. Additionally, Rebellion has stated there will be free monthly content available to all.
Assessing the Adventure
With all the pieces in play and a few considerations of the future of Strange Brigade, this game gets a solid 4.5 out of 5. The launch version is a strong game with all the different elements within the story and gameplay. In regard to the future of Strange Brigade, we as gamers will have to be cautiously optimistic only because there is a cloud of mystery surrounding what we will get in this “free monthly content.” That being said, Strange Brigade is a strong addition to any gamers library.
Where To Get the Goods
If you’d like to check out the game for yourself, it’s available on PC, PS4 and XBOX One on August 28th. There’s a Standard and Deluxe edition that sell for $49.99 and $79.99 respectively. The Deluxe Edition includes the season pass, which comes with a bevy of new content, including a new mini campaign, new characters, new weapons and much more. There is also a Collectors edition that includes a steel book, exclusive box, digital content, an art book and an airship model players can build on their own.
Check Out Our First Look Gameplay Now On YouTube
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