Brut@l

 PlayStation 4
Brut@l Image
Metascore
67

Mixed or average reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
6.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 14 Ratings

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  • Summary: Brut@l is a modern re-imagining of the classic ASCII dungeon crawler with roguelike elements. With Perma death as a key feature players choose their hero: Ranger, Mage, Warrior or Amazon then descend into a procedurally generated world constructed entirely from ASCII. With weapon crafting,Brut@l is a modern re-imagining of the classic ASCII dungeon crawler with roguelike elements. With Perma death as a key feature players choose their hero: Ranger, Mage, Warrior or Amazon then descend into a procedurally generated world constructed entirely from ASCII. With weapon crafting, potion brewing and an onslaught of enemies to face, can you survive this Brut@l dungeon crawler? [Playstation.com]
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Brutal - Playstation Experience 2015 Trailer

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. GameGrin
    Aug 18, 2016
    85
    I really liked Brut@l. It has vivid graphics, good depth, a strong solo mode with its presentation of dungeons and the enemies, and this was topped off with a really intuitive Dungeon Creator. There is plenty on offer here, and it certainly doesn’t restrict itself to fans of the genre.
  2. Gamer.nl
    Aug 8, 2016
    80
    Brut@l is one of this summer's most pleasant surprises. By taking inspiration from classics like Rogue and adding new gameplay mechanics, striking visuals and some very fluent gameplay, Brut@l becomes a great game in its own right.
  3. PlayStation Universe
    Aug 4, 2016
    75
    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.
  4. Game Informer
    Aug 2, 2016
    70
    The crafting system is superficial but pretty much all of Brutal is that way. Its most interesting qualities are gimmicks – the ASCII visuals, the procedural generation, a shield that you can throw like Captain America because why not?
  5. Push Square
    Aug 2, 2016
    70
    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.
  6. IGN Italia
    Oct 2, 2016
    65
    Brut@l is a decent action game, only for fans of the genre.
  7. Metro GameCentral
    Aug 8, 2016
    50
    The visual look of the game is novel and fun, but underneath it is a shallow and only intermittently enjoyable dungeon crawler.

See all 26 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. surfacepatterns
    Aug 10, 2016
    8
    Brut@l is a procedurally generated, realtime, isometric dungeon crawler with an artistic style that makes liberal use of the ASCII characterBrut@l is a procedurally generated, realtime, isometric dungeon crawler with an artistic style that makes liberal use of the ASCII character set in its graphical models. It is styled after old school turn-based ASCII roguelikes like Rogue and Nethack, though its realtime nature makes the play very different from the aforementioned roguelikes.

    Pros:
    * The controls are simple, straightforward, and relatively precise.
    * The combat is surprisingly satisfying, given its simplistic nature.
    * The game didn't crash once.
    * The worst bug I noticed was a trophy not unlocking; specifically, when I realized I was going to win, I made sure to drink one type of each potion in order to unlock the trophy linked to doing just that. The trophy didn't unlock.
    * The combinations of creatures you find in different rooms can make for challenging combat.
    * Most of the dungeon is black and white. Surprisingly, this is quite advantageous, as the things that are colored (lava, water, poison, etc.) *really* stand out.
    * Unlike most trailers, watching the Brut@l gameplay trailers will give you a *really* good idea of how the game works, and what to expect from the game. The trailers don't oversell Brut@l at all.
    * The ending I saw is simple, but a little surprising and fun. I don't know if there's more than one ending.
    * The procedural generation was quite good. There's certainly some re-use of rooms and such (maze rooms, rooms with platforms surrounded by water or lava, etc.), but it never felt old.

    Cons:
    * The AI is simple-minded. Creatures will proceed toward you using the shortest possible path. If there is no path to you (say, because there's a chasm between you and the creature), then the creature will stand as close to you as possible while you shoot it with arrows or zap it with wands. Not as bad as Necropolis, to be sure, but still pretty bad. Hopefully, they'll address the AI in an update.
    * This game likely wasn't tested well by patient gamers. If you're patient and careful (say, if you've played enough Souls games), you might beat the game on your first try (I did).
    * I had a difficult time getting used to aiming arrows. The other missile-type weapons/devices were easier to aim for some reason. I think it's because once you ready the arrow, the direction of your aim is fixed, regardless of whether or not you move around before loosing the arrow.
    * The skill paths make no sense. There are some skills that have prerequisites that make absolutely no sense.
    * Towards the end game, your character class won't matter because all character classes have the same skill paths. The character class only determines what skills you start with.
    * No NG+, or difficulty settings.

    My playthrough was approximately 10-11 hours of game time. I've read other reviews that suggest a playthrough can be finished in 3-4 hours. After my playthrough, I can say that I feel quite satisfied. I can see myself trying a second playthrough in a week or so.

    I haven't tried the local co-op, but intend to soon.    … Expand
  2. FriedConsole
    Aug 25, 2016
    7
    This game is a great rougelike but unfortunately I find the chosen art style hard to look at for extended periods. I get the idea of why itThis game is a great rougelike but unfortunately I find the chosen art style hard to look at for extended periods. I get the idea of why it looks the way it does but I still find it hard to want to look at it. Also the platforming sucks. I do not want to time jumps in a rogelike. Wanted to like this more.… Expand
  4. mekimberlite
    Oct 4, 2016
    6
    I had a lot of fun playing this game in the first couple of weeks I owned it, but it didn't hold up well. I eventually got bored playing it.I had a lot of fun playing this game in the first couple of weeks I owned it, but it didn't hold up well. I eventually got bored playing it.

    It's a fairly simple game, very easy to pick up and go with.

    I really like the design of the game and their use of color along with the ASCII characters. Almost everything is black and white, (caves have a green tint to them), so items of color really stand out and grab your attention. Water is blue, fire is orange and so forth.

    I wish the camera could be moved a bit better, maybe 360, or further in any given direction.

    That being said, I love how responsive all the controls work. I am real stickler for controls that work well and these controls do not disappoint!

    I co-op'ed local last night and it was very challenging to say the least. For local co-op, I would have to give the game a rating of maybe a 4 or 5 right now. Both players have to share the same screen and it can become really problematic because if one character is further away then you can't move your own character out of a poisonous gas cloud, or jump away from an enemy, let's say. There just isn't enough room and sometimes the game moves too fast which makes local co- op problematic. I think the local co-op would work MUCH better if each player were given a split screen and weren't tethered to one another.    … Expand

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