The Sexy Brutale

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 28
  3. Negative: 0 out of 28
  1. Gamer.no
    May 11, 2017
    70
    While having a great premise, awesome music and quite good puzzles, there's simply way too much downtime in The Sexy Brutale. Moments when you can put your controller aside and do other stuff, while waiting for the hours to pass. A shame, since it's actually a really, really cool game.
  2. Slant Magazine
    Apr 21, 2017
    70
    The story understandingly loops, but the mechanics are frustratingly fixed, never really changing from those first 30 minutes.
  3. LaPS4
    Apr 10, 2017
    70
    Tequila Works and Cavalier Game Studios' joint work is an inconsistent game that highlights its artistic work and certain gameplay mechanics, but has its burdens in its less appealing controls and a really uninteresting plot. Being able to rewind time and trying to avoid crimes can lure some players, but it is an overall repetitive experience and this sort of board game doesn't amuse me as much as I would like it to.
  5. IGN Spain
    Apr 10, 2017
    70
    The new Tequila Works and Cavalier Game Studios videogame is a mix of cinematic concepts like "Groundhog Day", with table games like Clue or 13 Dead End Drive. The plot is interesting but the technical execution, lack of depth and gameplay mechanics goes against the overall result.
  6. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Jul 7, 2017
    50
    But no mask – no matter how flamboyant – can fully hide The Sexy Brutale’s faults. [July 2017, p74]
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  7. games(TM)
    Jun 17, 2017
    50
    A novel idea becomes a bland experience. [Issue#187, p.77]
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  8. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Jun 14, 2017
    50
    It seems to have all the right ingredients on the outside looking in. That's before you start trying to unravel its awkward puzzles via its tedious time mechanics. [June 2017, p.86]
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  1. Glixel
    Apr 17, 2017
    The Sexy Brutale is a smart, engrossing, novel romp – in short, the perfect way to spend a long, rainy night.

Awards & Rankings

88
#88 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2017

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 78 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 52 out of 78
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 78
  3. Negative: 8 out of 78
  1. Skirlasvoud
    Apr 14, 2017
    9
    There's very little to dislike about this game and a lot to adore, but I'll blurt out the bad first:

    The game has some minor buffering    There's very little to dislike about this game and a lot to adore, but I'll blurt out the bad first:

    The game has some minor buffering issues. Controller input can be a little wonky, with your character turning around, rather than open a door.
    Other than that, I was - initially - somewhat disappointed by the puzzles. Going in expecting this to be a puzzle detective, I barely strained a brain cell for three quarters of it. All the puzzles are obviously telegraphed. Sneak up on the appropriate gaggle of Ne'er-do-wells and they'll handily exposition you the specifications of their circuitous scheme and how to foil it.

    No matter how obvious though, the act of foiling these plans (or not!) managed to remain fun throughout. The game has oodles of style and atmosphere and just watching the life in the mansion tick down is a true joy. Uncovering the details of a plot, sneaking about the mansion, spying and applying your interesting and well implemented skills, gives you a very "Thief"-like feeling of being the voyeur and saboteur to this beautiful, intricate world. It's all there for you to outwit, and be privy to the various overlapping intrigues as they run through each other like ornate clockwork. The urge to undo a tied ribbon, lies mostly in how pretty the bow is. The Sexy Brutale in that, is one hell of a tantalizing knot in artwork, sound and snappy character design.

    Eventually, the intelligence of this game is found instead, in how it kept misdirecting my expectations. There were several moments where I thought I had the Sexy Brutale figured out, only for mounting dread to make me doubt, and then fear another theory.

    In the end, the game has one hell of a mind-boggling plot twist that makes everything feel like it made sense. I'll only say this: A storepage's tag of "mystery/adventure" suits Sexy Brutale best. Buy this game for the mystery, vague as that may sound, and I can promise you the inquisitive will be well rewarded with one hell of a journey.    … Full Review »
  2. Underpants158
    May 16, 2017
    6
    The concept of a groundhog day mixed with murder mystery is intriguing but it never feels satisfying. Thwarting a murder is just aboutThe concept of a groundhog day mixed with murder mystery is intriguing but it never feels satisfying. Thwarting a murder is just about finding the information (usually through eavesdropping and tracking people throughout the day) that you need to stop it. I never felt like I came up with an ingenious way to stop a murder only like I stumbled upon the solution and there is only one solution.… Full Review »
  3. Strumbore
    Apr 16, 2017
    9
    The best-kept secret of 2017!

    A truly amazing game. Do not be fooled into thinking this game will only be novel for a few minutes; it will    The best-kept secret of 2017!

    A truly amazing game. Do not be fooled into thinking this game will only be novel for a few minutes; it will subvert your expectations from beginning to end. I can go on and on about the graphical style, about the music, but the gameplay itself is just extremely solid. It is amazing how interconnected everything is! The world is huge and characters have their own intricate schedules that interact with each other and the environment in novel ways. A lot of reviewers are saying the game is "Clue" meets something-other, but the only way it's like "Clue" is that people are being murdered in a mansion. A more apt comparison I have heard of is not even to a game, but to the short story, "The Masque of the Red Death". Most of the characters go about their business blissfully unaware of their impending doom, as the music within the ostentatious mansion builds to an ominous crescendo. The game is dark, witty, and funny as hell. Even the murderous staff have some of the best lines, to be discovered by spying on them in an unguarded moment. The Sexy Brutale reminds me most of Playstation 2-era Castlevania games, where players can rightly sense that a secret passage could hold the answers to mysteries with profound implications on the story.

    Flaws are few. There are the occasional pauses when entering new rooms and the protagonist's weird glitch when he randomly can't seem to get in front of and open a door--also rare. A cataloging system for playing card collectibles feels like an overlooked necessity. Other than those, it's just too bad that there isn't more of the game to play once you're done. The length is very satisfying, though (I spent several hours of several days playing the game, exploring its nooks and crannies), and there are many little secrets to discover (and at least one big secret).

    This game is worth every penny. Buy it now! Don't wait!    … Full Review »
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