Just when you think you’ve had your fill of zombies and fantastical adventures, the Strange Brigade by Rebellion takes on a quest in the land of pharaohs, mummies, curses, and treasurers. The team comes off as a troupe of heroes in a 1960’s adventure show with a narrator who uses a lot of alliterations. It’s like a British A Team, and – by Jove – it is amazing!
I can’t really get into the plot at the moment, because I am limited to the first mission. Essentially this starts off as a rescue and investigation into a missing colleague of the Strange Brigade alongside an amateur archaeologist. You will definitely notice the map is littered with this failed expedition’s munitions and tents.
There are four playable characters, but that does not stop you from using whichever weapon loadout you want. You will only miss out on the banter if you play solo sessions, but even then, it’s still a healthy challenge. Each time you encounter a new enemy type, they will receive a short introduction from the epic narrator. The first mission includes many a zombie, armored zombies, giant scorpions, and a very disgruntled mummy. Enemies come in waves, and they are relentless! I often found myself rolling out of the way and springing traps in order to survive.
While rolling around can be tiresome, you have many opportunities to catch your breath at abandoned camps. Here you can pick up ammo, you can drink a health potion, and access the armory. Other hidden areas give you access to mystery weapons that can really help you in a pinch. The first mission included a hidden chest, and I was prompted to pay up $500 to get whatever was inside. To my amusement, it was a flamethrower! The best kind of weapon when dealing with freaks wrapped in toilet paper!
In between fighting off hordes of the undead and nefarious Neanderthals, the Strange Brigade will solve puzzles for the chance to loot items of antiquity … and incredible value. A lot of these puzzles are centered around the plot as well, but others help you find reading material and keys. You will usually have to shoot things in order to interact with them. Such is the life of an adventurer, right? Sometimes puzzle orbs look the same as orbs that activate traps, so be careful!
In your battle-hardened frenzy, please mind the floating souls that are released from the corpses of newly murdered corpses. You can collect those in order to use an ultimate ability, which can be useful. The one I used was the medallion, which releases fiery magic missiles that target enemies in your general area. While useful against mobs of armorless creatures, the ultimate move will only tickle the other guys.
If it’s not the baddies trying to grab you, your demise might be your own fault by triggering traps without realizing what they do. Spinning blades of death, spiked floor traps, perilous pendulums – you name it! The environment is incredible like that, almost like the aftermath of an Indiana Jones’ movie. The objective icon will lead you in the right direction if you need it, but the route is pretty straight forward. Plus, you might want to take some time to explore a little bit first before moving on to the next area.
If this first mission is an indication of what to expect going forward in the campaign, then I would happily buy this title myself and get playing with my friends. It takes me back to God Mode, Vermentide, and Left 4 Dead, moving from area to area while taking on whatever dares confront us. I love it! Strange Brigade is fast-paced, has a unique feel, and is reasonably challenging (especially if you want to go solo). I would argue that I would like to see more variety in loadouts, traps, enemies, etc., but I did only play the level of many. I think a fair rating for this title is a 9.5 out of 10!
Here is the Strange Brigade Launch Trailer:
STRANGE BRIGADE launches today on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam, including Collector’s and Digital Deluxe editions.
Xbox One Review
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Overall Score - 9.5/109.5/10
I like to think of myself as the average Joe who grew up alongside video games. I have fun playing strategy games, RPGs, shooters, sandboxes, the whole shebang! Every game provides an experience whether it strikes you as profound, mundane, or someplace in between. I'd like to weigh in my two cents before you spend a single penny.
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