Strange Brigade is a game that ticks a lot of boxes. From the developers that gave us the unique “Skull Shattering” game play of Sniper Elite, comes a game that is sure to tickle your trigger happy fingers. Strange Brigade is a multi platform game. It is available on all the major consoles and also the PC.
Strange Brigade is a rare title that manages to create a completely satisfying single and multiplayer experience. It is not a long haul. A motivated team could hammer through in under five hours while digging up all of the secrets might take closer to twenty but it’s immensely re-playable thanks to character variety and the different dynamics of co-op and solo modes.
What to Expect?
4000 years ago, Sahara Africa was ruled by Seteki, a brutal and barbaric queen. Dissatisfied with her rule, her people overthrew her and sealed her in a nameless tomb. In 1930, archaeologist Edgar Harbin discovered her tomb and released the Queen’s spirit. The Strange Brigade, a group of Secret Service agents sent by the British colonial government, has infiltrated Harbin’s expedition in an effort to eliminate the zombie hordes.
The story builds a great narrative on the colonial expedition of Africa along with a witty over the top narration helps with the laughs and over all mood of the game.
Graphics
When it comes to visuals, the game does not disappoint. Everything from the environment design to last bit of detail on the character’s t-shirt is crisp and neat. The world looks amazing and the special effects such as explosions, blood spattering and lightning, everything is a treat to look at.
The game has a pretty unique layout in terms of the graphics and user interface. The main idea of the game is to create an authentic yet fun filled scavenger hunt in the mythological African deserts. This is accomplished by the developers for the most part. The characters, the landscape and the giant Scorpios all deal pretty real whilst in the virtual world of the game.
Fresh take on CO-OP
Strange Brigade manages to avoid the typical co-op shooter slog of having you merely dispatch wave after wave of meat bags before moving on to the next section. There is a Horde mode (and Score Attack mode) for those who want it, but in the main game any risk of monotony is happily avoided thanks to the many traps that litter open areas – in addition to the puzzles. Triggering these not only helps you make light work of enemies and the odd boss that will appear, but also is also a solid strategy of crowd control that makes seeing a mob of skeletons make friends with a swinging spiked log or fire pit immensely satisfying, as you can imagine.
Strange Brigade is a solid third-person shooter that doesn’t bring anything fresh to the genre besides its charming, over-the-top campiness which makes the game shine and not take itself too seriously. The game play is nothing new, but everything is executed seamlessly, and the game is relatively quite enjoyable minus a few frustrating hordes of inconvenient undead.
Characters
Strange Brigade follows a ragtag group of heroes blessed with supernatural powers who uncover lost civilizations and keep the world safe from ancient evil. They are tasked with saving the world from an awakened evil Egyptian Witch Queen named Seteki and her loyal army of mummies and the undead.
Each character comes with their own unique identity and their own unique special powers. They are individually playable in the single game mode. However it is the multiplayer mode where they really come to life.
- Frank Fairburne : His special ability is called Dynamite Dash which is a rushing attack, enemies hit by it will be sent flying and explode when they land.
- Archimedes de Quincey: His special ability is called Beetle Blitz, which is a homing attack that will hit multiple enemies.
- Nalangu Rushida: Her special ability is called Raging Aura, which is a powerful blast that can hit multiple enemies within it’s radius
- Gracie Braithwaite: Her special ability is called Typhoon Snake, which will drag an enemy towards her, to then be used as an explosive projectile
In-Game Features
Some of the most prominent in game features are but not limited to : The Multi player mode and the intriguing side missions to find unique treasures.
The combat has been made even more seamless, with new moves and the heat meter in play, one can fight enemies with a lot more assurance and ease as compared to other games of similar nature. The weapons have been upgraded and can be used and stored for later combat. Although there is one snag, that being you can not pick up the weapons during idle play. Apart from that the fighting seems authentic and the blood and gore level seems pretty surreal.
Audio Quality
The game has a unique sound and creates a nice in game environment. The witty, over the top narration helps acts as a comic relief. The narrator is your tour guide. He takes you on this African Safari as you hack your way through zombies, pirates and giant insects.
There is also a good ambient sound of the different areas you explore. Every area comes with it’s own unique sound to increase the impact of the level you are at.
Final Verdict:
Strange Brigade is a fun adventure to go on. With it’s unique game play and if you are asking yourself Should you buy Strange Brigade? If you have some friends looking to invest some time in this game playing with you (and some money too, since they’ll have to buy their own copies) then yes, absolutely. With pals, this is a great ride. Looking to go solo? Um, it’s a bit more of a hard sell. You can jump in with people online of course, but it’s not the same as your friends being along for the ride.
Rating: 4/5
