Developed by Allods Team Arcade and published by MY.Games, Blast Brigade vs. the Evil Legion of Dr. Cread is an action-packed 2D Metroidvania adventure that is one of the biggest surprises for me this year. Being a huge Metroidvania fan, I somehow missed the Early Access phase of the game, and I finally came across the title only to find out that I have been massively missing out. Metroidvania is one of the genres that have some of the best titles ever made and it is extremely difficult to match their tier at this point however Blast Brigade vs. Evil Legion of Dr. Cread manages to just do that with its beautifully designed vacation island. This is our review of Blast Brigade vs. the Evil Legion of Dr. Cread in which we tackle some really cool bosses and sleep in hammocks.
Blast Brigade vs. the Evil Legion of Dr. Cread follows the story of a group of heroes who are flying out on a mission, but their plane is shot down over Dr. Cread’s Island. While this sounds like a vacation plan, Dr. Cread also happens to be the main villain of the game who is hellbent on destroying everything and it is your goal to stop it. You have four diverse characters to play with and with the option of changing between them on the go, you can easily use their diverse abilities and unique skills to traverse everything that the island throws at you. You begin the game with a single character, and you must progress in the main story to unlock the rest of your crew along with new skills, abilities, and Modules which are game-changers in different scenarios.
Right from the start of the game, you notice that the world and level design of Blast Brigade vs. the Evil Legion of Dr. Cread is really pretty. The levels are simply beautiful to look at and their design gives you a challenge of their own as you must defeat normal enemies and avoid various environmental hazards to progress in the main story. Naturally, not all areas are available to you right from the start of the game because you lack the skills and the gear for accessing them. Some of them are locked behind teleporters while some require a grappling hook, and some are even hiding behind giant boulders that can be destroyed with a grenade launcher. Each level is filled with secrets and bonuses for you to find if you decide to go off the beaten path, but some story progression is always required for unlocking a particular character or ability.
The story of Blast Brigade vs. the Evil Legion of Dr. Cread works out in the form of open-map progression where the game just marks the next objective on your map, and you must explore and find out what is hiding out in the dark for you. As you explore the levels, your map is also updated and once you come across different sites and NPCs, they are marked on the map as well. Naturally, there is plenty of backtracking in the game so after reaching a certain point in the main story, you also unlock your bike which acts as a fast travel option if you want to go back quickly. The map of the game is really big, and it was a big surprise for me. Blast Brigade vs. the Evil Legion of Dr. Cread is not a short game and only the story can take around 20 hours depending on how you play the game. Complete exploration will push this time ever further and there is tons to explore in the game.
Another unique mechanic of Blast Brigade vs. the Evil Legion of Dr. Cread is the use of Modules which are essentially short boosts or bonuses to various abilities that you can use in the game. These modules are powered by batteries, and you have to choose between one Module of each tier. These are hidden all over the game’s map, so you have to find them all first to make sure of the whole tier system. While this is not a true RPG, the only character customization that you can do in the game to change how you play the game is done at the Modules screen where you choose which Module you want to use for your character. However, these are not locked, and you can switch between them at any time but granted that you have batteries to power each tier of the Modules. The more you explore the world of the game, the more rewarding it becomes. I really like the fact that exploration is extremely rewarding in Blast Brigade vs. the Evil Legion of Dr. Cread.
The enemy design of the game is another great aspect that is worth mentioning in this review. The enemies range from both wildlife to overgrown insects to Dr. Cread’s forces which have taken over the island. Each enemy requires a different strategy and while the enemies may look small, even the smallest enemy in the game can really make you cry if you are not careful. The weapon range is not that high in the game, so it forces you to get up close and personal with the enemies as well the bosses of the game further anting up the challenge. Just like every good Metroidvania game that we have played in the game, Blast Brigade vs. the Evil Legion of Dr. Cread comes with really satisfying boss battles as well. The design is exceptionally good, and the animations are brilliant. However, they are not easy bosses and some of the bosses will really test your patience, but they all follow a particular attack pattern, so you just have to be smart to beat them.
You have limited health in the game and one Cure Flask between the save points that you can use to gain back some of the lost health before you die so you have to play the game carefully. For saving, you will sleep at hammocks which are strategically placed on levels with their markings showing their locations when you are near them. You can increase your health, the effectiveness of your Cure flask, and your energy cells which are consumed when you use your special weapons and abilities with pickups. These are sometimes hidden on the map, or some bosses drop them as well after you defeat them. I will not say that the game is extremely tough when it comes to combat but some arena fights and boss battles were really tough in the game but if you play the game smartly, it is not very difficult. You can also change between the two shooting mechanics if you prefer a twin-stick shooting setting or a regular aim-and-shoot setting.
For doing all of the damage and the shooting in the game, you have your own arsenal of primary and support weapons. After your initial weapon, you can further unlock three primary weapons where one of which must be crafted while you can also have 6 support weapons, out of which one has to be crafted with resources. Apart from crafting weapons, you will also craft different structures and set up your base on Dr. Cread’s Island in order to craft various updates. You will be using various resources for all of the crafting needs that you find on the island, and you can fast travel from any location back to your base in order to upgrade your gear and more. For changing your gear, you must be present at a hammock so you can change your equipment out on the field as well but for the upgrades, you need to first build and expand your base and then complete your tasks.
Blast Brigade vs. the Evil Legion of Dr. Cread is a beautiful game that offers a solid gameplay experience. It also gave me strong Metal Slug vibes with its 2D shooting and ammo crates dropping from different enemies. It was a real pleasant surprise for me and after initially completing the title, I will be jumping back in the game as well to try out the additional modules that I missed during my initial playthrough. It offers tons of exploration opportunities, four great characters, each with their own unique abilities and personality, great humorous narration, and an overall excellent presentation. I loved shooting, platforming, and the general gameplay on the PS55 console and the game ran exceptionally well on the console as well. There were no DualSense advanced features so that was a letdown but other than that, I loved the game, and I can easily recommend it to everyone to play it.
Final Verdict:
If you were waiting for an excellent Metroidvania to come out for some time, then your wishes have been granted because Blast Brigade vs. the Evil Legion of Dr. Cread is really the best one that you can jump into right now. This is the perfect story of how Early Access development should go because everything in the game is top-notch. The game really sticks true to the whole Metroidvania formula with difficult yet satisfying boss battles, plenty of areas to explore, and tons of backtracking for unlocking additional bonuses and finding secrets. The game packs action, humor, intense action, a multitude of characters to play with, and a brilliant art style and sound design to keep you glued to the screen. I will highly recommend the title for any Metroidvania fan who is currently waiting for Hollow Knight: Silksong to leave everything and have their Metroidvania fill in Blast Brigade vs. the Evil Legion of Dr. Cread as this game is a must-play for you.
Final Score: 9.0/10
