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Strange Brigade Review: An Extra Pulpy Adventure Story
Sniper Elite developers Rebellion Developments is taking their skills to the past with their latest release, Strange Brigade - and there's no doubt that the title is representative of the game's overall experience. Strange Brigade is... strange, to say the least. But that's for the better, since the co-op action shooter dives head-first into all sorts of ancient, mythological mysteries, giving players a rather unique experience compared to anything the developer has made before.
Without spoiling the story, which plays out like chapters of a serial adventure adapted into the form of a classic novella, Strange Brigade - consisting of four distinctive Secret Service agents dispatched by the British government, of which their only similarity is their mission - follows an expeditionary group that's tasked with defeating the Ancient Egyptian queen Seteki, after an archaeologist unwittingly unleashed her spirit. Since the game takes place in the 1930s, players can imagine the type of adventure they can expect, in the vein of the old Hollywood classics.
While Strange Brigade's narrative is its strongest aspect in general, seeing as it sets the mood for the game, perhaps the best part of this new title is the developers' commitment to the game's presentation as an early 20th-century pulp adventure. In that regard, they have truly succeeded in capturing what it feels like to play through an old serial - or even something as modern as 1999's The Mummy movie, with some campy Tomb Raider elements sprinkled throughout. Plus, there's the unique narration.
While the narrator may appear to be a nuisance at the start, he grows into a personal companion of sorts throughout the story, not only recounting the player's saga as it unfolds but also adding that extra level of British humor that the developers seem to be trying to strike a balance with. This is not meant to be a somber tale but rather a cheeky story arc that just gets weirder as it goes on. And all of that is heightened by an attractive artistic style as well as exceptional visuals, including a skybox that could rival some triple-A games.
But in the end, the gameplay is rudimentary and uninspired, though it gets the job done by advancing the story with increasingly challenging enemies, snares, and expansive combat arenas that employ the use of numerous traps. In fact, the most intriguing element of Strange Brigade's playing experience is having to incorporate and rely heavily on the environment's traps. Without them, it would be difficult to use weapons alone to advance to the next stage. The traps distinguish Strange Brigade from the crowd and give the game an oomph factor for what is otherwise a generic shooter.
Strange Brigade is now available on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
OUR RATING:
3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)
