Brut@l

Brut@l could use some more content to make runs feel more unique, but the game is pretty fun as it stands. A lovely ASCII-inspired artstyle, entertaining co-op, and some great exploration help carry so-so combat and a lame dungeon creator.

When it comes to gameplay, Brut@l may not be very innovative to the rougelike genre at its core; it's actually pretty standard as those kind of games go. This game has its artstyle and inspiration to thank for adding tons of charm to what would have been a pretty by-the-numbers entry into the genre. If you love roguelikes, or have fond memories of the old ASCII games, you will absolutely enjoy Brut@l. Even if it lacks the depth of some of its competitors, it makes it up in spades in old-school retro charm, and will hook you for hours.

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When it comes to addictive gameplay, simplicity goes a long way. Brut@l features basic and responsive controls in its roguelike dungeon crawling world but does it offer enough to keep you coming back for more?

Brut@l is certainly a punishing experience for those not used to Rogue-like tropes. Yet it’s a visually attractive game that pays tribute to Rogue in its ASCII style that’s genuinely appealing, as well as having a clean interface and enough flair in the combat to not be devalued as a button masher. A few issues rise when it comes to cooperative play, which make this a harder sell, but Brut@l is otherwise a fitting tribute to Rogue and the genre that came from it that dominates the indie scene.

Paying tribute to the old-school roguelike RPGs, Brut@l offers something unseen with its beautiful 3D perspective. With a Tron-like design feeling, venture as far as you can into this ASCII inspired dungeon crawler solo or with a friend. You only get one life so live it wisely. Everything you need to know about the game can be found right here!

With that being said, I can’t recommend this to all but the most diehard of genre fans. Even then, the art style may be lost on people who aren’t old enough to remember MS-DOS or a ZX Spectrum. That seems to be the most unique feature of the game.

Overall, Brut@l has an interesting look, and old-school gamers will probably appreciate its nods to one of gaming's oldest genres. It functions on a basic level as a competent dungeon crawler, but its repetitive gameplay combined with its cheap deaths will make most gamers look for other options. The game just doesn't reach the same heights as others in this year's PlayStation PLAY program, so those looking for some quality new indie games on PS4 may want to look into Headlander or Bound instead.

Of the four selected games in the Playstation Play promotion, I’d have to say that Brut@l didn’t particularly catch my eye. The games release trailer showed very little in terms of game-play or the game premise for that matter. My initial speculations from the trailer were that it was to be some form of futurist, board game based upon the black and white tile-like setting. Needless to say, I went into the game with very low expectations… How wrong I was.