izigame.me

TLDR: It’s rare for a game to combine horror and art so flawlessly. Bramble is full of so many amazing moments that I only wish it was longer.



PROS:

➕Graphics and art design
➕Horror aesthetic


CONS:

➖Checkpoint save system with no way to tell how long ago the last checkpoint was
➖A bit short (4.5 hrs)
➖A bit lacking in gameplay


Content (Game world/Narrative) –

Heavily influenced by Nordic fables and folktales, the game world truly delivers a beautifully grim and haunting world. Absolutely superb world.
Narrative is a bit simple. It's what you’d expect of a fairy tale type adventure where you rescue someone.


Gameplay (Mechanics/Difficulty) –

Probably the weakest part of Bramble. Not much here other than run, hide, and occasionally aim/shoot. Despite a lack of gameplay, the game world makes it interesting enough by taking the very simple mechanics and changing up the presentation through stealth and offensive moments.

Bramble does lean on the more difficult side. It can be unforgiving and you’ll most likely die a lot. Checkpoints are generous and there is nothing lost from death though.


Graphics (Quality/Technical) –

Graphics are very good, as is the art style. I kept taking pictures of some epic parts.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3458946477
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3459599945
I played the game fully maxed and had no problems maintaining 90 fps.
I noticed no bugs or technical issues.
i9-13900KF | RTX 4090 | 64GB RAM | 1440p @ 240hz | Windows 11 installed on SSD


Audio –

Audio is good. Sufficiently creepy and occasionally awesome. The final fight music was just perfect.
Voice acting is good, though it's really only a single voice - the narrator.


Replay Factor (Longevity) –

Not much replay value, aside from achievements, this is a very linear game. No choices to make.


Final Verdict –

Bramble: The Mountain King (BTMK) is a horror game that is very similar to Little Nightmares but with a strong emphasis on grim folklore and fairy tales. You play as a young boy named Olle as he searches for his sister. Near the beginning, Olle witnesses his sister get captured and must rescue her while traversing through a land fraught with danger and horrors.

To start off the negatives, the two I want to focus on is the gameplay and the length.
The gameplay is very simple. Often all you really need to do is move, run, hide, and jump. There are parts where you have one or two extra abilities, but that’s pretty much it. Don’t expect deep gameplay, this is a game about the adventure.
The last negative is somewhat also a positive, in that the game is so good I wish it was longer. You can beat BTMK in about 4.5 hours. I don’t think it overstays its welcome and perhaps with the simple gameplay it's a good time to end it, but I do wish there was maybe one more boss/area.
Still, these are minor nitpicks that in my opinion do not detract from the game as a whole.

The positives. By far the game world and graphics/art style. Each fairy tale is masterfully crafted with its own ambiance and feeling. Sometimes you have to be stealthy and sneak to save zones while avoiding certain death all around you, others you’re on the offense with a sword to fell a magical druidic witch, yet still BTMK manages to blend horror and art perfectly together. I don’t normally praise a game for its graphics, but the art and camera truly enhanced the experience to make it almost movie-like.


Overall, Bramble is an amazing adventure. There is such a great balance here between horror and letting the player relax, a true testament to pacing. By the end of the game, I was astonished by how good it was, and to the game's detriment, I didn’t want to put it down….but it was over. Still, if you are a fan of Little Nightmares, this is a MUST buy. If you’re a fan of artsy horror like Hereditary and Midsommar, you should also consider checking this out. Also, as of this review it is on sale for $6 in which case, this is an instant buy.


Recommend?


Yes

You can find my curator page here: https://steamcommunity.com/groups/Synik_GR