Broforce Review (Dr. Fortyseven)
This is easily in my top 5 favorite platformers of all time. It's fucking hysterical, the controls are terrific, and it has a crazy good eye for detail around it's chaotic blend of source material.
There's also a great variety of settings and classic 80s action baddies to keep things interesting.
I cannot recommend it enough. I've returned to it numerous times, and it plays like a dream on the Steam Deck (once you get the controls sorted, at least).
This game is ACHING for a sequel.
...
That said, a few very minor pain points:
The game's "lives" system revolves around freeing fellow "Bros" being kept as POWs; which is a great idea.
Unfortunately the game immediately swaps you out for the freshly free'd POW. This means if you're having fun playing as the Terminator and you free William Wallace (a melee/sword guy) from his cage, well, tough luck, jack.
Of course, you can try and seek out another POW and take your chances. Or if you die, it randomizes who respawns. There's no strategy to it other than "do I get a POW/1-up and switch, or stay cool but vulnerable to mission failure".
What I'm getting at is this system makes sense from the point of view of it keeping things varied and fresh, but it's a real buzz-kill when you're zipping along having a blast and suddenly find yourself with a less fun character. It'd be nice to have the option to hold down something to keep the current bro.
Fortunately MOST of the Bros are interesting/powerful in their own ways. A few feel like novelties. Cherry Darling, for instance, she shoots DOWN and it gives her an air boost as she does it.
The OTHER issue is less of a problem, and more of a game design thing...
The game leans hard on it's little generic sandbox of an engine. Materials in the world are all seemignly tile-based and each one has it's own material strength, etc, and with enough firepower MOST of them can be obliterated. Each mission has a clearly defined "happy path" that you're intended to follow. But, if you know me, I exploit what you put in front of me, which means there are entire levels or dangerous areas I can simply drill through with my gun to bypass. Just core right through the earth to the other end, like Mario walking along the top of the screen in World 1-2.
I have to imagine that was left that way by design, since it DOES allow you to get quite creative with how you take these guys down. But it takes some self-restraint at times to keep you from ruining the experience. Thankfully the only maps you can truly ruin are few and far between. Besides, you're here to mow fuckers down, not play Minecraft. 😉
These are literally my only complaints. I love this game. And now I'm finding out it started life as a Ludem Dare entry?!! DAMN. 🍻