Game: Bravery & Greed
Genre: Action, Adventure, Platformer
System: Steam (Windows & Linux) (Also on Nintendo Switch, Xbox and PS4)
Developer|Publisher: Rekka Games | Team 17
Controller Support: Yes
Price: UK £15.99 | US $19.99 | € 19,99
Release Date: November 15th, 2022
Review code provided with many thanks to Press Engine.
Hunting for Riches
Bravery & Greed is a 2D action game with roguelike mechanics. Now I know some readers may roll their eyes when they hear that genre once again. The idea of a game design where you repeat similar levels run after run as you edge just a little closer to the end may not be an appealing prospect. But what if I was to tell you Bravery & Greed does try to be different. With a brawler-like fighting style, appealing fantasy setting and the ability for up to four friends to come along for the ride. Bravery & Greed may restore your faith in roguelikes and even make for a pretty good game night.
A group of adventures are in the tavern discussing their next quest for riches. To get to the biggest score they have ever seen deep in the dwarven dungeons they need to collect 4 MacGuffins across 4 dungeons. Acquiring these will be no easy task. Each dungeon is littered with monsters, the odd trap and a challenging boss encounter. All of which want to stop you in your tracks. The story is not the biggest focus of the experience, things are kept short and to the point with the gameplay doing most of the talking. The game does contain an extensive codex of every enemy you encounter and an item you pick up, so if you do want to learn more about the game you can dive into that at your own leisure between runs.
Only the Brave
Bravery & Greed’s gameplay is incredibly fun to pick up and play. The hack-and-slash style gameplay is instantly accessible for gamers of all skill levels, but it will take practice to master it. You’re able to attack enemies straight on but also juggle them into the air and slam them into the ground. It gives the game a satisfying brawler feel to it.
You have four characters to pick from, each with their own unique move sets and abilities such as a rogue, wizard and warrior. I found the Amazon character to be my favourite, using a mighty sword for dealing slow but heavy melee damage and a handy parry move to counterattack. She also has a nifty chakram, a small circular blade you can fling from a distance. Although, you need to make sure to press the button to catch it when it flies back to avoid taking unnecessary damage. I felt quite fulfilled flinging it into a crowd and still catching it whilst slashing away at enemies.
Before you set off, the game allows you to walk through a brief tutorial to get you used to the game’s move sets, though you may need to replay this with different characters as it only covers the one you select.
Off to the Dungeons’
Once ready it’s off to the races, well dungeons in this case. It’s the familiar formula of entering a room, taking out the waves of enemies and searching every nook and cranny for chests and secrets. All your progress is tracked by a handy map, once you reach the big door to the boss room you are able to teleport back to prior rooms to cover any missed areas. You’ll sometimes encounter the odd vendor who will exchange your gold for enchantments to items or purchase new wares.
You’ll come across various statues which will allow you to pick a new perk, which will stick with you for the rest of the run. Mixing these perks with specific elemental items will buff them further, for example wearing a gauntlet with a fire blast can be buffed further with the right perk. Sometimes you will encounter a hurt or imprisoned NPC like a wolf, who you can recruit to fight with you.
It was nice to have the help, but they have a bad habit of just running into trouble with enemies. Yet they are able to avoid traps without taking damage. My heart was broken many times when my wolf pal perished in battle.
The Greed Reap Rewards
As is the roguelike way death will be an inevitability but not the end of the world. All of the gold you have acquired into the run will pour into the ‘Greed-o-meter,’ as this meter levels up you unlock random items. Some of these include new equipment you may stumble across in a future run, other times it might be a new NPC to recruit to help you in your quest. You may unlock a card which can be activated at the start of a new run. These tend to have positive and negative effects on activation. For example, they may increase the gold you find but the enemies will deal more damage.
Throughout most of my runs, I tended to unlock a few items so the incentive to hop back in for another go is quite appealing. Runs can be quite long, in some instances, I was hitting over the hour mark. If you need to jump out, you are able to do so and pick up the adventure, but the game didn’t make it very clear when it was saved. To play it safe I often completed the dungeon I was in before signing out.
A feature I really liked after death is you can choose your starting dungeon provided you have completed it. This means you don’t always have to play the same first level over and over. Just keep in mind the levels will increase in difficulty as you progress. Speaking of difficulty, I guess a small niggle is combat spiked aggressively, especially in boss fights. It still didn’t stop me from coming back for more.
Bring the Team
The game offers you the option to bring friends along for dungeon raiding. This can be done locally or online but doesn’t appear you can mix the two together. Unfortunately, I was unable to test the online during review as the servers were empty. In co-op, you are able to play the main adventure, take on a horde more or engage in some PVP action if you want to settle who needs to do the dishes one night. While multiplayer seems preferable, I will point out I still had a blast playing this in single player.
Graphics are familiar pixel designs but with some nice detail to them. Dungeons are dark and sinister with the music matching the ominous tone as you delve into the unknown. Each dungeon has a unique theme like plant life, lava or ice. Dungeons are littered with rats scurrying about and spider webs peppering the ceiling. You don’t exactly feel welcome in these places and that’s before you meet the enemies. While the tone can seem dark in places, I didn’t spot anything overly violent or gory. So, it may be suitable to play with the entire family.
Conclusion – For the Brave or Greedy
Bravery & Greed was a satisfying roguelike experience for me. But it is also an example of the roguelike formula starting to become a bit too familiar and in desperate need of updating. And I say that as a huge fan of the genre. Bravery & Greed manages a strong recommendation from me because its combat is very satisfying, and I very much liked the fantasy setting. Having the ability to play this co-op online or locally also makes this one to recommend to friends or family. If you’re feeling greedy for another roguelike this will still provide hours of entertainment.
Final Verdict: I Like it a Lot
