TigerTails Gaming Reviews: Brok: The Brawl Bar
Brok: The Brawl Bar is a spin-off game from the main Brok: The InvestiGator game (a previous TigerTails Gaming Game of the Year winner) and takes the beat’em’up mechanic from the main game and adds a layer of polish to give you a well-rounded challenge-based fighting game.
New characters give a whole new look into how life in the Slums is tackled by the residents of Atlasia, while some old faces show up and give us a new side to their personality that they may not have otherwise had the chance to show in the main game. There is more to this game that just expanding the lore of the universe, though.
The fighting aspect of the game is broken up into 60 main challenges, all tackled within VR Booths (much like the underground fights Brok takes part in for Shay). Not every challenge is a fight, and some will test your skill. There are bonus challenges, daily challenges, Survival mode, and the ability to make your own challenges as a bonus. You can tackle these alone, or with up to three friends via local co-op. There are extra things to do as well, which I won’t spoil here, but fighting in the VR booths might not be the only way Brok is able to resolve conflicts. There is also an achievement/trophy for using a certain room in the bar.
In our modern world where all 2D games are either pixel-art or 3D models made to look 2D, Brok: The Brawl Bar is refreshingly made with big, amazingly well drawn sprites, with plenty of animation frames to give a smooth fighting experience where characters feel like they have some weight and heft behind them. Admittedly, most of the moves are recycled from Brok the InvestiGator, but The Brawl Bar’s creation expanded the fighting system, which was then back-ported into the main adventure via some updates. The game might have a slightly dystopian Disney Afternoon look to it, but everything leans into it and creates a cohesive universe where struggles feel real, and characters can express themselves enough to bring their emotions to the screen.
Like the main game, the accessibility options are superb. All character dialogue is fully voice acted (with original VOs reprising their roles when they appear) and an optional narrator can be turned on for all menu text. Lots of options to allow visually impaired players to enjoy the game are featured, from high contrast modes, to high quality subtitles to help the hearing impared.
This is a great game that feels like it’s been made just for me. Quick “pick up and play” arcade action, with plenty of meat on the bone to encourage getting better at the game. Don’t be fooled by the animal characters, this game can be one tough cookie when it wants to be and is certainly worth picking up. And then go play the main game if you haven’t already, as that’s worth it too (plus there’s a demo available on all platforms so you can check the main game out for free – literally no excuse not to). The gaming landscape needs more games that were made with passion for the art, rather than a way to scrape more pennies with microtransactions or AI filled slop, and Brok: The Brawl Bar fits that niche more than nicely.
