Review: City of Brass
- Platforms: Xbox One, PS4 (Reviewed), PC
- Developer: Uppercut Games
- Publisher: Uppercut Games
- Release Date: May 4th, 2018
There are a few key ingredients to making a good Roguelike really stick with players. A good challenge that starts by kicking your ass, and lets players gradually improve and progress to keep them hooked. A setting that attracts the eye and doesn’t become stale after a few playthroughs. Satisfying combat and game mechanics are also a must if you want your Roguelike to stay in the players’ consoles and not their backlog. Uppercut Games’ City of Brass checks off most of those boxes, with a beautiful setting and addicting whip combat, however the game does lack in some areas to really be the whole package.
City of Brass is a first person Roguelike that takes place in an Arabian Nights style setting. The game begins with very little in the way of a story, giving you a short tutorial before diving right into the action. City of Brass takes place over twelve procedurally generated levels, with the goal being to reach the exit before the time limit elapses. There are mini bosses sprinkled in between every few levels, as well as a final boss to encounter to complete the game. Much like traditional Rogulike titles, City of Brass is a one-and-done game, meaning if you die you must start from the beginning. There is the occasional checkpoint however, so it’s not as grueling as some others in the genre.
While the levels are randomized, for the most part they play and feel pretty organic. The game also mixes things up by alternating day and night every few levels to keep you on your toes, however the night levels can tend to be just way too dark. The darkness does make the bright blue flaming eyes of the skeleton enemies pop, but you’ll be tempted to crank the brightness adjustment just to figure out where you’re going. Certain levels can also feel unforgiving with their trap placement, or even the sheer amount of traps around every corner.
When it comes to the game’s combat, the whip is truly City of Brass‘ main attraction. While the scimitar is technically your primary weapon when going toe-to-toe with enemies, the whip is much more versatile and satisfying to use. It can be used to trip up enemies with lashes to their legs, or temporarily stun them with a shot to the face. With it you can grab enemies and pull them into traps, as well as grab items that would normally be out of reach. The whip can also be used to dodge the various traps and pitfalls throughout the procedurally-generated maps by swinging from suspended structures overhead Indiana Jones style. There’s nothing like snapping your whip and knocking the fez off a skeleton’s head.
A major factor in any Roguelike game is giving the player a sense that they are improving after each time they meet their fate. Whether it’s upgrading a skill tree or purchasing new weapons and armor, there’s always something that pushes the player to continue their quest to the end. This is one area where City of Brass falls somewhat short of being one of those addicting Roguelikes that you just can’t put down. The game does have a blessing and burden system however, which lets you tailor the game’s difficulty and handicap yourself for each playthrough. If you find yourself struggling out of the gate you can add a couple of blessings to ease the pain, such as decreasing the number of traps and increasing your health pool. If you’d like to give yourself a real challenge you can double the enemy health or halve the time limit to get through each level.
With a game that has such a setting as City of Brass does, one would anticipate a kickass soundtrack, but the game feels oddly quiet. The only real dialogue or noise comes from either enemies grunting and shrieking, or from your character swinging their blade. The lack of soundtrack feels like a missed opportunity to add just a little bit more immersion to the setting of the game.
Despite missing the secret ingredient to the Roguelike recipe and lack of memorable soundtrack, City of Brass is an enjoyable experience with a beautiful setting and satisfying combat. City of Brass provides as much or as little of a challenge as you’d like, and the whip mechanics are the closest you’ll ever get to feeling like Indiana Jones.
A Playstation 4 review code for City of Brass was provided by Uppercut Games
