Dimfrost Studios’ Bramble: The Mountain King initially launched on consoles again in April of this yr and, now that it is headed to Xbox Game Pass, we’re diving in for a assessment of this darkish and brooding Limbo-like set inside a fantastical Scandinavian fairy-tale world.
If you are already au fait together with your Nakens and Skogras, Gnomes and Nokks, you will be at a slight tactical benefit (nicely, a minimum of when it comes to what number of occasions you get a fright) as you soar into this slice of darkish fantasy, taking over the position of a younger boy, Olle, as he climbs out his bed room window at midnight to search around for his sister. Ignoring all warnings in an effort to avoid wasting his expensive sibling from the clutches of a troll, Olle ventures forth on a journey that expertly layers on the horror as you progress from verdant meadows to blood-soaked butchers’ lairs, plague-infected villages and extra moreover.
Taking notable cues from Playdead Studios’ superlative Limbo – and with a particular trace of Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice as well – gamers discover themselves nearly completely defenseless, save for the flexibility to chuck a glowing rock every so often, and can immediately come to a really sticky finish ought to they be detected and caught by any of the sport’s fantastical array of folklore freaks. You know the drill; sneak round avoiding lights, cover behind objects, time your actions and take pleasure in some gentle platforming and environmental puzzles as you go.
The largest change to the well-worn system right here is Dimfrost’s determination to rock a slick dynamic digital camera type that shifts by means of varied planes, transferring the motion from side-scrolling 2D to 3D segments and drawing you into its creepy world by making efficient use of depth of area results. For a small indie sport resembling this, the outcomes are sometimes mightily spectacular when it comes to how the sport seems to be and sounds. Indeed, past the usually great visuals and a few really memorable sequences stuffed with slightly startling imagery, the sound design actually stands out.
The compounding dread of Olle’s scenario is matched by a rating that slowly builds and intensifies as you progress, and a few sections that characteristic sung lyrics, in addition to one late sport sequence that comes with a really well-known piece of music, actually serving to to intensify the grim temper. This can also be a surprisingly darkish and grownup affair as soon as issues actually kick into gear. Check out our screenshots and you will get the gist of the vibe, it is a bloody and traumatic journey that offers in some disturbing themes, and shifts deftly from foreboding to full-on gore in locations. The narrative too, though easy, is efficient and options a few slightly haunting and emotional moments that make you query your violent actions.
Dimfrost has additionally carried out a slightly great job of capturing the essence of what makes folklore and fairy-tales so uniquely unsettling. You’ll typically spot disturbing figures lingering within the background as you fumble by means of the sport’s environments, they’re all hunched backs, crooked noses, darkish hoods and the type of character design we bear in mind all too nicely from poring over all these tales in outdated books. Several conventional Nordic folklore creatures have been introduced impressively to life too, in just a few key sequences that see the sport at its perfect. A battle towards a violin-playing Nacken – who seems to be as if he is been plucked instantly out of Koji Suzuki’s Ringu Trilogy – is a standout, however nearly equally efficient are face-offs towards a very creepy Karrhaxan and the Mountain King himself.
The effort that is been expended in bringing these nightmare creatures to life is the sport’s largest draw and on this regard, alongside the general eerie tone and environment, it is a resounding success that actually does grow to be an increasing number of fascinating as its brief story progresses. However, and it is a slightly large nevertheless, there are some notable points. From a pure gameplay perspective, Bramble: The Mountain King feels as if it wanted extra time within the oven, or on the very least a few patches.
There’s an total jankiness to how Olle jumps and strikes by means of environments, some weak platforming, clumsy digital camera angles that obscure the trail ahead every so often, and a common lack of polish in your protagonist’s animations. Boss fights and battle sequences, which often require you to purpose and hearth a glowing stone at your foes, are let down by free aiming and design that errs extra on the facet of trial and error than it does any type of talent. There are additionally just a few niggling framerate points right here and there which ought to actually have been smoothed out by now. Put all these items collectively and there is a stage of frustration that is unlucky. If the motion and aiming had been tightened up just a bit bit, if the animations had been barely extra polished and if the sport did extra to take away some pointless frustration borne out of insta-fail trial and error segments, we would genuinely be taking a look at a bonafide indie basic right here.
As issues stand, and particularly because it’s now on Game Pass, Bramble: The Mountain King continues to be value getting caught into, regardless of its points. It might not attain the heights of its most evident inspirations, however make peace with the technical shortcomings of this indie effort, give attention to the story, the environment and the menagerie of twisted beasties and fairy-tale freaks on supply, and also you’re in for a slightly delightfully darkish 4 hours’ value of otherworldly adventuring.
Conclusion
Bramble: The Mountain King is a darkish and brooding slice of Nordic folklore that is nicely value digging into, regardless of some notable technical shortcomings. There’s an inherent jankiness to the gameplay right here that permeates its platforming, boss battles and exploration. However, if you may make peace with these tough edges, you will discover a story that is nonetheless dripping in environment, packed stuffed with great particulars and a menagerie of foul fairy-tale beasties that draw you in and maintain the brief marketing campaign nicely and really attention-grabbing.
