Accessible, innovative, and most importantly, fun | Review - BROK the InvestiGator
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✨Overview
BROK the InvestiGator offers a unique blend of classic style adventure, beat 'em up, and RPG elements set in a futuristic world where animals have replaced humans. As Brok, an anthropomorphic alligator private detective and former boxer, players are placed in a "light cyberpunk" setting, balancing life under a protective dome with the struggles of the outside world.
BROK the InvestiGator is available on multiple platforms, including PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. I was able to play the first chapter for free, and the subsequent chapters are available for purchase, either separate or in a discounted bundle.
🟩Pros
+Engaging story with intriguing premise / mystery
+Unique blend of genres (classic style point-and-click adventure, beat 'em up, RPG)
+Stunning cartoon art style with vibrant colors
+Strong voice acting performances
+Very inclusive accessibility features, even for those visually impaired
+Coop up to four players
+Physical controller support
🟥Cons
-Excessive useless dialogue can slow the pacing of investigations
-Clunky combat touch controls
-The main character is insufferably dumb, and he knows it
⭐️Score: 8/10
📖Story and Premise
The story revolves around Brok and his stepson Graff, as they navigate the aftermath of Brok's wife's mysterious death. They are living in the slums, far from the lush and progressive world offered by ‘The Dome’, although bits of futuristic tech are still available for these unfortunate people. The premise sets a compelling stage for a gritty detective tale, though the excessive dialogue at times can hinder the pacing.
🎨Visuals and Art
Visually, BROK is a good looking game thanks to its colorful cartoon art style. The vibrant colors and cartoonish art style give the game a unique and professional look. The character designs are especially noteworthy, adding depth to the game's world. The game also features strong voice acting performances that carries the whole narrative, especially Brok. Every dialogue in the is fully voice, even analyzing simple items in the world all have voice-overs.
🎮Gameplay
The gameplay features a mix of point-and-click exploration, puzzles, platforming, beat ‘em up combat, and a unique interrogation mini-game for NPCs. In one segment you may be investigating and trying to find a way to unlock a door, in another you may be fighting thugs in the streets out to get you. To help the player, the control schemes are separate into two modes: Adventure and Action mode, and you can seamlessly switch between them on the fly.
Adventure mode allows you to interact with world objects and investigation, while Action mode allows you to Run, Jump, Defend, and Attack. This variety keeps the gameplay fresh, though the execution could be smoother, especially with the controls coming to mobile phones.
The game also supports coop play with multiplayer controllers connected, up to four players. The other players will control Brok’s friends, and allow them to roam around together and help each other during combat. It’s a pretty unique feature that’s actually the first time I’ve seen pulled off in a classic-style point-and-click adventure game.
⚔️Combat
Combat in BROK is a bit of a mixed bag. While the beat 'em up elements were fun, the controls can be clunky, both in point-and-click and virtual joystick mode. This made combat more challenging than it needed to be. Physical controller support is highly recommended though I would have loved if the touch controls for combat were improved.
🕵Detective Work
The main element of BROK is the detective/investigative work. Collecting clues, combining them, and making choices that impact the story added depth to the gameplay and made me feel like a true detective. However, the main character can be somewhat insufferable, and his perceived dumbness can be off-putting.
As said earlier, there is too much dialogue while investigating which hurts the pacing; the characters talk excessively, and most of the time you can’t do anything else while they are speaking. Even simple tasks like analyzing a trivial item are accompanied by too many lines of gibberish. It would have been nice to allow the player to move and look around while characters are speaking.
📊Technical Performance and 🦽Accessibility Options
The game ran perfectly on my system (Snapdragon 888) and doesn’t need any online connection. As far as this aspect of the port goes, it was handled very well, although the game only runs at 16:9 and just displays a wallpaper on the sides instead of black bars. BROK also excels in terms of accessibility. With features like narration, haptics, and adjustable font sizes, the game is designed to be inclusive. The developer's commitment to making the game playable by blind or visually impaired players is truly commendable, as they are claiming the game is fully playable with these in mind.
⚖️Conclusion
Only finished the free Chapter 1 so far, which is already around two hours of content. It’s already compelling enough that I played straight for two hours without putting it down. While it has its flaws, such as excessive dialogue and challenging combat controls, its strong points, including its art style, voice acting, and variety of gameplay mechanics, make it a game worth trying out.
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