It’s a seemingly good time for people who feel nostalgic for the years when games like Contra were in the spotlight. The indie scene has proven to be good for the revival of various games that we thought were lost and Free Lives’ Broforce is an example of exactly that. Currently in early access, with a release date set for this summer, it promises a lot of awesome things, but will it ultimately deliver?

Broforce’s menu presents you with several of its game modes, most of which are currently in alpha. A rather barebones options screen containing all that’s really necessary, rebindable keys included, is also to be found. Apart from the classic campaign, you have Explosion Run, Deathmatch, and Race Mode to play around with. The campaign pits various members of the Broforce against terrorists set on perpetual patrols in areas of different origins. As this is apparently against the very principles of our heroes, your task is to eradicate them all and kill their leader. Some players might roll their eyes and say “Oh, not again,” when first starting the game and encountering the pixelated visual style. While it does alright in paying homage to older titles, it doesn’t have any specific charm, remaining a simple tool in the game’s construction.

Every preconception you may have about the game will be blown away right after the first shot is fired and with it, a good part of the actual stage. The levels in Broforce are (almost) fully destructible. On top of that, they’re littered with propane tanks, explosive barrels, and suicide bombers, alongside your regular AK-wielding enemies, all waiting to feel the powerful force of freedom. Being the awesome warrior that you are, you of course have unlimited ammo; this basically making the game a fast-paced full-on mayhem-fest. There’s rarely any question of actual skill involved; the main focus of Broforce being pure unadulterated fun. Enemies are rather slow to react, mostly being there for you to blow away. There's plenty of satisfaction to be had when you see large quantities of pixelated blood being spilled all over the level or trucks falling into a freshly-made hole because someone may have “misused” the ordnance they were given.

The pacing is fairly constant as well, keeping you alert as you go from left to right or as you climb through the 2D levels. The only breaks you’ll experience are the four boss-fights which are based around old-school boss concepts. Bosses will take a few tries to overcome due to the necessity of memorizing attack patterns and seeing their vulnerable points. However, if we were to look at the bosses from a distance, they never really stand out. But what about the protagonists, you might ask? Well, they’re tributes to the action heroes of thirty years ago as well as those of more recent times. Your roster will have Rambro, Brochete, Bronan the Barbarian and so on.

Every bro has a different type of attack, some melee, some ranged. On top of that, they all come with a special ability including grenades, flurries of knives, and devastating leaps. Using these is an absolute pleasure as there is a large amount of impact behind them, both visually, in seeing the very ground under you give way, and audibly, with the typically retro sound design doing its job. You unlock more Bros by destroying cages you find in the level. Every time you destroy a cage and rescue the person inside it, you also change characters. The change is done randomly, and while being an integral part of the game and also what gives Broforce its variety, there were some times when I would have rather played as the Bro I currently had instead of the one I was randomly given. And while it’s true, the game never makes it imperative to rescue Bros, you do want to see who else you can unlock.

Apart from being able to play the campaign in single player or locally with friends, there’s also the option of heading online and giving it a shot with your friends or a bunch of strangers. At this stage though, the online play isn’t really a selling point, especially if playing games with strangers is what you seek. Most of the servers require a password, and those that don’t lack the proper coordination between players. In the few attempts when I managed to get on a server, I would rarely see my character, for the sole reason that one of the players was moving away from the rest of us, and the camera followed him. On top of that, the online seems to fall victim to lagspikes that retract from the experience.

The other modes are dedicated to co-op played locally. Deathmatch is exactly what it sounds like. You and up to three other people face off in a small arena. This mode is quite fun, offering a selection of five Bros before every match. Because of the arena’s size, camera problems are nonexistent. Despite being in alpha, no problems were encountered as I was blowing and slashing my friends to shreds.  Race mode and Explosion Run are also very stable. The first asks you to either reach the end of the level first, or have your opponents die. Explosion Run has a team of Bros attempting to reach the end of the level while outrunning an explosion that’s moving constantly towards them. These concepts should not be alien to anyone, and in the context of the title they manage to provide extra content that adds a lot to the already enjoyable campaign.

Story wise, you won’t get much. In fact, you won’t get anything at all at this point. There are no cutscenes, except for the short three second boss introductions. There is no dialogue either; the entirety of the voice acting lies in the amusing sounds the enemies throw at you when they notice you’re around. And it’s not very often that they even get the chance to do so. However, the focus of the game doesn’t fall on the story, and it’s perhaps better that the developers decided to avoid spending too much time on a narrative of doubtful quality, instead making Broforce the blast that it is.

Broforce doesn’t take itself seriously; that being exactly why it has the potential to succeed. You can approach it skeptically, due to its presence on steam as an early access title, and no one should blame you for that. The price may seem a bit high at the moment. However, if the developers hold their promise of monthly updates and work closely with the fanbase, Broforce can easily end up being a title that’s worth the fifteen euros they ask for It may not offer hundreds of hours of gameplay, but it won’t shoo you away after you’re done with its campaign. Incomplete as it is, Broforce is worth giving a shot, especially if you’re after pure, simple fun.

MateÈ™ Bogdan Robert, NoobFeed
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