Darkness, Dread and Despair
Bramble: The Mountain King Developed by Dimfrost Studios and published by Merge Games has hit the gaming world. Inspired by Nordic fables join Olle as he must traverse a treacherous land in order to find his sister who was kidnapped by an ogre. Join us here at VIBE as we review a dark adventure that draws players in and keeps them enticed.
A Fairy Tale
The tale begins with a small boy following his sister in what appears to be an idyllic Forrest. However, things take a drastic turn when his sister is kidnapped by an ogre. The tale properly begins after this and Olle must navigate through a dark and treacherous Forrest. Olle faces off against evil monsters, animals, and plants in his search. Bramble features Scandinavian folklore and culture throughout. For example, in Norway the play The Troll King featured a troll who lived under a Bridge and dubbed himself king. This relates to Brambles’ Title. Bramble the Mountain King and also early in the game we see an ogre/troll kidnap his sister. Also, the addition of gnomes, fairies, giants, and various other fairy tale creatures is very common in Scandinavian mythology and fairy tales.
The story is a short experience and roughly lasts about 4 and a half hours. They were allowing the player to fully get caught up in this fairy tale and find out whether or not they succeed in rescuing their beloved sister. Overall, the world built in Bramble is spectacular and truly is like a dark fairy tale. Gamers may cast their minds back to the likes of Little Nightmares for comparison in dark storytelling.
Visually Stunning
One thing that has drawn players to Bramble was the stunning artwork and world that has been created. From vibrant Gorey scenes to tranquil Forrest scenes Bramble: Mountain King has it all. The contrast in color palettes for each scene to set the town was commendable. However, the character models at times seemed a bit lackluster as though most of the concentration had gone into the visuals for the surrounding areas.
Horror, Puzzles, and Platforming
The gameplay is quite challenging in elements. Players must sneak, run and jump through a series of world puzzles. As a result of this, Olle may see his sister again. The camera spans in a 3rd person view giving us a better look at the world around him. This is helpful when trying to find where to go next or what’s waiting for you ahead. The tension at times is what players will thoroughly enjoy.
For example, the first boss fight features Olle running back and forth while the boss is brandishing a cleaver. All the while meat is raining down from the sky. Players must then grab the meat and strike the boss in the eye. This repeats a couple of times before the boss has an unfortunate accident. Despite being repetitive was actually quite fun and like with most bosses the little victory dance you do with your controller or mouse was earned!
VIBES SCORE
7/10
Thank You
A warm thank you as always for sticking around to check out Bramble: The Mountain King review. Here at VIBE, we strive to bring you the best indie content. Bramble is definitely worthy for players to check out. If you’re still on the fence check out the trailer below. For more Indie content and other content continue to follow us here on VIBE. You never know what we will cover next. Also, if you completely disagree or agree with the score let us know! Bramble is currently available on steam : https://store.steampowered.com/app/1623940/Bramble_The_Mountain_King/
26, Indie Game connoisseur. Also a hamster mum, fiancée & working in the addiction field. Gaming and writing are my escape and comfort for when the world gets too much!
