LifeisXbox’s Bravery and Greed Review | It’s time to choose your warrior, seek out upgrades, and clear numerous areas as you brawl a multitude of variable enemies in this dungeon-crawler rogue-lite, Bravery & Greed, which I have the utmost pleasure to introduce to you. Being both engaging and addictive, there is plenty to enjoy and consider when making multiple attempts to clear dungeons. From your weapon format to your respectable armour, enhancements to your characters and the ability to gain trusted followers to assist you in your venture – the list goes on with how each playthrough could be completely different. Plus, what you do in each playthrough will inevitably affect every following one you commence. Developed by Rekka Games and published by Team17, Bravery & Greed has hours of intense combat and exploration to experience. Try different modes, make your experience harder if you wish, play around with countless item combinations – whichever you decide, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed because I’ve been having an absolute blast!
Most Memorable Moment
Sorry, not sorry, but I have to mention that the ability to pet your wolves (followers you can release throughout the levels among other variations) was one of the first things that made me smile from ear to ear. It may sound somewhat superficial, considering I don’t believe it has any underlying effect. Still, we all know how important having the ability to pet your animals can be in video games. You must let them know they’ve done well; praise and encouragement are always welcomed!
ℹ️ Reviewed on Xbox Series S | Review code provided by PR/publisher. This review is the personal opinion of the writer.
What we Liked!
- Single/multiplayer capabilities | By giving us the ability to either play this solo, with friends using local co-op or group up with online matchmaking, everyone is accounted for. Being someone who often plays single-player titles, I played Bravery & Greed purely on my lonesome but I was pleasantly surprised when I noticed there is an option to host or join other people’s games online rather than having to find a friend that plays. As everyone has to play a different character, you need to be flexible. Each class has different attack styles to learn but they all do damage at the end of the day. Of course, having a PvP mode also incorporates multiplayer should you decide to compete instead of team up. Being able to jump in and out of whatever takes your fancy, either solo or with other people, at a moment’s notice is certainly appealing.
- Rogue-lite element | Yes, Bravery & Greed is a rogue-lite game which can be off-putting for some but enticing for others. With elements of progression even after death, I was (and still am) gripped by the gameplay. Every time you fail a run, the money you have gained in your playthrough gets added to a greed-o-meter. This advances after every playthrough and whenever you fill one, you gain a gold level that grants you new items and arcanas that can be found in future playthroughs which actually makes dying not all that bad in the grand scheme of things.
- Progression and upgrades | Starting out with very little to your name can be daunting but this will all change extremely quickly to the point where you’ll be spoilt for choice. As you charge through dungeons fighting anything that stands in your way, you will be presented with chests which often contain gear amongst food and coins. You can equip these but can obviously only have one piece of each gear – an amulet, gloves, boots, and a wand. They can come with different traits such as increasing your overall health, provide you with damage over time effects, or slow enemies to name a few. Then you find alters that grant you a hole host of enhancements to choose from. I personally have found great use in the revival one and the ones that focus on your life. There are numerous combinations; you’ve just got to find what works for you.
- Characterised visuals and animations | A small factor I appreciated in Bravery & Greed was the animations that presented themselves to me throughout the game. Swinging my sword around in a spinning frenzy to slay clusters of enemies was especially satisfying as it was impactful but also amusing to see my character fazed out afterwards from getting dizzy, although this was short-lived. With these comes the pixelated visuals which I thoroughly have regard for. They just looked spectacular, making use of bold colours and outlines to make everything stand out evenly but also depending on importance and location (background or foreground). I can’t fault the style; perhaps aged appearance for some but given the game, they were perfect.
- No additional damage | I think I speak of behalf of literally everyone when I say hurrah for no fall damage! I was concerned momentarily that I would have to be mindful of larger drops when navigating around the dungeons but thankfully, I can roam without that additional worry. Again, thankfully, your followers don’t take consistent damage when they are walking over traps or acid for example as there is absolutely no way to prevent this due to their jumping abilities not being quite as good as yours.
- Ounces of variety and exploration | Within each unique dungeon, you can choose from a number of paths to take depending on whether you want to explore every inch or get to the boss as quickly as possible. Exploring certainly has its advantages as it gives you the chance to find new, improved, or varying elements of gear or upgrades that could make all the difference to your chances of success. However, perhaps you’re looking for more of a challenge or speed run attempt perhaps. Either way, the choice is that of the player. Just know that if you don’t explore, you could be missing out on vital components to help you on your venture.
- Selection of modes | With Bravery & Greed comes four modes to choose from – Adventure, Survival, PvP, and Team PvP. With adventure being the main mode found in the game, this is where the dungeon-crawler element shines. Whether you want to play alone or with up to three other people, your goal will be to fight your way through waves of enemies across multiple levels in order to reach the Dawrven fortress. Survival can also be played solo or with others in an attempt to survive as long as possible whatever you manage to get your hands on. Then there comes the PvP side which has a separate duel and team mode. It really depends on what you’re looking for but its safe to say there is something for everyone.
- Replayability | One thing that shouldn’t be doubted is the high quantity of replayability that is plentiful in Bravery & Greed. As with many rogue-lite titles, dying means you are stripped of all your gear and upgrades you have obtained, therefore forcing you to find new items on your next playthrough which can affect you dramatically. It should be noted though that you can start at any dungeon you have previously completed in the past should you want to bypass them. Achievements require multiple playthroughs, for you to play different modes, and for you to use different arcanas which can vastly expand your experiences in terms of difficulty and what you can obtain/earn.
Mixed Feelings
- Audio quality | In terms of the sound in Bravery & Greed, the soundtrack worked a charm to suit the gameplay and setting but the sound effects were a little too grainy and rough for my liking. The music reminded me of classic combat games where it’s intense but not in an overbearing way; it heightens the excitement and combat to be positively impactful. As for some of the sound effects and animations, they came across as being a little harsh on the ears, as if they had not been polished to an acceptable degree. If these would have been ironed out further to match the quality of the music, I would not have had any issues with the audio.
- Lack of narrative direction | When loading up the game, before you even reach the main menu, there is a small cutscene which shows the four main playable characters altogether. They speak of a hidden Dwarven portal which hasn’t been used for centuries and requires special runes in order to gain passage. It sets the scene for Bravery & Greed as that is exactly what the story implies – if you can fight and overcome the battles ahead, you could find riches beyond your wildest dreams. Unfortunately, that is all the story you will encounter. I would have hoped for more input maybe after crucial fights or important events to keep the story alive to provide story progression for those who enjoy this element.
What we Disliked
- Difficulty in later levels | My only crutch with Bravery & Greed was the difficulty spikes that occasionally created a great deal of frustration for me. Perhaps I just lack the skill, that’s always a possibility, but I did feel it made me want to take a well-needed break when I felt unable to conquer or get past certain sections. It seemed to always be either the boss fights or annoying flying enemies that got me. This could also be highly down to the fact I played this solo and didn’t have other people to help me out as I was solely reliant on my particular type of damage as appose to others having different approaches to the combat, allowing you to work more methodically/tactically.
How long to beat the story | Approximately 8-10 Hours
How long to achieve 1000G | Approximately 40 Hours
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Hello, I’m Victoria. I’m from the UK and have been playing video games for as long as I can remember; back on DreamCast. I’ve pretty much fallen for Xbox since I was around eight years old and remember BioShock being my first game on the Xbox360. Although I find it thoroughly enjoyable to not only experience gameplay, I also find comfort in getting lost and engrossed in the online worlds that sometimes differ greatly from what we know. Another side of my Xbox passion would be achievement hunting and gamerscore. I thrive when I hear the little sound of one popping up on the screen and I’m always finding ways to work on my backlog when possible. Horror is my favourite genre so if you have any recommendations, don’t be afraid to send them my way!