Battle Brothers

“Battle Brothers is a very challenging and rich game, with a very different and fun proposal. However, it fails in its attempt to adapt the experience seen on PC to consoles.”

“Battle Brothers is like a school-yard bully. This video game brute will do it's very best to break you. It will tell you that you suck. Then it will aggressively inform you that your mum will be performing some sexual favours on it whilst giving you a wedgie in front of the rest of the class. But stick up to this bully, impress it with your resolve and maybe you'll find that it'll be your best friend. Perhaps, eventually, as close as a brother. The question is, do you have the commitment to get there? If the answer is yes, then you'll ultimately - after far too much graft - find a deep and comprehensive strategy RPG. Just be prepared to have to stick with it, as this bully really hates you.”

“When it gets going, Battle Brothers has enough to offer to make this a great game, but optimization issues and steep learning curve will have some retreating early.”

“Clever management mixed with highly tactical combat makes this band worth the price of admission. Just be aware the grim difficulty might make you sing the blues while you learn to accept its brotherly love.”

“Underneath a myriad of issues, Battle Brothers features some of the finest tactical gameplay the Switch has to offer.”

“Battle Brothers isn't for everyone, but those willing to take the beating will have access to a rewarding game with tons of replay value.”

“A turn-based tactical RPG set in a medieval fantasy map, Battle Brothers isn't the most original premise, but it is well executed and easy to get hooked on.”

“So I turned off my Switch and booted up my PC. I started a new game of Battle Brothers on that. And you know what? It’s as good as it ever was. A truly superlative strategy game made better with mods. I could not recommend Battle Brothers enough, but do yourself a favor and avoid the Nintendo Switch version. You’ll avoid one tragic end to meet a much more satisfactory one.”

“Battle Brothers feels like a really natural fit on the Switch. The open-world nature of the game is one that is easy to get lost in and therefore having the ability to take it on the go is a fantastic attribute. As good as that is, the clunkiness of some of the controls on the console will take a bit of getting used to. However, the fact is there is not really any other title like this on the console with such a uniquely procedural role-playing feel. Making the player care about characters is one of the hardest tricks in gaming and Battle Brothers delivers this, with the sense of loss after a tough battle being really palpable.”

“Although the learning curve is quite steep, once you get the hang of it, Battle Brothers is actually a very enjoyable experience. I strongly recommend those looking for a challenging turn-based RPG to give Battle Brothers a try, not just for the complexity of building the perfect company of brothers, but also for its stunning soundtrack and art style.”

“You've just got to persevere with Battle Brothers to really appreciate it, and it really is the epitome of the saying "it's a marathon, rather than a sprint". Once you've overcome the horrible excuse for a "tutorial" and onboarding process, you've then got to deal with some really repetitive quest design and an astronomically unforgivable difficulty curve. But, slowly, the game starts to open up, and before you know it, you realise that you're really enjoying this thing. It's expansive, it's complex, it's nuanced and it puts complete control over the story and quest in your hands. It's everything good about Mount & Blade, but in a more compact, turn-based format. It's no wonder the game has become a beloved hit on Steam, with fans pouring hundreds - if not thousands - of hours into it. It's not quite the same experience on Switch, and yet I can't see a scenario where I tear myself away from it, now I've pushed through its various walls. A truly fascinating example of a game that's just worth the effort.”

“This is a system where crowns make the world go round and everything is replaceable, for a price. The breadth of dialogue, world-building paragraphs, and light agency in storytelling let you build the world according to what you hear. It's a world I want to dive into again and again, even if I know this incarnation will be just as taxing.”

“The description of "roguelike tactical strategy RPG" that comes with Battle Brothers should clearly communicate one of the most critical things to know about the title... it's damned hard...”

“Deep combat and strategic management hold up well.”

“Battle Brothers is a solid, exhilarating experience that might turn away some due to its difficulty, but attract others because of its challenge.”

“Battle Brothers is a game that recognises these classical roots and the way they allow room for the player to use their own imagination to fill in the blanks left by a mostly simplistic interface, but has also learned the lessons of the modern age”

“This game demands your time, but grants rewards with a thrilling and earthy experience.”

“Don't let some clunky inventories scare you off from this excellent strategy RPG.”