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THE SEXY BRUTALE (PS4)
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Publisher: BadLand Games.
Developer: Tequila Works. Released: April 2017. Genre: Adventure. Other versions: XONE; SWI; PC. Posted 27th November 2020. By Tom Clare © 2020 |
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Between midday and midnight, the nine masked guests of the Sexy Brutale mansion-cum-casino are doomed to die. Murdered, over and over, in an endless loop. But then, a tiny pocket of opportunity. Lafcadio Boone, an ageing priest, is resurrected by a mysterious, bloodied girl. She grants him something precious: the ability to remember. As the terrible day repeats, he must learn from what he sees. Unable to interact with the guests, Lafcadio is tasked instead with roaming the casino, enacting small changes, in an attempt to break the nightmarish cycle.
Played from an isometric, room-by-room viewpoint, The Sexy Brutale sees the player using their snooping skills to observe the guests and the murderous staff, uncovering key pieces of information and discovering how best to disrupt the killing cycle. The first example makes this clear: if Boone does nothing, a guest will be shot. However, should he locate a blank shell and manage to swap it in before the perpetrator collects the gun, then it triggers the survival of said guest. With each success, Boone gains access to a little more of the mansion and a few more pieces of the puzzle, as he tries to get a grasp on the strange goings-on affecting the place.
New abilities help make sense of scenarios, such as the ability to interact with ghosts
The real-time, observation-orientated stealth and puzzles combination is comparable with horror throwback 2Dark. The Sexy Brutale lacks the flexibility of Gloomywood’s effort, generally offering up just the one clear method to completing each scenario, but it makes up for with a stronger atmosphere and a more rounded narrative, with some particularly evocative storytelling.
Characters live the same twelve hours, perpetually. But what’s most impressive about The Sexy Brutale is how a bigger picture begins to emerge. As the player opens up more of the casino, we start to get a more appreciable view of the plans and machinations that are afoot. In the beginning, you’ll encounter numerous snippets of conversation involving guests and staff, before they disappear into parts of the mansion that are beyond Boone’s reach. You’ll ruminate over their plots, and wonder at where the staff keep disappearing to. As Boone saves guests, he acquires their masks and with it, some useful abilities that make earlier areas worth returning to: including the ability to speak with ghosts, overhear whispered conversations, break locks and shatter glass.
Characters live the same twelve hours, perpetually. But what’s most impressive about The Sexy Brutale is how a bigger picture begins to emerge. As the player opens up more of the casino, we start to get a more appreciable view of the plans and machinations that are afoot. In the beginning, you’ll encounter numerous snippets of conversation involving guests and staff, before they disappear into parts of the mansion that are beyond Boone’s reach. You’ll ruminate over their plots, and wonder at where the staff keep disappearing to. As Boone saves guests, he acquires their masks and with it, some useful abilities that make earlier areas worth returning to: including the ability to speak with ghosts, overhear whispered conversations, break locks and shatter glass.
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Though it’s completely different to your average adventure, TSB is confident and comfortable in its own skin. That much is clear in its music, the game’s strongest feature. As soon as the title screen has loaded, you’re treated to a wonderfully raucous electro-swing theme that’s one of the most delightful and surprising tracks of its generation. Sprinkle in some sultry jazz and a stylish smattering of heartfelt laments, and you have an arrangement that adds massively to the experience. Foregoing the use of voice-acting proves a smart move too, ensure the game retains its carefully cultivated old-school feel.
The Sexy Brutale overcomes some fairly unremarkable visuals by drumming up an effective, macabre atmosphere. The casino is a fascinating place to explore, as you unpick each mystery in isolation. The gameplay in this respect is relatively simple; whether finding a key, using a switch or alerting a guest to a CCTV feed, there are rarely more than two or three steps to solving each dilemma. Trickier instances typically involve a deft bit of timing, such as locking an assailant in a room, so there is a little bit of variety to keep things interesting.
Boone’s movement could have been better. He rather shambles around and there are times you wish he’d move a little quicker and with greater precision. There’s also the odd (small and only very occasional) quirk resulting from contact with scenery, perhaps relating to the Unity engine’s less certain pedigree in 3D environments. However, the presentation is abundantly stylish, featuring some gorgeously designed menus, with brochures and guest invitations proving an excellent means of conveying background information.
The Sexy Brutale overcomes some fairly unremarkable visuals by drumming up an effective, macabre atmosphere. The casino is a fascinating place to explore, as you unpick each mystery in isolation. The gameplay in this respect is relatively simple; whether finding a key, using a switch or alerting a guest to a CCTV feed, there are rarely more than two or three steps to solving each dilemma. Trickier instances typically involve a deft bit of timing, such as locking an assailant in a room, so there is a little bit of variety to keep things interesting.
Boone’s movement could have been better. He rather shambles around and there are times you wish he’d move a little quicker and with greater precision. There’s also the odd (small and only very occasional) quirk resulting from contact with scenery, perhaps relating to the Unity engine’s less certain pedigree in 3D environments. However, the presentation is abundantly stylish, featuring some gorgeously designed menus, with brochures and guest invitations proving an excellent means of conveying background information.
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The ending falls a little flat as The Sexy Brutale isn’t quite able to make good on a satisfying and mysterious build-up. That said, the journey there is compelling and well-constructed. An air of mystery, of wondering what’s occurring just beyond Boone’s view, is skilfully maintained. It's relatively brief, but post-completion receives a small boost in the form of trophies for collecting all 52 playing cards, as well as each guest’s invitation card. Many of these can be collected from their bodies if you allow the day to take its course, but there are a few which require a more left-field approach.
It isn’t perfect, but Tequila Works crafted an engrossing and creative gaming interpretation on the old murder-mystery trope. Whilst the puzzles may have benefited from being a little more involved and Boone a little less clunky to control, The Sexy Brutale creates an unusual (and successful) vibe that sets it apart from to other games. A stunning soundtrack proves the icing on the cake and on the whole, it’s well worth experiencing.
It isn’t perfect, but Tequila Works crafted an engrossing and creative gaming interpretation on the old murder-mystery trope. Whilst the puzzles may have benefited from being a little more involved and Boone a little less clunky to control, The Sexy Brutale creates an unusual (and successful) vibe that sets it apart from to other games. A stunning soundtrack proves the icing on the cake and on the whole, it’s well worth experiencing.
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VERDICT
"Compelling, stylish and macabre. The Sexy Brutale is a fascinating experience. A stunning soundtrack proves the icing on the cake... it's well worth experiencing." OVERALL: 7/10 |