QCF: City of Brass

This review was freelanced by Jon McAnally. You can find more reviews and articles written by hiim over at https://dontfeedthegamers.com/author/jonmcanally/Follow me on the Twitterverse @McAnallyJon

pon first hearing of Uppercut Games’ first-person title, City of Brass, I was intrigued as to what Bioshock veterans could bring to the roguelite genre. Add that to the part of me that is desperately awaiting a new Prince of Persia title, and you can understand why I was pretty excited. After getting my hands on it, I wasn’t disappointed; at least, not completely.

City of Brass heavily pulls from the Arabian Nights stylizations. It’s very apparent even in the title’s logo that this game is set in the dark ages of the Middle East, and brings all the mystical Persian Empire-esque wonder with it. Desert sands, scimitars, magic genies, and booby-trapped treasures litter the title in the best ways possible.

One thing that City of Brass lacks is a compelling story, or any story at all for that matter. Early on in the tutorial of the game, you’re given a quick synopsis of the “rules” of the environment in which you are about to traverse. The city itself is a product of riches and glory that unsurprisingly fell due to greed and pride. What was once a city literally built of gold, is now a tomb of vengeful spirits and angry genies buried in the sands. The goal is to find the remaining treasures at the heart of the city while the spirits of the greedy try to stop you. That’s it, that’s all you get, and you know what?—That’s perfectly okay.

What City of Brass lacks in story is made up with an ever-changing gauntlet of first-person beauty. Though most of the enemies you’ll face throughout your journey are cartoony, the visuals are outright gorgeous. The lighting effects, especially are top notch, and better than some triple-A titles that have been released over the last couple of years. The environment itself is extremely well done, and is just as alive (or undead) as the enemies you’ll face.

Gameplay is key to a game with little to no story, and the folks at Uppercut did an incredible job at making City of Brass an enjoyable and challenging title. The game is in first-person and you are equipped with a sword and a whip. The sword is handy for the obvious reasons of fighting your enemies, but the whip may be the most important tool within the tomb. The whip allows you to stun enemies, disarm them, trigger traps, swing to safety, and makes French fries in ten different ways. Okay, the last part may not be true, but the whip is most definitely the key to survival in.

Speaking of survival, if you’re used to checkpoints, autosaves, and the like, they will do you no good in City of Brass. Once you die you will have to start from the very beginning of the gauntlet. Any items, upgrades, weapons or gold you collected will be lost upon your demise.

There are a few exceptions to that rule. Throughout the game, you will be attempting to collect as much gold as you can possibly find, as this will allow you to buy weapons, upgrades, boosts, health, and various other items and abilities from the “good” genies you’ll encounter. One such item allows you to carry your gold with you to your next incarnation, allowing an advantage for weapon and upgrade purchases early on. There are also portals you can buy to help you skip a few levels.

Not only will you lose your loot when you die, but the entire environment will change as well. This assures that no two play-throughs will ever be identical. Doors, pathways, and enemies are placed in different areas, as well as traps and the genies from which to buy your goods. This really is one of my favorite features of this game, as frustrating and devastating as it can be at times. It adds a replay value that just isn’t prominently present enough by current video game standards.

My biggest gripe about City of Brass would have to be the controls. Playing on the PS4 controller seemed blocky and almost robotic at times.

There are some sensitivity options you can fiddle with to smooth them out a little bit, but it definitely feels like the game is much better suited for a keyboard and mouse. Some not-so-smooth actions here and there can ultimately leave you pretty vulnerable as there really is no shields, parries, or blocks available; not to mention that a false move can get you impaled by spike traps or leave you falling to your death. The controls aren’t terrible, but they can lead to occasional disaster.

Overall, City of Brass is well worth the $19.99 price tag. It’s a great title to get a quick gaming session in between the hustle and bustle of life. With no real story to follow, it’s easy to pop in and give it a go. When you do have the time to try to make it to the end of the gauntlet, the feeling of accomplishment is exhilarating. There’s tons of replay value if you like a good challenge.