It’s no surprise that gold is the driving force in a game called Bravery and Greed. The bravery part? Not so much. Perhaps tenacity, determination, or stupidity might go down better, as this is one addictive game you may have difficulty putting down.
From Rekka Games and Team17, this is a dungeon-crawler rogue-like where the aim is to earn as much money as you can, but ultimately, defeating the bosses of each realm and saving the day. Can I add: you have to finish each domain in one solid run. Gulp.
There are four characters to choose from in this side-scrolling retro concoction. There’s the Warrior type, who can take a hit with their shield, the Rogue, who sports swift attacks and a bow, the Red Sonya-like Amazon, who throws a wheel of death. Then the Wizard, who’s made of polystyrene, but can summon a brute that essentially OPs the enemies (if you can keep the Wizard alive).
Bravery and Greed PS4 Review
The playing styles in Bravery and Greed are subtle, but aesthetically they’re different, and you can change their skins too, so you don’t get confused when playing with/against other players. It’s a co-op for up to four players. The standout point here is the randomness of each run, as you’ll be able to equip up to three gear pieces, a wand, plus multiple perks.
Before we break down the mechanics, the premise is to run through each stage and kill everything to earn that gold. A mini-map clearly shows where you’ve been and where you’re going, plus there are teleports to jump back and forth in case you’ve forgotten something, such as summon location. Combat-wise, it’s a bit of a button masher with one attack, a special, jump, healing options, and a magic ability based on the wands you collect.
Besides combat, there are also perks, depending on the path you choose. There are four to pick: Chaos is attack-based, Life for healing benefits, Order for skill, and Darkness for some sneaky stuff and converting coins into health. Once you choose a path, there are multiple altars throughout that will unlock new perks or build on your existing ones. These include supporting your followers, boosting attacks, resurrecting upon death, only with minimal health, and more.
Gimme The Loot
The wands are used for magic (duh), and these have a slight cooldown, but good for crowd control. Clearing a room will often award a chest of coins, health, and gear, swapping it based on your playstyle. You’re bound to have your preference, but I liked using the Warrior and the Chaos path, as they’re better for soloing the bosses. Alternatively, the Rogue and the Darkness path is great, as you can get backstabbing buffs and turn the coins into health.
There’s a chunk missing from this Bravery and Greed review, and that’s the multiplayer aspect. I can only vouch for the local player, and it was great, albeit player one will have ‘camera dominance’. That is, if they go off-screen, everyone else will respawn closer to them. You don’t share loot, so it’s first come, first served. Arguably better, there’s no friendly fire, as that would guarantee some rage quits and falling outs. If you want that, you can opt for online play and PVP – features I didn’t focus on.
The survival mode is decent, however, featuring multiple waves that grow in strength – as can be expected. Ideally, you’ll want to try all the features and experiment with different tactics, as the more you play, the more gold you earn, thus rewards. You can unlock better followers and gear through level progression, but more importantly, unlock a deck of cards that can be used each run to boost gold. They also provide starting buffs and debuffs (such as the Grim Reaper that will spontaneously appear and slash at you in exchange for 30% more coins!).
I like Bravery and Greed but must warn you that the bosses are a little too hard. At least, for me. Bring a friend or two on this adventure, as per Team17’s other excellent co-op, Rogue Heroes. Though your gold will be less, their assistance is essential to survival as you can revive each other in those heated boss battles. Again, let me stress: even though you can beat a boss and unlock a new realm, you must complete all of them (in any order) to finish the game. Despite that challenge, this is a definite recommendation from me.
