Battle Brothers is a great old-fashioned downloadable slobber knocker of a top-down strategy game, that makes excellent use of conventional turn-based elements. Furthermore, this medieval marvel exercises the importance of player freedom and choice above all else. Ultimately, this gritty, fantasy epic delivers a lionhearted lesson in the way a strategy game should conduct itself. So, without further or do, shall we go once more into the breach, dear brothers.
How to Download Battle Brothers
You can download Battle Brothers (which was released in March 2017) alongside with its two main expansions:
- Lindwurm (October 2017),
- Beasts & Exploration (November 2018).
There are also many additional downloadable goodies: Soundtrack, Digital Lore & Art Book, Fangshire Helm, with Deluxe and Supporter Editions that include some or all of them. To start downloading hit the button at the end of the review.
Battle Brothers Review: A Medieval Masterclass in Strategy
There is a great deal to admire about Battle Brothers and it draws you in from its inception. Whether it’s the grizzly nature of its deeply immersive world or the complex intricacies of its battle mechanics, what follows is a fun joy ride to the finish. At its heart, this charming indie brawler does most things in the right way and greatly excels in other aspects. Battle Brothers is a hit indie game developed by Overhype Studios.
The Premise
At first glance, one may presume that this is just your average tactical role-player, but those naysaying blasphemers would be wrong. Peel the layers back, and you’ll see a sprawling, procedurally generated world full of medieval mysteries, alongside an in-depth and flexible combat system.
The Gameplay
A lot of the joy in Battle Brothers comes via its extensive man-management system. Here, players get a full license to operate affairs as they see fit. As a result, you may choose to either rule with an iron fist or cultivate a loyal band of brothers by noble forms of governance. It raises the question, are you a natural born leader?
Players can delegate a wide range of duties, as well as arm and equip those within his/her set team. Noticeably, each player has access to a wide range of skill sets, notwithstanding the weapon perks which grant unique player bonuses.
Moreover, the leveling aspect is diverse, and player progression feels rewarding, at least for the most part. Soon enough, a bond begins to blossom with those foul-mouthed, blade bludgeoning comrades of yours. This personal bond makes the consequences of going into the field of battle all the starker.
Especially, when you consider the permadeath scenario: Those poor souls that have been slain by the sword, remain dead. It’s a bitter pill to swallow watching a friend meet his fate. Well, they say love blooms on the battlefield, and it’s all about the love connection.
Going into battle, you feel a strong sense of comradery, with so much on the line. Mostly, it’s this facet that makes the turn-based combat so much more intense.
Perhaps on a more surprising note, is the nature and grand scope of its world. Not only is it dense, but it comes sparsely populated. There is just a ton of thing’s going on, and the hustle and bustle of it all build a vibrant and believable world. Additionally, players can access a vast, world map to freely roam where no man has gone before, well almost anyway.
All around, there is a never-ending supply of things to do or see, that grabs the attention. Even small world events like stocking supplies from a nearby town or taking new contracts at settlements play their part. After all, it’s all about increasing your coin stash pile. Likewise, there is also lucrative places worth looting, and pesky bandits to threaten. In many respects, the world is your oyster.
Battle Brothers DLC – Beasts & Exploration
The latest additional content to Battle Brothers boasts more bang for your buck than ever before. Consequently, players have a bigger world to explore, 25% larger in fact and a better one for all it’s worth. The expansion includes many new features such as legendary, top-secret locations which offer up fresh batches of enemies.
Also, new mythos and lore lend further substance to the underlying story. But the fun doesn’t stop there. A crafting overhaul allows for greater customization. Meaning, you can buff out each character with a fresh, yet fearsome look. It puts new meaning into the phrase trophy killing. So, this means that each trophy is gilded onto armor and weaponry such as shields, cloaks, and swords.
Not only that, but a host of new weapons and armor types is available to buy, for the right price. What’s great is that these encourage different player builds, all thanks to the absence of a restrictive class model.
Furthermore, five other blood-curdling beasts now roam the map, as do three new bosses. All of which comes with a unique combat style and a special kind of loot. Some of these present a fair challenge too, others not so much.
