Okay, this feels like the kinda game I would make if I had game developing abilities. It was marketed as one of those "multiplayer games you can play solo" which always worries me, see Fallout 76, but you can get through this one solo, just some of the last levels get real tough. This is another game I have a soft spot for because it's a AA game with a unique world.
So, starting with the world this game creates and why I say it sounds like something I'd make. You play as a member of the Strange Brigade, a group of soldiers from around the British Empire, and America, that save the world from paranormal threats during the 30s. As such, the game is stylized as a 30s pulp serial. The same type of adventure stories that gave us Indiana Jones gives us this game. You have an omniscient narrator that follows you through your journey and has a love for alliteration. Rebellion did the work setting up this world and there's lots of journals that I assume have even more backstory to flesh out everything, I didn't read them.
This game also seems like it's trying to be a co-op hero shooter. The Brigadiers you can choose from are all unique caricatures of the time; Rosie the Riveter, cowboy, colonial soldier, African huntress, American aviatrix, and so on. But unlike a Battleborn or Overwatch, they didn't really use them to market the game. I think it was a missed opportunity.
The story sees the Strange Brigade fighting across Egypt to stop an evil mummy queen. It's the most basic of adventure stories, but it works here because that is the kind of story a 30s serial would be about. And there's random nonsense where you fight a pirate captain who was a disciple of the mummy queen. Again, that's the kinda stuff that would fly in an old 30s show, but may seem random nowadays.
The gameplay is basic, but advanced basic. The levels are relatively linear with little off-shoot paths that lead to side puzzles. You walk into an arena area and either have to shoot your way out or puzzle your way out. It can get a bit repetitious, but it's not as bad as some lower budget games I've trudged through. The addition of puzzles help elevate this game. They aren't too challenging, but they require enough thought to be interesting. Most puzzles lead you to gold, collectibles, or alternate paths.
The combat part of the game is bog standard, 3rd person OTS shooting. It works well enough and landing headshots on the shambling hordes is always satisfying. One issues with playing solo is certain weapons aren't as easy to use. I went for a rifle build, which means high damage, slow fire. As a team, it worked great. I would pick off the far away ghouls or the archers on top of buildings while the others mopped up the close ones with their SMGs, but when playing solo, I had trouble hitting the fast enemies that dart at you and would get overran a lot. You have to keep moving in this game. You can't just pick a spot and shoot from, you can be assailed from all sides and have to keep on your toes. There's a few boss fights that are challenging in solo mode as well, because they require a pinpoint shot to take down, but you also have to be constantly moving to avoid all the grunt enemies surrounding you.
I'm also not a fan of the health system in this game. You have your main health & critical health. Only the critical health regenerates over time, but it's not a lot to fight on. Your main health can only be refilled by potions. This would be fine, but you can only carry one at a time & they aren't very plentiful in the levels. Maybe I'm too used to modern game mechanics, but I think a passive health regen in between combat encounters would've been appreciated.
A lot of people online consider this game a dead game, but that's a little much. It was hard, but I did find an occasional team to join. I played a couple levels with a good team and sometimes a partner would join in on my levels to help out for a bit. The text chat feature is a little testy, but a little finagling gets it working. It is a little disappointing this game didn't catch on more, because I could see the horde mode being my CoD Zombies where I just keep coming back to it.
All in all, the gameplay is solid, if not super innovate, but the world building is what endears me to this game. I love those sort of old timey adventure stories and there's a bit of a League of Extraordinary Gentlemen feel here. The DLC missions are just a greatest hits of the main story, but I would love to see the Strange Brigade return for a sequel. It's set up so they can easily make it an anthology series, taking on other globe-trotting adventures. Heck, this is the kinda game world that 14 year old me would've written a fan fiction about.
