Rebellion unveils Strange Brigade gameplay at E3

Rebellion’s Strange Brigade was announced ahead of last year’s E3, promising a brand new co-op adventure to fill the void of yet another Left 4 Dead-less year. Developer Rebellion revealed gameplay footage during E3 2018, showing off its puzzle-based action backed by a quirky narrator.

While Rebellion states that Strange Brigade can be played as a straight-up co-op shooter in which the player can rush through its linear path, each level is crafted with detail, rewarding those that take the time to scout what is around them. Beating puzzles not inherently in the player’s way will grant them more weapons and relics that combine to unlock “amulet powers”. The only snippet we get of these supernatural powers is a player quick-shooting a powerful revolver in an arc in front of him.

The path that the four main characters walk often splits into two, with one leading to a more dangerous, combat-based route and the other pitting players against more puzzles. During co-op mode, players can actively choose to split up in order to cover both roads. The paths filled with more combat often include less-than-subtle traps that the player can utilise, such as releasing a spiked log, activating rotary blades or triggering a flamethrower.

Power gems can be attached to weapons via the varying number of slots within each one, granting the player an array of powers, from “damage upgrades” to “ricocheting bullets, or ice bullets or fire bullets.” More powerful weapons contain more slots, making for an even crazier selection of combined attributes.

Personally, I’d say that Strange Brigade’s true hook is its narrator. Like The Stanley Parable, it’s full of humour, this time inspired by the over-the-top action serials of the 1930s and 40s.

Strange Brigade is due out on August 28th for PC, setting players back £40/$50 for the standard edition and £65/$80 for a limited edition packed with fancy extras, including the season pass.

KitGuru Says: Strange Brigade has a soft spot in my heart, being one of the very first articles I covered here at KitGuru. It’s good to see the game come along and I can’t wait to dive into it with a group of friends. What do you think of Rebellion’s new title?

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