Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Brandish delivers a classic dungeon-crawling action RPG experience that feels both familiar and uniquely challenging. You guide Varik through winding corridors and sprawling chambers, each map section chiseled with hazards, traps, and hidden alcoves. The game’s real-time combat system demands precision and timing: you must rotate Varik’s facing to line up thrusts with your sword, backpedal to dodge lunges, and exploit openings to land critical blows.

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Beyond melee combat, Brandish offers a modest but satisfying magic system. Spells range from elemental bolts to healing incantations, each consuming a finite pool of spell points. Hunting for spell scrolls and resting near fountains adds an extra layer of strategy, forcing you to balance aggression with conservation. As you delve deeper, you’ll discover better staves and robes that bolster your magical prowess, reinforcing the sense that preparation and exploration go hand in hand.

Varik’s ability to jump forward is an unexpected but refreshing mechanic in a dungeon crawler of this vintage. You’ll use it to clear small pits, bypass certain traps, or create distance from pursuing monsters. While the jump feels a bit floaty at times, it often saves you from otherwise unfair hits and adds vertical variety to the largely flat corridors.

The learning curve can be steep, especially when navigating back-to-back fights and deciphering stat-boosting equipment. Yet, every new weapon, enchanted shield, or treasure chest unlocked yields a rush of satisfaction. For players who love methodical progression, mapping each level, and refining tactics, Brandish’s gameplay loop remains engaging from the first descent to the final confrontation.

Graphics

Although Brandish hails from an era when true 3D was still emerging, its top-down perspective, combined with a clever auto-rotating camera, gives the dungeons a pseudo-3D feel. Walls, pillars, and floor tiles tile together seamlessly, and the muted stone palettes capture the oppressive atmosphere of a kingdom lost beneath the earth. Each new chamber feels both familiar and unsettling, thanks to subtle variations in texture and corridor width.

Character and monster sprites are small but distinct. Varik’s animations—swinging his blade, casting spells, even stumbling backward—are crisp and functional. Enemy designs, from skeletal warriors to demonic hounds, lean into dark fantasy tropes but remain expressive enough that you immediately recognize threat types and adjust tactics accordingly. Boss encounters showcase slightly larger, more detailed sprites that loom larger in the cramped dungeon spaces.

Lighting effects are minimal but effective. Torches flicker against stone walls, creating pockets of shadow where foes may lurk. Spell animations—especially fireballs and lightning bolts—burst with color, drawing your eye in the midst of tense skirmishes. The user interface is clean: health and mana bars sit unobtrusively at the screen’s edge, letting you focus on exploration rather than micromanagement.

While modern gamers accustomed to high-definition textures might find Brandish’s visuals dated, there’s an undeniable retro charm here. The straightforward presentation reinforces the game’s old-school difficulty and keeps the focus squarely on exploration and survival. For enthusiasts of classic RPG aesthetics, Brandish’s graphics remain a testament to cartridge-era creativity.

Story

The narrative of Brandish unfolds through simple but evocative text sequences. You learn of a once-prosperous kingdom guarded by a majestic dragon in a high tower, its flame ensuring peace and prosperity. The lore takes a darker turn when a power-hungry king attempts to kill the dragon for its magic, only to be transformed into a hideous demon himself. In a final act of vengeance, the dragon’s wrath drags the entire realm into the earth’s depths.

Years later, you assume the role of Varik (known as Ares in the original Japanese release), a wandering traveler implicated in the murder of a sorcerer. When he and a mysterious young woman engage in combat, both are cast into the abyss. Varik awakens amid dusty ruins, where the remnants of the demon-king’s domain have festooned the winding corridors with spectral horrors and crumbling relics.

As you progress, fragments of the kingdom’s history emerge through inscriptions, hidden journals, and enchanted mirrors. These story breadcrumbs flesh out the tragedy of the land’s fall and hint at the demon-king’s relentless pursuit of Varik. Though the dialogue and exposition are sparse by modern RPG standards, each new clue deepens your investment: you’re not just fighting monsters, you’re uncovering the sins that doomed an entire civilization.

Brandish’s narrative might feel linear compared to today’s sprawling open worlds, but its focused storytelling suits the claustrophobic dungeons perfectly. Every level you clear feels like peeling back another layer of ancient betrayal, and the promise of ascending back to the surface drives you onward through each perilous chamber.

Overall Experience

Brandish stands as a bold example of early action RPG design, where challenge and discovery intertwine in every corridor. Its learning curve and old-school mechanics demand patience and careful exploration, rewarding players who map their progress, plan their equipment loadouts, and embrace trial-and-error combat. For those who relish mastering every sword lunge and spell cooldown, Brandish provides countless satisfying “aha” moments.

The pacing can feel deliberate, even punishing, especially when facing elongated mazes packed with enemies. But overcoming these areas yields a powerful sense of accomplishment. The combination of strategic resource management, environmental puzzles, and precise real-time fights gives the game a layered complexity that few contemporaries matched.

Audio elements—minimalistic in nature—complement rather than overwhelm. A haunting melody underscores your descent, while combat sound effects punctuate each strike and spell with gratifying impact. The absence of voice acting or cinematic cutscenes keeps you rooted in the dungeon, amplifying the isolation and mystery.

Ultimately, Brandish is a rewarding experience for aficionados of retro RPGs and dungeon crawlers. Its dated presentation may deter some, but its core gameplay remains robust. If you’re seeking a challenging underground adventure that melds methodical combat, light puzzle solving, and a dark, mythic storyline, Brandish is well worth unearthing.

Retro Replay Score

7.1/10