Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Brute Force delivers a dynamic team-based shooter experience centered around the seamless switching of four distinct squad members. You’ll find yourself toggling between Hawk’s stealth and melee prowess, Flint’s pinpoint one-shot kills, Tex’s heavy firepower and mine-disarming expertise, and Brutus’s thermal vision and self-regenerating energy. This on-the-fly character swapping keeps every firefight and puzzle fresh, as you must identify which soldier’s abilities best suit the obstacle at hand. Whether you’re sneaking past security sensors with Hawk or laying down suppressive fire as Tex, the core mechanic never grows stale.

Each of the 18 missions introduces a new set of challenges that leverage your entire squad. Some levels demand careful recon from Flint’s vantage point, picking off distant alien snipers before you advance. Others force you into tight corridors swarming with alien grunts, where Hawk’s invisibility can turn the tide. Puzzle segments—like disarming enemy communication arrays or unlocking sealed doors—often hinge on precise use of Brutus’s thermal scanner or Tex’s mine-clearing grenades. This variety prevents the game from feeling repetitive, even as you blast through human mercenaries, extraterrestrial creatures, and automated defenses.

The inclusion of cooperative and competitive multiplayer further enriches the gameplay. Up to eight players can square off in two teams of four across multiple modes: deathmatch, capture the flag, and objective-based scenarios. Each squad member’s skillset translates well to PvP, with sniper duels, stealthy infiltrations, and heavy-weapon skirmishes all coexisting in a single match. Xbox Live support also allows you to download community-made levels, extending replayability well beyond the initial campaign.

Graphics

Upon release, Brute Force showcased impressive graphical fidelity for its platform, delivering detailed character models and richly textured environments. The squad members each possess a unique visual identity—Hawk’s slender frame contrasts nicely with Tex’s hulking armor, while Brutus’s non-human physiology is rendered with intricate organic detail. Flint’s long-range rifle and Tex’s massive gatling gun gleam realistically under dynamic lighting, adding weight to every shot.

Level design ranges from arid desert outposts to lush alien jungles, and each locale benefits from atmospheric particle effects like sandstorms, smoke, and flickering lights. Thermal vision sequences via Brutus’s visor add a unique layer of visual flair, recoloring enemy silhouettes in bright reds and oranges as you stalk behind cover. While occasional frame-rate dips occur during intense firefights, the trade-off is worthwhile for the cinematic presentation and ambitious scale of on-screen action.

Enemy variety also bolsters the visual experience. Human adversaries wear distinct armor sets and helmets, while alien creatures feature bioluminescent patterns and grotesque anatomy. Boss encounters in later missions feature towering foes with elaborate animations and multi-stage attack patterns, making each big battle visually memorable. Even years after launch, the graphics hold up as a testament to the developers’ attention to environmental detail and enemy design.

Story

Brute Force casts you as the leader of an elite mercenary squad dispatched on a series of high-stakes operations against both human warlords and alien invaders. The narrative unfolds through mission briefings, in-field radio chatter, and the occasional cutscene. While the overall plot follows a straightforward “good guys versus bad guys” formula, it offers enough twists—hostile factions shifting allegiances, secret experiments on alien lifeforms—to keep players engaged for the full 18-mission run.

The character writing is surprisingly solid for an action-focused shooter. Hawk’s taciturn professionalism contrasts with Tex’s blowhard bravado, while Flint’s calm precision moderates Brutus’s inscrutable alien perspective. Brief dialogue exchanges before pivotal encounters lend each squad member a distinct personality, making you care about who you send in first when the stakes are highest. Though the story doesn’t reinvent the genre, it provides a credible justification for your globe-trotting adventures and varied objectives.

Cutscenes are rendered in-engine, striking a balance between narrative clarity and gameplay momentum. You’ll never spend more than a minute watching story content before being thrown back into combat, which suits the game’s breakneck pacing. Dialogues drop hints about an overarching conspiracy involving a clandestine organization harnessing alien technology—enough to spark curiosity without overshadowing the core shooter experience.

Overall Experience

Brute Force succeeds by blending tight squad-based mechanics with accessible shooter fundamentals. The ability to switch characters at a moment’s notice is both innovative and essential, forcing you to adapt your tactics on the fly. With a total of 18 missions that scale in difficulty and complexity, you’ll find the campaign offers solid value for players who enjoy tactical depth within a mainstream shooter framework.

The game’s multiplayer component is equally compelling, transforming the four-character system into a playground of asymmetric warfare. Matches are never the same thanks to each player’s choice of squad member, and downloadable community maps via Xbox Live have kept the multiplayer scene alive long after release. Coordination and communication become critical when opposing teams leverage their unique skills against you, delivering a challenge that extends well beyond the single-player content.

While some may find the story lightweight and occasional graphical slowdowns distracting, these are minor quibbles in an otherwise polished package. Brute Force stands out as a uniquely structured shooter that rewards strategic thinking as much as trigger finger reflexes. For anyone seeking a squad-centric action game with varied gameplay, memorable characters, and robust online modes, this title remains a worthwhile venture.

Retro Replay Score

7.3/10