Music and gaming have been linked together for quite some time now, either in the form of incredible original soundtracks or through the utilization of music in gameplay itself. Take the ever-lucrative world of rhythm games, for example. Fast reaction times and careful note charting make up the bulk of some of the most popular music-based games out there right now, whether they’re ten days old or tens of years old. After all, what could be better than matching colorful notes to some of the most engaging and infectious tracks the human mind can conjure up?
BrebreMan, developed by MetaFormingPro and published by Waku Waku Games, isn’t your ordinary rhythm game. In fact, I don’t really know what I can compare it to. Is it an action game? Is it a bullet hell shmup? Is it some mix of the two with a surreal, underground music theme slapped over top? The truth falls somewhere between all of these, it seems. I recently got a chance to check out this bizarre breakbeat action game during Steam’s Next Fest, and suffice to say, I was hooked from the word go.
Saving the World with Breakbeats?
BrebreMan follows the ongoing exploits of the titular BrebreMan, a DJ by day who turns into a speaker-wearing superhero by night. But things aren’t all peachy. Monstrous “Klangeists” have begun infesting the world, desperate for a groovy beat to listen to. Armed with the power of music and two floating vinyl records, BrebreMan is the only one who can satiate the Klangeists’ hungry ears, all while bringing peace to the world with the crunchy sounds of blasting drums.
It’s certainly a game that doesn’t waste your time. The demo offers a tutorial, two basic levels, and a separate challenge level to really give you the broad spectrum of what to expect from the full game. Storytelling is kept to a minimum here, with only a modest briefing before each level giving you some context as to what’s happening. The English localization is also a little… blunt, to be fair, but it’s at least coherent.
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The real meat of what’s here is in how BrebreMan plays. It’s deceptively simple. You control BrebreMan on a fixed position at the bottom of the screen, and you’re able to move him left and right as he automatically flies straight ahead. You’re on a rail, essentially, meaning all you’ll have to worry about is what’s heading your way — namely, Klangeists.
But BrebreMan is more than well-equipped to take on these strange mishmashes of household objects and musical equipment. BrebreMan has two vinyl records that spin around him every time you move left or right, serving as an effective shield against enemy projectiles. But there’s just one caveat to using them; they’re also your sole weapon.
BrebreMan can launch a record at an oncoming Klangeist to inflict damage on them, with both records being able to be deployed simultaneously. Is that it? No, actually. There’s some strategy involved here. Beyond just rapidly firing your records back and forth, you have to decide whether or not to use just one at a time, and whether or not you should keep your record on a specific foe for longer than normal. Holding down the attack button means that your record will inflict continuous damage on your target as opposed to your regular attack, opening the door for quite a bit of tactical thinking. Should you quickly take down weaker Klangeists before targeting someone bigger? Or should you keep your records focused on a larger threat before mopping up the weaker ones?
Beyond that, you have the actual music in this music-based game. While it’s hard to name any standout tracks in such a short demo, I do feel compelled to note how interesting the game’s soundscape was as a whole. The few tracks on offer here do vary pretty significantly, with the challenge level in particular offering something a bit more ominous compared to the more upbeat and energetic compositions found in the regular levels. But what you’ll hear the most are breakbeats — pounding drums that echo out with every record you launch at your foes.
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While there isn’t necessarily any specific rhythm you have to strike in order to more effectively defeat your foes, there were points where I was essentially making my own backing track to the music going on in the background, almost to the point where I was purposefully distracting myself from the action on-screen. You know, in a good way.
It’s challenging, but fair. Your health is more than plentiful, and you continuously regenerate health by defeating more and more Klangeists. You can even “change the beat” — aka, summon a highly-damaging attack that often clears the screen of enemies — after you defeat enough Klangeists. It’s pretty handy during some hairier situations, and you can even use it on bosses to inflict massive damage.
Should You Play BrebreMan?
What initially sold me on BrebreMan was just how bizarre it looked. The strange mishmash of 3D elements and photoshopped monsters assembled out of various knick-knacks is hard to ignore, after all. But after playing it, I found myself continuously returning to its surprisingly addictive gameplay. It’s so simple, but the gradual ramp-up in challenge, the infectious breakbeats that fill the ears with every successful attack, and the surreal atmosphere that surrounds these individual elements really hit all the right notes for me. It’s a similar kind of feeling I felt for CRUST SHMUP, though that game hooked me with its overwhelmingly oppressive atmosphere above all else.
Here, BrebreMan is just an energetic romp through a world defined by breakbeat music, complete with some novel gameplay to deliver a game that effectively puts you in direct control of the musical subgenre. I can’t really say I’ve played much else like it. Shmup enthusiasts and rhythm game fans alike are sure to find something to appreciate with this charming indie title.
Be sure to check out BrebreMan on Steam whenever you get a chance.
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