Without a doubt one of my favorite games of 2014 was Free Lives’ Broforce. The exploding pixel brillance in this action-adventure shoot’em up is second to none when it comes to fun, violence, and addicting gameplay. Where else can you save hostages, play as a host of 80’s “like” action heroes, and don’t give a damn if you die over and over. Seriously, the fun of this game is experiencing the several different ways in which you can cause more destruction than before and die while trying.
If playing as characters-like a Chuck Norris, B.A. Baracus, Rambo and a slew others wasn’t enough fun, the creative minds at Free Lives have decided to bring several Alien Infestation missions into the Early Access PC game. Here at PAX South, I had the chance to play some of these new co-op missions alongside Ruan, the programmer for Broforce.
The early missions of the new Alien content are very similiar to the play style of some of the early missions in the overall game. And of course, the one exception being that there are a few run-ins with the dreaded Xenomorphs. One to two shots and these purple suckers are belly up like their human counterparts. The difference in gameplay doesn’t change however until you descend below ground. Here in the hive of the Aliens a more compact layout of the levels is apparent.
Being forced underground to save your American bros is tough enough but add in traps, aliens and close quarters and it is a recipe for pure Broforce mayhem. The underground levels are jam packed full of exploding barrels, falling boulders and gnarly spiked traps. Unlike the above terrain, navigating down below does lends itself to more of a strategic endevor as you will have to avoid the pitfalls of many more traps and the aforementioned falling rocks. Destroy a section half-hazardly and you will pay the price from a massive falling boulder.
Now lets talk a little more about the Aliens. You have full fledged Xenomorphs, face huggers, Alien eggs and a massive Alien cave. If you have the fortunate pleasure of having a face hugger land on you, it’s an insta-kill and you will transform into an alien. Xenomorphs range in all different sizes and of course the brutes being the toughest to dispatch. When entering the alien cave, essentially the stomach of a very large purple-bugger, you will traverse your way through many spiked platforms that randomly open and close. Impale yourself on a spike and well it’s time to revisit your last checkpoint.
Broforce is still in Early Access on Steam. In speaking with Ruan, the Alien Infestation missions will be added to the game shortly, as there are still some wonky bugs to iron out. Shortly after that the game will transition out of Early Access and release on PC with a PS4 release thereafter.