Bramble: The Mountain King - A Beautiful Yet Unsettling Adventure Inspired By Nordic Folklore

Bramble: The Mountain King is a very atmospheric adventure game with some platforming, puzzle and action elements here and there set in a grim fantasy world inspired by Nordic folklore. You play as Olle, a young boy who embarks on a great, but dangerous adventure through the beautiful and sometimes unsettling environments of this world to rescue his sister from the clutches of fairytale monsters. It's really about the journey in this game, all the different scenarios you come across are very memorable, but sometimes really unsettling and scary. Eventhough I didn't like all the chapters equally, because some were more like horror scenarios than fantasy scenarios, I was never bored and I was captivated by this game the whole way through.

The cinematography is stunning, I really like the movement of the camera and how it elevates the overall experience, it's like watching a movie. It really reminded me of games like Arise: A Simple Story or Little Orpheus. It does lack some polish here and there though, because there can be a lot of framedrops during a screen transition, the controls aren't always the best designed for platforming, it can feel a bit buggy and unresponsive sometimes and there were many moments with fixed camera angles that caused me to miss some jumps or made it very difficult to see where I had to go next.

Another thing I really liked, was how there were all these little snippets of lore and some foreshadowing of events or boss fights scatterd all over the world and how fitting and sometimes creepy the narration was.

I can't emphasize it enough, the disclaimer and warnings at the beginning of this game are really justified, because some events in this game are really unsettling. It starts out really peaceful, like you play hide and seek with some gnomes for example, but it becomes really dark and gory really quickly. I don't want to show or tell you too much because of spoilers, but Olle can die in really violent ways, certain events are really scary and unnerving and would fit perfectly in a horror game and some areas have such a creepy atmosphere that it makes you feel really uncomfortable.

The limited movement, like the slow running speed of your character and the slight delay when you jump or when you crouch, can make the hair on the back of your neck stand up when you have to escape or hide from a monster.

The same goes for the boss fights, throwing this shiny stone and aiming with the camera while you are dodging attacks felt a bit clunky, but it was really tense and a nice challenge. I personally would be alright without this throwing mechanic, but it was a nice change of pace and some boss fights, while being a bit clunky sometimes, were really memorable and something I haven't seen in a game before.

The puzzles in this game were also a nice addition, not all of them were straightforward, especially these potion brewing puzzles, but they were used in a great way to have some time to catch your breath or to learn more about the story or origin of one of the creatures or characters.

So in general Bramble: The Mountain King is one of those games that feels fresh and exciting, because of the setting and the story. The gameplay is nothing new, in fact it's sometimes a bit clunky and unresponsive, but it's all about the overall presentation and the fun, but also unsettling scenarios you come across. It's a breathtaking experience from start to finish and if you don't mind a bit of horror in your fantasy adventure games, then I can't recommend this game enough. Eventhough I didn't like every chapter equally because of certain events and how uncomfortable they made me feel, I can safely say I haven't played a game like this in a long time that managed to captivate me in such a way, despite the clunky gameplay sometimes. Don't watch a playthrough of this game, just experience it yourself and hopefully you will agree with me.

So be ready to embark on an unforgettable journey to save your sister from the clutches of these fairytale monsters and explore the beautiful yet unsettling world of Bramble!