| BROK the InvestiGator | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | COWCAT Games |
| Publisher(s) | COWCAT Games[a] |
| Producer(s) | Fabrice Breton |
| Designer(s) | Fabrice Breton |
| Programmer(s) | Fabrice Breton |
| Writer(s) |
|
| Composer(s) | Python Blue |
| Engine | GameMaker Studio 2 |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows Linux macOS Nintendo Switch PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5 Xbox One Xbox Series X/S Android iOS |
| Release | Microsoft Windows August 26, 2022 Linux, macOS October 4, 2022 Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S March 1, 2023 Android, iOS February 21, 2024 |
| Genre(s) | Point-and-click adventure,beat 'em up |
| Mode(s) | Single-player,multiplayer (supporting up to 4 players) |
BROK the InvestiGator is apoint-and-clickbeat 'em upindie game self-published and developed by independentFrench game studioCOWCAT Games usingGameMaker Studio 2. The game was successfullycrowdfunded throughKickstarter.
The game was released worldwide on August 26, 2022[1] forMicrosoft Windows viaSteam, followed byLinux andmacOS ports on October 4. Home console versions forNintendo Switch,PlayStation 4,PlayStation 5,Xbox One andXbox Series X/S,[2] were released on March 1, 2023.[3]
Android andiOS mobile ports of the game was released on February 21, 2024. The game is free to download with only the first chapter playable, with the option to buy further chapters.
A free-to-play spin-off visual novel game, titledBROK - Natal Tail, A New Christmas, was released on Steam on December 13, 2024. Unlike the base game, the Christmas-themed spin-off doesn't have any voiceovers for the characters.
The game's premise takes place in a fictional country, known as Atlasia, that is set in a futuristic "lightcyberpunk" era whereanthropomorphic animals have replaced humans, but now refer to themselves as humans. Privileged citizens live under a dome protected from ambient pollution while all the other citizens suffer to make ends meet.
The main focus of the game is the titular character, Brok, a 35-year-old private detectivealligator who is also a former championshipboxer. He lives in abasement apartment with acat named Graff, who is the 16-year-old teenage stepson of Brok's deceased wife Lia. As much as Brok could not exactly clarify her accident, events that have happened recently might reveal more information on a much more tragic result, and it might even be connected towards their existence. Brok and Graff now have to get out and endure against all the horrible danger that the corrupted world has created and must be willing to deal with their fates.
BROK the InvestiGator is a unique game which plays like a traditional classicpoint-and-click adventure game, while also combining elements from action side-scrollingbeat 'em up androle-playing games, with the look and feel of a 1980s/early 1990sSaturday-morning cartoon. Players control the titular character Brok as well as Graff (once he joins your character in the game's progress), where they can be switched at anytime during gameplay. The entire game is also voice-acted from start to finish with more than 23,000 lines of dialogue recorded.
When you first start the game, players will learn tutorials on how to use items as well as understanding how to switch between the two gameplay modes, such as Adventure Mode and Action Mode. Players must go around places talking to other non-playable characters, finding and combining clues, investigating scenarios around the environment and solve puzzles by either using thinking skills or by using their action wits. While exploring around, players can either move around and examine or search for things around them in Adventure Mode. You must also interrogate suspects with the clues and hints you have found and put them together and ask questions and find culprits (inspired byAce Attorney andSam & Max). When playing in Action Mode, players can jump and attack enemies or objects like in beat em' up games (likeFinal Fight orStreets of Rage 2). They must also be in Action Mode in order to bypass traps and avoid hazards by either jumping or running fast. When enemies and bosses come around, players will then be switched into the Action Mode phrase and they must then battle against them (the fight scenes can be skipped if the game is being played on easy mode). When they are defeated, players earn experience points. When enough is earned, they level up their strength like in role-playing games and they can choose one of three stats to upgrade such as either their health points, their attack power or upgrade your special attack to take less time to cool down after use. Players also have access to an inventory where weapons and items can be used in combat, for puzzle-solving or for supportive aid.
The game has started development in 2016 and has been in the process for about six years to create, with wrap-up in 2022. Previous working titles for the game wereTough BROK andBROK the Brawler Detective.[4] The final title was settled onBROK the InvestiGator, as a play on the words "alligator" and "investigator", given what the titular character is. A few years later, further into development, an officialKickstarter page was launched on January 5, 2021, to provide the funding needed for the game's completion. The game was quickly successfully crowdfunded as Breton reached his main pledge goal towards a minimum of €12,000 ($14,287 in 2021) in just 17 hours. Additional "stretch goals", such as better and smoother animations as well as additional and optional boss battles, an official theme song for the game, an official comic book based on the game, multiple contextual game over screens, a developer commentary and even couch co-op multiplayer, were also reached. By the end of the Kickstarter funding campaign on February 5, 2021, the final results came with a funding of 346%, backed by 1,060 supporters with €41,588 ($49,515 in 2021) total, reaching more than triple its original main goal.[5]
The game has been advertised as the first of a hybrid between apoint and clickadventure game and a side-scrollingbeat 'em up withrole-playing game elements (specifically, as a "Punch n' Click" game).[6] The game's art style was inspired by western animation from the 1980s and early 1990s, generally fromThe Disney Afternoon, of which its cartoons were very popular throughout the 1990s. In addition, the script for the first part of the game was edited byDisney pioneerJymn Magon, an American television and film writer who served as co-creator/writer forDuckTales,Adventures of the Gummi Bears,TaleSpin andA Goofy Movie.
With game development mainly being done in France, the game however was written, scripted and voice-acted entirely inEnglish with more than 23,000 lines of dialogue provided. Afterwards, Breton himself has then translated all the game text and dialogue intoFrench. The game would be available in a total of ten languages overall on launch day. In addition to English and French, the game would also be officially localized and translated intoJapanese,Castilian Spanish,German,Italian,Brazilian Portuguese,Russian,Polish andSimplified Chinese. In November 2022, an eleventh language option which isTraditional Chinese was also added, asEastasiasoft handled publication of a PlayStation 5 release of the game for the Taiwan/Hong Kong markets. However, the voice acting would still only be in English regardless, as the audio dialogue will be displayed through translatedsubtitle text towards all non-English language options. Due to budget and time constraints, there are currently no plans todub the game in other languages.
The prologue demo contains the first chapter of the game, whereas the finalized release of the full game is six chapters long as it takes between 15 and 20 hours for the average player to finish a single playthrough. The game also contains multiple endings; depending on the choices players make during their adventure, different relations with characters or events can occur. There are also unlockable extras that are included in the game, such as concept art as well asartwork drawn by fans worldwide that have made the cut to be featured. Players can spend extra points to unlock the fan art. There was also a contest held for the game where lucky winners received prizes.[7]
On October 13, 2021, the game had to be delayed to 2022. On August 9, 2022, a new trailer was announced for the game's worldwide scheduled release date of August 26, on Microsoft Windows via Steam; ports forLinux andmacOS was published on October 4. Versions for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, were published on March 1, 2023.[3] A mobile port for Android and iOS was released on February 21, 2024, with a first chapter for free; the rest is behind a paywall.
On November 25, 2022, Version 1.2.1 of this game has added new features such as new enemy moves, the ability for players to do longer combo attacks, and a new difficulty setting (Mania mode, which is unlockable after beating the game on Hardcore mode).
On March 9, 2023, the game added numerous accessibility features for blind gamers, such as additional narration via text-to-speech audio descriptions on characters, locations and scenes, and skippable puzzles/fights.[8] In October the same year, local co-op mode was added with six playable characters to choose from and up to 4 players can experience the story.[9]
On June 4, 2024, COWCAT Games announceddownloadable content in the form ofThe Brawl Bar, aboxing-themed add-on for the base game that is "80% action and 20% visual novel/adventure".[10] It will be released on Steam first before heading to home consoles and mobile.[10]
The game's prologue demo has received very positive feedback with critics and fans on Steam, where the score holds a 9/10. The idea of combining a point-and-click adventure game with side-scrolling beat' em up with RPG elements was taken as a uniquely new concept and players have invoiced positive feedback in regards to its writing, character animations, gameplay and an overall enjoyable experience that holds a very high promise. The game's art style which appeals towards 1990s nostalgia also won praise with fans who grew up in that era.[11]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | (PC) 79/100[12] (XBO) 78/100[13] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Adventure Gamers |   [14] |
| Destructoid | 7/10[15] |
| Nintendo Life | 7/10[16] |
BROK the InvestiGator received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according toreview aggregatorMetacritic.[12][13]
GameGrin gave a rating of a score as high as a 9 out of 10, as it was praised for the idea of being a great point-and-click adventure game that mixes fun fighting action segments along with its deep complicated story with its beautiful art style and great story.[17]
Adventure Gamers gave a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5, praising the cartoon art, characters, voice acting, and world-building, but criticizing the simple combat mechanics and stiff animations.[14]Destructoid gave a rating of 7 out of 10, saying, "Solid and definitely have an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun."[15]Nintendo Life gave a rating of 7 out of 10 and called it an original game but criticized the slow start.[16]
Within a week after the game's worldwide release, Fabrice Breton himself announced that this game received international success with a 99% rating onSteam. The total sales forBROK the InvestiGator matched nearly close to the total revenue that Breton's first game "Demetrios" received throughout years of its release, after the first week release ofBROK.[18]
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