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Brotato scratches that Vampire Survivors itch, faster and bloodierIf Vampire Survivors has limbered up your fingers, try this
If Vampire Survivors has limbered up your fingers, try this
After finishing the full version ofVampire Survivors, my fingers are limbered up for a livelier arcade walk-o-shooter. I’ve turned toBrotato, a gamewhose demo I enjoyed in the Steam Next Fest, and which launched into early access in September. I say with great affection: it feels (and looks) like it could have been a Flash game on Newgrounds. Plus it’s only £4.
Brotato gameplay clipsA few clips I snapped of my various potatoes doing the mashingWatch on YouTube
Brotato gameplay clips
Brotato is a wave-based arena shoot ‘em up where you, a potato, blast and bash alien invaders using an arsenal spanning murderhistory: from sticks and stones through turret-summong wrenches all the way up to laser guns and aFallout-esque power fists. The game does the shooting for you, automatically targetting and attacking, so you’re focused moment-to-moment on movement while planning a build in the back of your spudbrain.
We’re S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G
If you’re looking for simply more Vampire Survivors, Brotato is not that game. It is too fast (and dare I say furious) to offer that same sort of pleasant murderstroll where you can enjoy pottering about and watching explosions. You certainly cannot step away to brew a cup of coffee and return to find your run still going just peachy, as I did in a Vampire Survivors run today. But I do find in there a similar feeling of slipping empty-headed into the vibe of a run and the flow of combat, coming to intuitively understand my strengths and weakness and moving accordingly.
Some characters alter the size of the level
That big gripe which does lessen the “Ah gwan, just one more run” feeling after death but I’m still enjoying dipping in and out. I’m slowly unlocking more classes and items, and have a long climb ahead of me through difficulty levels.
I would believe you if you told Brotato was magically pulled from another timeline, where it was a hit Flash game on Newgrounds in 2006. It has that same clean cartoon art, that same sprite-squishing animation, that same zany attitude that sees your potato increasingly dripping with wacky accessories, that same blast of numbers and stat screens, that same moreish arcade action. A paid game in 2022 is a different prospect but even if I do soon tap out in deathy frustration, I’m quite happy with the fun I’ve already had for a couple quid.
Brotato is outon Steam Early Accessfor £4/€5/$5. You can also get a small discount if youbuy it togetherwith20 Minutes Till Dawn, a survival shoot ‘em up I’ve also enjoyed this year. That one’s kinda like Vampire Survivors except you have to aim and shoot (or likeCrimsonland, if that comparison means more to you).
