Armed with little more than a glowing magic rock and some courage, Olle must defeat each boss by timing his movements and chucking the stone at enemy weak points when the time is right. Each boss battle feels like a fever dream at first, as slaying each creature requires a bit of trial and error to determine their pattern and weaknesses. When you aren’t sneaking past trolls or finding your way out of a locked room, you will be facing off against nightmarish creatures derived from Nordic folklore. Though challenging, the puzzles followed a proper logic and never overstayed their welcome or felt impossible to solve. One such puzzle involves brewing a potion to unlock a door using the markings on the door to determine the potion ingredients. The platforming and combat are balanced with occasional contextual puzzles that can be solved using clues in your surroundings and a bit of experimentation. Crouching behind objects and sneaking through tall grass sometimes felt tedious and became the parts I preferred doing the least.

Alongside platforming are several stealth segments that serve to amplify some of the more nerve-racking moments. While Olle is adept at platforming overall, he did have trouble sticking the landing at times, often resulting in his gruesome demise. Olle’s rescue mission involves a lot of climbing, jumping, and shimmying across a variety of terrain. The books are read aloud by a narrator who also occasionally chimes in during gameplay to provide additional narrative details. Each storybook recounts a tragic tale that gives context and informs how each creature came to be.

While some monsters prove to be friendlier than they appear, most will spare no time in beating Olle to a pulp if given the chance.īramble is narrative-driven in a literal sense, as the story is conveyed through fairy tale books that Olle finds on his journey. Olle encounters an assortment of creatures from Nordic mythology, ranging from loveable gnomes to hideous trolls. What begins as an innocent late-night jaunt through the forest evolves into a treacherous rescue mission. Players take on the role of Olle, a young boy who must embark on a dangerous journey to save his sister, Lillemor, after she gets abducted by a grisly troll.

Although it is not without a few bumps in the road, the trek through Bramble is ultimately one worth taking. The game takes place in a fantasy setting where mythical creatures based on Nordic folklore roam the forest and lurk in the shadows. Bramble: The Mountain King is a dark narrative-driven horror adventure developed by Dimfrost Studio and published by Merge Games.

The accursed king