Review: BROK the InvestiGator – A Colorful Adventure Game also fully accessible to Blind Players
Don’t call him Bro or Krok, call him BROK
Hello, dear readers. Today it’s my pleasure to present you my review of one of the most excellent games I got to play and enjoy in recent memory. BROK the InvestiGator is a gorgeous 2D adventure game that manages to successfully combine Point and Click gameplay with Brawling mechanics and RPG elements in order to deliver the very first Punch & Click game, as developer COWCAT puts it. Regardless of its classification, BROCK is one of the most satisfying and rewarding adventure titles that I played in a long time.
I won’t waste your time and mine with useless descriptions or details, but I want to tell you that I am blown away by how much work and love has been put into bringing BROK to life. What COWCAT did here is nothing short of amazing. The colorful graphics and the beautiful animations are accentuated by an entertaining story, endearing characters, captivating investigations, and unparalleled accessibility for the blind in an Indie production.
BROK the InvestiGator is a narrative-driven adventure game that seamlessly blends action with investigations in a natural way, allowing you to use your brain… or your brawn to solve puzzles and confrontations alike. The game is set in a futuristic “light cyberpunk” world where animals have replaced humans, privileged citizens live under a protective dome saving them from ambient air pollution while others struggle to make a living on the outskirtsin any way they can.
Under these dire circumstances, we are introduced to Brok, a private detective/handyman and former boxer who lives with Graff, his foster son, a moody teenager who will also play an important role in the adventures to come. What follows is a deeply emotional narrative experience filled with charm, humor, action, adventures, mysteries, puzzles and colorful characters reminiscent of classic 80s/90s cartoons.
As advertised, BROK the InvestiGator is the first fully-fledged classic adventure title that blind gamers can play without fearing they will get stuck at some point.Right from the beginning we are treated to fully narrated menus – characters, locations, and scenes via an excellent text-to-speech feature and superb audio descriptions! This has never been seen before in an Indie game and the only other title that actually includes these accessibility options is The Last of Us, Part I.
Add to these accomplishments accessibility settings for high contrast, simplified controls, the option to skip fights or puzzles and we have on our hands one of the most accessible games to date. I cover gaming from a blind perspective, but even so, I can’t help but be excited for all other impaired players that can enjoy BROK the InvestiGator as it also includes the option to repeat the last line of dialogue, easy hints, and if you have the accessibility preset for blind players turn on and press square on the DualSense controller you’ll get useful scene description through which you’ll find out with what items you can interact. The simplified controls allow to seamlessly interact with elements and using ads that we collect in our adventure to reveal clues never gets old.
Alina tells me that the game looks great and I love both the immersive voice acting and the atmospheric soundtrack. But, what I appreciate the most about BROK the InvestiGator is how easy, accessible, relaxing, and rewarding the entire experience is. If I want to punch it out with enemies or solve puzzles I can do that, if not, I can just play the game as a classic Point & Click and treasure the story and the time spent with these unique characters.
Some friends who are impaired asked me if the game needs multiple button inputs or prolonged presses. From my experience with playing for over 15 hours, I can tell you that if we choose to skip fights the game can be played with limited simultaneous inputs. You need to hold the touchpad for one second to skip actions and you can navigate levels and interact by pressing one button at a time. Of course, someone with a motor disability needs to confirm what I said here as I’m used to playing games and maybe I didn’t realize that I pressed multiple buttons at some point.
In conclusion, BROK the InvestiGator is a one-of-a-kind game that managed to surpass all my expectations and hopes. If you like classic adventure games or beat’em up, you won’t be disappointed! The fact that it’s also accessible to a variety of players with impairments and disabilities is another reason to love it and to tell everyone around us about it.
My sincerest thanks and congrats to everyone involved with this project! You all did a fantastic job with BROK the InvestiGator! Able players and disabled gamers alike will be delighted and entertained by these timeless adventures. Indie developers or larger publishers in the gaming industry should take BROK as an example when it comes to accessibility, diversity, and inclusion.
BROK the InvestiGator is available now on PS5, PS4, Xbox series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, MAC, Linux and PC. There are also a variety of demos are trials available so don’t miss your chance to try it out.
For more info, check out the game’s website!
Review copy provided by COWCAT
Victor Dima
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