BROK the InvestiGator is a point-and-click game that combines a narrative-based adventure, as seen in classic point-and-click games, with investigation mechanics and action elements. The combination of point-and-click mechanics and action elements earns it the name “Punch & Click”.
The title was first released on August 26, 2022, on PC (Windows, Mac, and Linux) and is currently available on Steam, GOG, and itch.io. From March 1, 2023, the title made its debut on consoles: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. In October 2023, there was an interesting new update with the addition of local cooperative mode for up to 4 players.
BROK the InvestiGator: A detective in a distopic world!
In a distant future, society is made up of anthropomorphic animals that have replaced humanity. Society is divided into social classes, the Drumers who are the privileged class and live under a dome that protects them from pollution; the Slummers who are poor and live outside the dome; and finally the Squealers who are considered outcasts.
In this scenario, we will play the role of Brok, a private investigator who lives in the Slums with Graff, the son of his late wife. We are asked to retrieve a policeman’s personal item. Soon we will find ourselves in something much more complicated and intricate than the search for a lost gun. We will be involved in intrigues and a twisted plot that involves the Triangle, the head of government.
Beat and Investigate!
The peculiarity of BROK the InvestiGator is the combination of a classic point-and-click with a Beat’em Up. To give everyone the opportunity to enjoy Brok’s experience, it is also possible to lower the difficulty of the fights and even skip them completely. In this way, even those who are not used to beat’em ups and want to focus only on the investigation can do so.
The combat sequences are reminiscent of early ‘90s classics like Final Fight, featuring side-scrolling fights with a variety of combos and special beat’em up attacks. In terms of point-and-click gameplay, BROK the InvestiGator belongs to the modern breed of such games that allow direct interaction with the environment without the need for selecting verbs as in LucasArts’ point-and-click games.
If you are stuck, in-game hints can be unlocked by collecting shadow ads. These hints does’t give a complete solution, but they give step-by-step tips and give us indications on how to solve the puzzles.
Interrogations form a crucial part of Brok, where you combine clues from elements and keywords collected during your investigation. We must carefully manage the interrogation because we could also come to the wrong conclusions.
Depending on your choices and gameplay style, the story and endings can vary. Brok features multiple endings, and at the end of the game, you can review your choices and the different paths you took, allowing for a different journey in the next playthrough.
Play with a friend
The recent update allows for local cooperative play in BROK the InvestiGator. Sidekicks cannot interact directly with all game elements, for example, it is not possible to leave the room unless the first player moves. Additional players can take part in fights, gain experience and level up, investigate the scene and collect shadow advertisements that can then be spent to purchase hints.
An excellent blend of genres
When genres are combined, there’s always a chance that something won’t work out. This isn’t the case with BROK the InvestiGator, though, since it succeeds in both its beat ’em up and point-and-click sections without compromising an engaging story or investigation.
Beat’em up parts are used to keep the gameplay interesting and the player interested and ready for the next puzzle. After spending about fifteen hours hooked to the screen, we can declare with confidence that BROK the InvestiGator’s puzzles are intuitive and don’t demand moon logic, even though in some situations we had to use the game’s suggestions.
As a result of the presence of many different endings and subplots, the game’s duration is not limited to 15 hours, but must be played multiple times in order to unlock all of the plot’s branches.
We were quite happy to see local cooperative play included, especially for the plot-insertion approach that keeps the single-player experience untouched while adding a fun multiplayer element to the game.
In 2024, a title’s accessibility might be crucial. In this instance, the accessibility options provided by BROK are remarkable. Blind players can also play BROK thanks to puzzle adaptability, haptic feedback (controller vibration when hitting a wall), text-to-speech and audio descriptions, and spatial audio.
In addition, BROK the InvestiGator offers a range of accessibility options that allow players to skip challenging puzzles and battles. Furthermore, players have the ability to enlarge the characters and enhance the contrast for better visibility.
BROK the InvestiGator is fully dubbed in English and has been localized in multiple languages including French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Japanese.
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