PAX Australia 2017 — City of Brass impressions

A touch of Arabian Nights, a touch of Indiana Jones, but all fun!

Although the rogue-like dungeon crawler has become a common theme in the independent scene as of late, no entry into the genre has been quite as unique and innovative as what I saw of Australian studio Uppercut Games’ City of Brass at PAX Australia 2017. Whereas most of the rogue-likes I’ve experienced have taken place in a two-dimensional space and either relied on a top-down isometric camera angle or incorporated minor platforming elements into what is essentially a 2D side-scroller, City of Brass is a first-person title that puts players in the shoes of an unnamed thief who must traverse a procedurally-generated mythical city filled with enemies and traps all trying to stop him from discovering its hidden treasures.

There is a lot to love about City of Brass based on the brief demo I played through at PAX, and it’s quite impressive to see such an inventive approach from a small Australian studio like Uppercut Games, especially considering that the game is still in Early Access. The most notable aspect of the title — aside from its first-person perspective, of course — is that it addresses its Arabian Nights inspiration by providing the player with a scimitar in one hand, but adds a modern twist by placing a whip in the other hand. Uppercut Games’ representatives had a lot to say about the whip and the variety of ways in which it can be used, an exciting prospect that I was able to experience first-hand as I moved through the demo. As I wandered around the ever-changing city, trying to avoid its many traps while ensuring that I was careful and methodical in how I engaged enemies, it was hard not to be blown away by the work Uppercut Games has done on the game’s graphics. Careful attention to detail in the game’s lighting, environments and animations work alongside the scimitar to transport the player into the Arabian Nights mindset.

It was quite surprising to note that the game’s combat was considerably more strategic than the hack-and-slash gameplay that often accompanies the first-person perspective, requiring players to approach every encounter with a mixture of careful-but-quick thinking and mechanical skill. It is important that players learn — and quickly decide — when to use their whip to activate a trap or trip an incoming enemy to buy some more time, especially when fighting more than one opponent; there were times, for instance, where I would trip an enemy that was running towards me, immediately adjust my aim onto another enemy and use the whip again to stun them as they tried to attack me. This emphasis on quick thinking and reflexive movements make the combat an extremely fun and challenging experience, especially as the player gets closer to the city’s hidden treasure

Although I didn’t make it to the treasure in the time I was given with the game, I still had an enjoyable time with Uppercut Games’ City of Brass and am quite excited to see the finished product in 2018.

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