A surprising horror tale
If there’s one adage that fits Bramble: The Mountain King perfectly, it’s “Do not be fooled by appearances”. It would indeed be a shame to stop at the tip of the iceberg for this Swedish game. Because, we are not going to lie to each other, at first glance, the game does not look very good. Despite a certain charm and some magnificent plans, we feel that the means of Dimfrost Studio and its ten employees are not very great. The movements are not the most fluid, the animations are sometimes a little dated and some characters are simply scary. But this may have been done on purpose… Because yes, under its enchanted folktale air, Bramble: The Mountain King is above all a horrific adventure immersing you in young Olle’s worst nightmares. After a few tens of minutes of play, the atmosphere changes drastically to sink into gore and terror. A bit like the story of Hansel and Gretel or the original versions of the different tales of our childhood, we must not put Bramble in all hands. Be warned!
But note that the game is not a survival horror. It’s more of an adventure game with a gloomy atmosphere like Little Nightmares. There are thus some puzzles, platform phases and even boss fights. The gameplay does not reinvent the wheel but is, that said, quite effective. It even seems to have been reworked since the demo (and its imprecise jump phases to tear your hair out). The game even offers some pretty clever phases that manage to effectively convey the desired feeling of angst. But it is of course its beautifully crafted atmosphere that gives Bramble: The Mountain King its special flavor. And this atmosphere, he owes it to the choice of his main subject: Scandinavian folklore.
A real dive into the heart of Nordic folklore
When we talk about Scandinavian folklore, we mainly think of the Nordic gods who have been honored in many games (God of War, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, etc.). But one rarely thinks of the many creatures that have terrorized little children in Iceland and elsewhere. The trolls, the gnomes, the Näcken, the Skogsrå… These are all these creatures, and many others, that Bramble offers us to meet. For some, a dive into their history is essential in order to understand the myth that hides behind the monster. And everything is nicely brought through small tales very well narrated (despite some translation hiccups in writing in French). Beyond the form, the substance is also interesting and pushes us to question ourselves on what is real wickedness. We would have liked all the same a small database in order to deepen a little this simple overview of Scandinavian folklore. But if the game made us curious, isn’t it already a great success?
Above all, don’t ask too much. Bramble is a little game, in every sense of the word. It offers us an experience rich in emotions for only four hours of play. And in addition, it’s free if you have the Xbox Game Pass. Suffice to say that we can only encourage you to give this atypical and addictive little game a chance. It is not for nothing that it registers a Metascore of 75 and 96% of positive evaluations on Steam (out of 1,174). Bramble: The Mountain King has a real charm that may not speak to everyone, but which will leave a deep mark on those who get caught up in it. Admittedly, it is necessary to ignore for that its defects, in particular technical, but the adventure is really worth the detour. And this only bodes well for the rest of the small Swedish studio that we will have to watch out of the corner of our eyes.
Lovers of an exotic and atypical experience, you must give Bramble: The Mountain King a chance. The game has been available on Xbox Game Pass since June 27. It is also possible to buy the game on Steam, where it is currently on sale. A demo is always available on the platform if you want to taste the game a little before cracking.
