#Burly men at sea reviews code#
#Burly men at sea reviews Ps4#

Rather, as a player explores a scene – through physically expanding the on-screen view – they discover how they might move forward. Nor does the player explicitly direct their character by tapping on the screen. Choices are not presented through dialogue or narration. But not ‘discovery’ in the traditional sense of the word used in point-and-click adventure games. And so, my seafaring adventure had begun.Īt its heart, Burly Men at Sea is a bite-sized adventure game about discovery. Holding my finger down, the screen began to expand until the path forward was revealed. Surprisingly, the screen reacted to my touch, revealing something hidden on the right. A rather inauspicious start, I mused to myself. After around half-a-minute, I began to think that the game had frozen. As the title screen popped up, I waited rather impatiently for the game to start. The opening scene of Burly Men at Sea is brilliant, setting the tone of the entire game. Unsurprisingly, touchscreen controls work best so playing this little curio in handheld mode offers up the best and most satisfyingly intimate experience.A charming and relaxing folktale adventure that empowers the player through a wonderful sense of discovery. You can control the action either via the touchscreen with the Joy-Cons.

#Burly men at sea reviews Ps4#

The game you’re getting on Nintendo Switch isn’t far removed from the one you may have played on Steam and mobile back in 2016, or the versions ported to PS4 and PS Vita last year. It's very kitsch to say the least, but it's still a fitting physical tie-in for a game that wears its storybook DNA on its sleeve throughout.

#Burly men at sea reviews code#

Well, if you head to this website and enter that code you’ll be able to purchase a hardcover edition of that very story, in all its printed glory. On the spine of each is a special number, one the game tantalisingly dangles in front of you without explanation. It’s a cute way of archiving your experiences, but it also serves another unique purpose. When you finish each tale a book will be added to a shelf back at port, which recounts each adventure you’ve been on with the Brothers Beard. From the mystery of what’s to come (the NPCs you meet seemingly knowing nothing of a blank treasure map, a fact that only urges you to set sail again and divine its true purpose) to the use of voices to create everything from the soundtrack to everyday sounds (yes, someone really did record themselves impersonating a coffee machine), it feels pleasantly homemade from top to bottom.

It’s here you get a little taster for what Burly Men at Sea is preparing to serve up. Every journey starts with the three titular men of caliber - whimsically-named Hasty Beard, Steady Beard and Brave - discovering a blank map in a bottle, a rather handy plot device that leads them to port in search of answers. Burly Men at Sea’s most memorable moments are best discovered on your own playthrough, so we’ll do our best not to ruin its juiciest bits, but we will say you'll likely encounter them in a unique combination each time you play, and that’s where the real selling point reveals itself. It’s not necessarily about what you do to reach a certain destination, but what you find along the way.

As such, there isn’t much actual ‘game’ to be had - you’ll mostly just drag the edge of the screen to move the titular trio of bearded sailors and tap to open doors - but that’s obviously the intention of husband-and-wife studio Brain&Brain is going for. It’s an experience that’s clearly been made with family viewing in mind, its pithy dialogue often winking at the adults as much as its slapstick antics entertains the kids. The end result is something more akin to an interactive storybook than a game. You’ll encounter all sorts of weird and wonderful characters as your turn its virtual pages, plotting points on a mysteriously blank map as you choose the chapters that comprise this maritime yarn. Well, actually, it wants you to tell its story, guiding three sea-faring brothers as they sail the sea in search of adventures worthy of the telling. Burly Men at Sea wants to tell you a story.