Bounty Brawl

There is a good chance that Bounty Brawl will make you say “okay, I really don’t trust anyone anymore” at least once. At first glance, the game seems like a classic co-op roguelite shooter where you and your team hunt bosses, but then towards the end of the run, it throws you into a free-for-all scenario where everyone tries to steal the best loot from each other.

And honestly, that’s when the game becomes the most fun.

Bounty Brawl is set on the planet Clooloon where hunters work for the secret guild Hunter Haven. Everyone has the same goal: the biggest bounties, the most money, and the best reputation. The problem is that the game quickly realizes that greedy bounty hunters are much more entertaining when you let them sabotage each other.

The gameplay loop is quite simple to grasp. You choose a character, enter a run, and navigate through randomly generated rooms full of enemies and obstacles. Each run ends with a boss fight, but the real chaos often begins only after that when co-op stops being co-op.

The biggest highlight of the entire game for me is the lasso mechanic. On paper, it seems like a regular grappling hook, but the game uses it for almost everything. The lasso helps you move around the maps, rescue teammates, block projectiles, stun enemies, and deal damage to bosses when you weaken them. One moment you’re saving yourself from chaos, and a few seconds later you’re literally pulling a friend towards hordes of enemies because you want better loot after the boss fight.

The combat is fast and dynamic enough to keep the runs enjoyable. You build energy for skills with standard attacks, the dash gives you a brief invulnerability frame, and the shield break system forces you to constantly pay attention to when an enemy becomes vulnerable. When you break an enemy's shield, you can pull them with the lasso and deal much more damage, which gives the fights a good rhythm.

The characters are also one of the best parts of the game for me.

Gorogozo and Xane are my absolute favorites because they have interesting designs and gameplay styles that set them apart from the rest of the roster. Generally, all the characters feel chaotic and weird enough that you immediately want to play another round just to see how the other character plays.

The upgrade system is also quite solid. During runs, you buy perks that stack, and between matches, you unlock new hunter skills, gadgets, and modes. Some gadgets like the stun blaster or tiger claws significantly change the gameplay, so there is enough build variety to keep experiments fun.

The biggest problem with the game right now is that part of the gameplay still feels more like a “good idea” than a fully polished system. The combat is fun, but it boils down to mouse spamming. Also, the betrayal aspect will be the best part of the game for some, while for others it will completely ruin the co-op vibe if they play with people who become too competitive.

This is not a game where you build trust. This is a game where you revive a teammate with the lasso just to push them towards the boss two minutes later and escape with the loot.

A copy of the PC version of the game was provided for review purposes by the publisher Infini Fu