Strange Brigade is a third-person action shooter set in a 1930s pulp adventure world. Players take control of one of four distinct characters who battle waves of undead and mythological foes while exploring ancient ruins. The core experience centers on shooting enemies, solving environmental puzzles, and using special abilities to progress through levels filled with traps and hidden rewards. It supports solo play or online co-op for up to four participants on Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles.
Gameplay
The combat loop revolves around firearms that players acquire and customize during missions. Standard weapons include rifles, shotguns, submachine guns, and pistols, which can be upgraded at workbenches scattered throughout each level. Gems collected from treasure chests slot into weapons to add effects such as increased headshot damage, ricocheting bullets, freezing shots, or healing properties. Players also discover limited-use prototype weapons that deliver high-impact results before they expire.
Each of the four characters possesses a unique amulet that charges by collecting souls dropped by defeated enemies. Once charged, the amulet unleashes one of four character-specific powers, ranging from area explosions and automated turrets to turning groups of foes into chickens or summoning temporary allies. These abilities complement the gunplay and encourage repeated play to unlock additional options through relic collection.
Levels feature branching paths that reward exploration. Players activate environmental traps like spinning blades, spiked logs, and fire jets to thin out enemy groups. Light puzzles, such as aligning pipes, flipping panels, or shooting targets in sequence, open doors to treasure rooms and new areas. Enemies include mummies, zombies, skeleton pirates, giant scorpions, and minotaurs, often appearing in large numbers that require careful resource management including ammo and recharging explosives.
Game Modes
The main Campaign mode follows a story of hunting the Witch Queen Seteki through a series of levels set in dig sites, pyramids, and caves. Each mission combines combat encounters with exploration and puzzle-solving. Players can tackle the campaign alone or join up to three others in online co-op, with shared progress on weapons and amulets across characters.
Horde mode challenges players to survive successive waves of increasingly difficult enemies. Gold earned from kills can be spent on weapons and to open sections of the map for additional resources or loot. The mode emphasizes endurance and strategic spending, playable solo or in co-op groups of two to four.
Score Attack mode focuses on speed and efficiency. Participants complete modified sections of campaign levels packed with enemies while maintaining a combo multiplier that increases with rapid kills and drops during lulls. Bonus points and challenges add replay value, with leaderboards tracking performance across solo and co-op sessions.
Exploration and Progression
Progression ties directly to in-level discovery rather than traditional experience points. Gold collected funds new weapons that carry over between missions, while completing sets of relics unlocks additional amulet powers for each character. Hidden collectibles such as cat statues and vases encourage thorough searches of the detailed environments without gating core story advancement.
Character abilities remain distinct even as weapons become shared. Movement and basic attacks feel consistent across the roster, but the amulet powers create meaningful differences in how each hero handles large enemy groups or specific threats. This system supports varied playstyles within the same co-op session.
Is It Worth Playing?
Strange Brigade delivers consistent co-op action with a lighthearted tone and emphasis on teamwork through traps and shared objectives. Reviews highlight the charm of its setting and the satisfaction of combining gunfire with environmental hazards and special abilities. Some players note occasional issues with aiming precision and technical performance on older hardware, yet the core loop remains engaging for groups seeking straightforward third-person shooting mixed with light puzzle elements.
The game suits those who enjoy campaign-driven experiences that also offer repeatable modes like Horde and Score Attack. It runs on Xbox One and Xbox Series without requiring additional purchases for the base content. Reception has been mixed overall, with praise for its co-op focus and exploration but criticism for uneven gun feel in some encounters. Players who value atmospheric levels and character abilities over deep progression systems will find the most value here.
