Brandnew Boy is one of the reasons I continue to look through thousands of apps constantly to try and uncover the best. Not all apps have a huge marketing campaign surrounding their launch and some, like this one, tend to burn up the charts based on pure merit. Powered by the Unreal Technology platform, this action RPG is not one to miss out on.
It’s almost like a scene out of the movie “SAW,” not the twisted gore, but the fact that your character wakes up in a place that he has no recollection of and there’s also a weird TV character barking out orders. This is where you step in. You take “Rookie” through various battles as he tries to learn why he woke up in this unknown place.
Despite its extra long load time for the first initial app launch, Brandnew Boy really doesn’t have anything else to complain about. It’s a solidly built beat ’em up (aka brawler) that really pushes the iOS gaming platform to its limits. Of course, as mentioned above it uses the Unreal Engine so strikes, counter strikes and multi-strike combos are executed with ease and are super smooth.
Moving around the levels, which I’d like to see more of, is dead simple and only requires a tap to go forward, stop and turn. Also, you tap on a monster to attack and even if you miss it, the closest enemy will automatically be attacked. This is helpful when first getting the hang of the game. The combos are very powerful and highly efficient for taking out multiple monsters at a time. Another note, when a monster has a shield you’ll need to double tap to break through it before being able to kill the menacing creature.
As for the RPG element, you can unlock new skills, weapons and various outfits throughout the game. These are purchased via the coins collected as you defeat your enemies. When you are in the shop, it’ll take some time to maneuver around and search out the items available.
Overall, Brandnew Boy is a pleasant surprise of a find on the App Store. Its smooth transitions, fighting combo options and RPG integration make for an excellent gaming option. If you can get past the initial long load time combined with all the space to explore that’s not worth exploring since there’s no goal, then I highly recommend purchasing. If you’re a beat ’em up or RPG fan, it is worth it.
