Brute Force (video Game) - Reception

Reception

There was a great amount of hype for Brute Force leading up to its release. The game broke Xbox sales records of both first day and first week sales, beating out even Halo. However there were quite a few complaints concerning the gameplay, many criticisms stemming from a 2001 video that was included with many of Microsoft's first-party launch titles, in which the four characters complete a mission by using their unique skills in unison to achieve goals. The final game, however, included very few of these instances, instead resorting to a more action-based shoot'em-up where individual traits were unessential to victory but could certainly make a level much easier. This hurt the gameplay, as the entire game was developed to be a tactical shooter. The various characters were also seen as being unbalanced, many noting Hawk to be the least useful on the team, mostly due to her low health (with the notable exception during the optional battle in Ferguson Base.). GameNOW's Miguel Lopez expressed disappointment in the game, but called it "a fun, silly shooter that's best enjoyed alongside your whole crew". He ended his review: "If you're bored, go outside. If you're still bored when you get back, then rent Brute Force".