BROK the InvestiGator
BROK the InvestiGator is an upcoming indie game self-published and developed by independent French game studio COWCAT Games using GameMaker Studio 2. The game was successfully crowdfunded through Kickstarter and incorporated public contributions. This game is touted as the first to be a unique hybrid between a traditional classic point and click adventure game, mixed with beat 'em up side-scrolling action and role-playing game elements. The game's prologue demo was released on December 2, 2020, via Steam and GOG.com platforms, where it contains the first chapter of the game. As of October 13 , 2021, the full game is scheduled to be released worldwide on all platforms in 2022. For Windows, Mac OS X and Linux through the Steam, GOG.com and Itch.io platforms and ported to all mainstream home consoles including the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. This is to be the second commercial release by Fabrice Breton, after "Demetrios" in 2016. Plot. The game's premise takes place in a world that is set in a futuristic "light cyberpunk" era where anthropomorphic animals have replaced humans. Privileged citizens live under a dome protected from ambient  pollution while all the other citizens suffer to reach end's meet. The main focus of the game is the titular character, Brok, a 35-year-old private detective alligator who is also a former championship boxer. He lives in a basement apartment with a cat named Graff, who is the 16-year-old teenage adopted son of Brok's deceased wife Lia who passed away five years ago. As much as Brok could not exactly clarify her accident, events that have happened recently might reveal more information on a much more tragic result, and it might even be connected  towards their existence. Brok and Graff now have to get out and endure against all the horrible danger that the corrupted world has created and must be willing to deal with their fates. Gameplay. "BROK the InvestiGator" is a unique game which plays like a traditional classic point-and-click adventure game, while also combining elements from action side-scrolling beat 'em up and role-playing games, with the look and feel of a 1980s/early 1990's Saturday-morning cartoon. Players control the titular character Brok as well as Graff (once he joins your character in the game's  progress), where they can be switched at anytime during gameplay. When you first start the game, players will learn tutorials on how to use items as well as understanding how to switch between the two gameplay modes, such as Adventure Mode and Action Mode. Players must go around places talking to other non-playable characters, finding and combining clues, investigating scenarios around the environment and solve puzzles by either using thinking skills or by using their action wits. While exploring around, players can either move around and examine or search for things around them in Adventure Mode. You must also  interrogate suspects with the clues and hints you have found and put them together and ask questions and find culprits (inspired by "Ace Attorney" and "Sam & Max"). When playing in Action Mode, players can jump and attack enemies or objects like in beat em' up games (like "Final Fight" or "Streets of Rage 2"). They must also be in Action Mode in order to bypass traps and avoid hazards by either jumping or running fast. When enemies and bosses come around, players will then be switched into the Action Mode phrase and they must then battle against them (the fight  scenes can be skipped if the game is being played on easy mode). When they are defeated, players earn experience points. When enough is earned, they level up their strength like in role-playing games and they can choose one of three status to upgrade such as either their health points, their attack power or upgrade your special attack to take less time to cool down after use. Players also have access to an inventory where weapons and items can be used in combat, for puzzle-solving or for supportive aid. Development. The game has been under development since 2016 . Previous working titles for the game were "Tough BROK" and "BROK the Brawler Detective". The final title was settled on "BROK the InvestiGator", as a play on the words "alligator" and "investigator", given the titular character on who he is. A few years later, further into development, an official Kickstarter page was launched on January 5, 2021 to provide the funding needed for the game's completion. The game was quickly successfully crowdfunded as Breton reached his main pledge goal towards a minimum of €12,000 ($14,287 in 2021) in just 17 hours. Additional "stretch goals", such as better  and smoother animations as well as additional and optional boss battles, an official theme song for the game, an official comic book based on the game, multiple contextual game over screens, a developer commentary and even couch co-op multiplayer, were also reached. By the end of the Kickstarter funding campaign on February 5, 2021, the final results came with a funding of 346%, backed by 1,060 supporters with €41,588 ($49,515 in 2021) total, reaching more than triple its original main goal. The game has been advertised as the first of a hybrid between a point and click  adventure game and a side-scrolling beat 'em up with role-playing game elements (specifically, as a "Punch n' Click" game). The game's art style was inspired by western animation from the 1980s and early 1990s, generally from The Disney Afternoon, of which its cartoons were very popular throughout the 1990s. In addition, the script for the first part of the game was edited by Disney pioneer Jymn Magon, an American television and film writer who served as co-creator/writer for "DuckTales", "Adventures of the Gummi Bears", "TaleSpin" and "A Goofy Movie". With game development mainly being done  in France, the game however was written, scripted and voice-acted entirely in English with more than 23,000 lines of dialogue provided. Afterwards, Breton himself has then translated all the game text and dialogue into French. The game will be available in a total of ten languages overall on launch day. In addition to English and French, the game will also be officially localized and translated into Japanese, Castilian Spanish, German, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Polish and Simplified Chinese. However, the voice acting will still be in English regardless, as the audio dialogue will be displayed through translated subtitle text  towards all non-English language options. Due to budget and time constraints, there are currently no plans to dub the game in other languages. The prologue demo contains the first chapter of the game, whereas the finalized release of the full game will be six chapters long as it will take between 15 and 20 hours for the average player to finish throughout the playthrough. The game also contains multiple endings as depending on the choices players make during their adventure, different relations with characters or events can occur. There are also unlockable extras that are included in the game , such as concept art as well as artwork drawn by fans worldwide that have made the cut to be featured, where players can spend extra points to unlock them. There was also a contest held for the game where lucky winners received prizes. Reception. Pre-release. The game's prologue demo has received very positive feedback with critics and fans on Steam, where the score holds a 9/10. The idea of combining a point-and-click adventure game with side-scrolling beat' em up with RPG elements was taken as a uniquely new concept and players have invoiced positive feedback  in regards to its writing, character animations, gameplay and an overall enjoyable experience that holds a very high promise. The game's art style which appeals towards 1990s nostalgia also won praise with fans who grew up in that era.