A Sequel Better Than the Original
BrownDust 2 is a turn-based strategy RPG published by NEOWIZ. It features the series’ signature grid-style battle system, where you can pit the characters you’ve collected against a generous variety of monsters and bosses. A successor to Brave Nine (a.k.a. the original BrownDust), the game tells the tale of a villager-turned-hero named Lathel and his companions as they go on their crusade against the insidious warlocks of Cocytus.
Tragic, Yet Engaging Storyline
While Brave Nine featured a very solid story campaign, it’s safe to say that BrownDust 2 has surpassed it in that regard and every other, including graphics and art style. From its main story quests to its side story quests, BrownDust 2 will keep any RPG fan hooked and even casual fans wanting more.
The story follows the bittersweet tale of a young man named Lathel, whose mundane yet peaceful life is thrown into chaos after being attacked by a warlock. From there, the story revs up with a series of intriguing twists and turns that see Lathel battling his inner demons as he and his companions face increasingly dangerous foes. The game isn’t afraid to delve into darker themes and does very well at conveying the main character’s struggle between morality and revenge, which is what makes its story all the more gripping.
Thrilling Grid-Based Combat
BrownDust 2 isn’t your average turn-based RPG. Inspired by Brave Nine‘s grid combat system, BrownDust 2 stands out from most games in its genre by making every battle a puzzle to solve. Proper unit positioning and accurate skillcasting play a huge role during combat.
Before deploying your characters into battle, you’ll need to assign them positions in a 3×4 grid that makes the most sense in terms of efficiency. Characters have different ranges on their skills (some are single-target and some are multi-target), and putting them in a position where they can hit the most enemies with their skills is ideal. You can also push enemies to change their position and even damage them in certain situations. This strategy is sometimes necessary if you’re looking to inflict as much damage as you can with your characters’ multi-target skills.
The game has an auto-battle feature, but it doesn’t detract from your combat experience at all. It’s better to control your units manually because, unlike in most modern gacha RPGs, your team’s health does not fully recover after every battle.
Achieving maximum efficiency in combat is very important in BrownDust 2. Even though the game’s auto-battle system is more fleshed out compared to most other gacha RPGs, players cannot battle as efficiently in this mode.
F2P Friendly
BrownDust 2 is one of the most freemium-friendly gacha games out there. This is mainly because of the Contract System, which allows you to recruit characters outside of the gacha mechanic. The game isn’t stingy when it comes to giving their players enough currency to pull for characters through the gacha mechanic either. You can earn plenty of valuable currencies such as Draw Tickets and Dias just by playing main story quests and side story quests.
A Gacha Game That Stands Out
BrownDust 2 is one of the best strategy gacha RPGs you can play right now. It has a significantly better main storyline and visuals compared to its previous installment, which is a great game in its own right.
While the game had its fair share of bugs, especially upon launch, they were all resolved fairly quickly. Aside from some optimization issues, this game has very few flaws that drag it down. All in all, BrownDust 2 boasts a fantastic storyline, a dynamic cast of characters, riveting strategic combat and a fun, freemium-friendly experience. It’s an excellent example of how great modern gacha RPGs could be.
