BrainDead 13 (Sat) Review

Date purchased: Feb. 6, 2016
Price paid: $39.99
Dates played: Jan. 14-15, 2021
Playtime: 2h 52m
Date reviewed: Jan. 15, 2021
Date posted: Feb. 20, 2023
Rating: 3/10

Can you memorize a sequence of up to around 10 button pushes and have the patience to watch the same short clips many times while you figure out those sequences? If so, then you should have no problem beating this game.

This is a pure QTE game with no on-screen prompts, only audio ones based on whether or not you press the right button. So, if you're deaf or hard of hearing, this might be unplayable for you. All you need to do is constantly rapidly cycle through the 5 possible options (up, down, left, right, and any of A, B, or C) until you hear the correct beep and then repeat this for the next event. Up until the final confrontation, the sequences of QTEs before the next checkpoint are only about 5 or less. The only thing that tripped me up was that I started going around the castle in circles, got sick of doing the same sequences over and over, and finally looked up a guide to figure out which direction I needed to go that I was missing.

It seems to me that this game relies heavily on its humor and watching all the ways you die. But while I did find some bits mildly amusing, it never elicited as much as a chuckle out of me.

I can't remember a single instance of in-game load time, so I'll give the game that. It would have been nice to have the intro movie, which gives the game's plot, play prior to the static title screen, rather than having to wait at the screen for probably 15-30 seconds, which would be a more appropriate time to wait if it played prior to the title screen. The audio during the intro movie isn't the best, as I had to really concentrate to make out some of the dialog.