The Sexy Brutale

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Critics Recommend

Average Score

Total Reviews: 55

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Critics Recommend

Critic Reviews: 55

Critics Consensus

# Reviews: 55

A summary of the critical opinion for this game will be provided after release or a minimum of 15 reviews have been aggregated.

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Critic Reviews for The Sexy Brutale

Reviews

High Score - 100/100

Low Score - 65/100

Silver TIER

51% of scored reviews fell within the range of 80 to 86 / 100

Jonathan Dornbush (IGN)

8.2/10

“I found Boone’s quest so fascinating, the Brutale’s secrets so alluring, and its world so charming that I rewound the clock just to spend a few more days in Lafcadio’s beautiful nightmare.”

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GameCentral (Metro GameCentral)

8/10

“An inspired mix of graphic adventure and Majora’s Mask style time travel, that offers some of the year’s most inspired puzzle-solving.”

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Edwin Evans-Thirlwell

Recommended

“A perfectly horrid, wonderfully thought-out mixture of Majora’s Mask-style time rewinding and Metroidvania exploration.”

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**Read all 55 critic reviews on the desktop version of VSG.

Read the Reviews (55 total)

Outlet	Author	Score	Date	Quote	Read
3DNews	Алексей Лихачев	8 / 10	04-29-2017	Great ingenious puzzle game with some minor flaws. Stylish, intriguing and not too easy — exactly what you can expect from a game of this sort.	Read review
ACG	Jeremy Penter	Recommended	04-10-2017	Video Review	Read review
Areajugones	Christian López	8 / 10	04-10-2017	The Sexy Brutale is a game that stands out for the implementation of the temporary plane in its puzzles and for having a great atmosphere thanks to its soundtrack and its artistic design.	Read review
CGMagazine	Lane Martin	10 / 10	04-13-2017	The Sexy Brutale is a fantastic game that combines style and unique mechanics to amazing effect. I truly hope to see more games like this in the future.	Read review
COGconnected	Michael Chow	80 / 100	04-19-2017	Much like the melting pot of genres and gameplay elements in the game, The Sexy Brutale shines the most when everything comes together.	Read review
ComiConverse	Alan Stock	Recommended	10-04-2017	There is definitely some wasted potential, but The Sexy Brutale is a solid, original and fun game that’s definitely worth your time.	Read review
Cubed3	Sam Turner	9 / 10	05-02-2017	All the time bending clichés could have easily applied to The Sexy Brutale, but instead of riding on the shoulders of other titles that have gone before it, this is a game that shows that a flashy mechanic is more than the sum of its parts. With a narrative that is driven by discovery and an overall theme that oozes style and panache, The Sexy Brutale takes the player through a streamlined and perfectly paced investigative adventure that is genuinely witty and profound.	Read review
Destructoid	Raymond Porreca	8 / 10	04-10-2017	Though The Sexy Brutale fumbles a few times — especially near the end when it rushes toward a narrative payoff — it never hurts the experience. Uncovering the mansion’s secrets and the twisted plot that dooms its guests is exciting. Compared to almost any other puzzle game, The Sexy Brutale’s dark tone and inspired art stand out from the crowd. Solving murder might not be the most cheerful work, but it’s one hell of a good time.	Read review
DualShockers	Marc Villa	8.5 / 10	04-14-2017	Overall I was pleasantly surprised with the twists the game threw at me and completely satisfied with the grandiose finale. I highly recommend anyone looking for a fun, albeit challenging puzzle game to check this complex gem out.	Read review
Eurogamer	Edwin Evans-Thirlwell	Recommended	04-14-2017	A perfectly horrid, wonderfully thought-out mixture of Majora’s Mask-style time rewinding and Metroidvania exploration.	Read review
FNintendo	João Dias	7 / 10	01-16-2018	The Sexy Brutale is original, while not entirely unique, but it makes such an interesting combination of its elements that it’s impossible not to feel its allure. It could use less trial and error to solve its puzzles and there are a bit too many moments when the game freezes but this experience is enough to put a malicious smile on many players’ lips.	Read review
Game Informer	Ben Reeves	7.8 / 10	04-10-2017	Some of the puzzles are laborious to complete, but the rewards are usually worth the effort	Read review
Gameblog	Angel Davila	8 / 10	06-07-2017	The Sexy Brutale is a very nice and original adventure game, that makes good use of a time loop in its core gameplay.	Read review
GameGrin	Mark Brearley	8.5 / 10	05-22-2017	The Sexy Brutale is a delectable slice of murder and mystery. The exquisite art design, twisted puzzles, and excellent audio design combines to create a truly memorable experience. The unique setting and thoughtful tale will remain in the memory long after the case has been closed.	Read review
GameMAG	xtr	8 / 10	04-17-2017	Cavalier Game Studios have managed to create an incredibly compelling story in the scenery of the luxurious mansion.	Read review
GamePro	Dominik Schott	84 / 100	04-13-2017	The idea of The Sexy Brutale is just as great as well-implemented. It’s a pity that the great puzzle fun is over so quickly.	Read review
Gamerheadquarters	Jason Stettner	8.6 / 10	04-26-2017	The Sexy Brutale was a unique and completely fresh take on the murder mystery theme with a simple complexity of time being involved.	Read review
GameSpew	Chris McMullen	8 / 10	04-19-2017	Complex, challenging, but never boring, The Sexy Brutale blends a compelling narrative, appealing aesthetics and innovative gameplay into one stylish package.	Read review
GameSpot	Leif Johnson	8 / 10	04-26-2017	The Sexy Brutale is a beautiful puzzler that skillfully combines time loops and elements of Clue.	Read review
Geeks Under Grace	Josh Brant	7.5 / 10	02-10-2018	The Sexy Brutale is a wonderful murder-mystery experience that features a great story and cast of characters. Unfortunately, the dreadful frame rates, long load times, and poor optimization on the Switch make this hard to recommend unless you plan on playing it on another platform.	Read review
God is a Geek	Dan Murphy	8.5 / 10	04-25-2017	The Sexy Brutale is a lavishly stylish, unique and engrossing murder mystery game in which, on a day that always restarts, you must prevent the staff of a grand mansion from murdering the several guests and solve the intriguing mystery.	Read review
Hardcore Gamer	Kyle LeClair	4.5 / 5 stars	04-10-2017	In the end, The Sexy Brutale is a marvelous and unique delight of a murder mystery, one you’ll have walked away from feeling shocked over what exactly you just saw play out in the story, satisfied over the challenging puzzles you’ll have solved to help out each masked guest, and dazzled over the vibrant and mesmerizing aesthetics.	Read review
Hobby Consolas	Alejandro Alcolea	86 / 100	04-10-2017	The Sexy Brutale is a very unique game. It’s like a Clue game, but the entire environment is a puzzle. We already know who the killer is, but we have to stop every murder. The art is gorgeous and it’s a great start for Cavalier Game Studios.	Read review
IGN	Jonathon Dornbush	8.2 / 10	04-11-2017	I found Boone’s quest so fascinating, the Brutale’s secrets so alluring, and its world so charming that I rewound the clock just to spend a few more days in Lafcadio’s beautiful nightmare.	Read review
IGN Italy	Icilio Bellanima	7.8 / 10	04-16-2017	The Sexy Brutale is brilliant and intelligent, with its beautiful art style, its witty puzzles and its captivating story, but it’s far from perfect, especially on Xbox One, where it has quite a few problems. It has near-zero replayability, but will keep you intrigued for more than 7 hours.	Read review
IGN Spain	David Soriano	7 / 10	04-10-2017	The new Tequila Works and Cavalier Game Studios videogame is a mix of filmic concepts like “Groundhog Day”, with table games like Cluedo or 13 Dead End Drive. The plot is interesting but the technical execution, lack of depth and gameplay mechanics goes against the overall result.	Read review
Impulsegamer	Edwin Millheim	4.8 / 5 stars	05-10-2017	The Sexy Brutale is a stellar mind bender, one of the best mystery themed, puzzle titles in years.	Read review
LevelUp	Luis Sánchez	7.8 / 10	04-19-2017	The Sexy Brutale is a moody experience of exploration, secrecy and melancholy, fueled by smooth jazz. Distinguished by its own mecanical design and great visual presentation, the game is a great surprise recommended for the puzzle loving entusiasts.	Read review
Metro GameCentral	GameCentral	8 / 10	04-11-2017	An inspired mix of graphic adventure and Majora’s Mask style time travel, that offers some of the year’s most inspired puzzle-solving.	Read review
Nexus	Lynley James	7.5 / 10	05-07-2017	The Sexy Brutale is a small game, set in a limited space, with big ideas. The plot is merely the container for a very clever puzzle game, and what a container it is. It is a very creepy game, standing in contrast to the bright cartoon-like art style. The sense of dread and foreboding as I raced against the clock to prevent each death literally gave me nightmares.	Read review
Nintendo Life	Liam Doolan	7 / 10	12-18-2017	As short-lived as the story is, The Sexy Brutale is still a standout murder mystery title. The stimulating 3D puzzle and adventure elements makes it one of the best within its genre. The chosen theme and locale is also the exact type of setting you want for a title built on intrigue, murder and mystery. If you’re more of a shoot first, ask questions later sort of player, this might not be for you, but for the type of person who enjoys a slower-paced but equally as rewarding game experience, this is a murder mystery worth looking into.	Read review
NintendoWorldReport	Alexander Morningstar	6.5 / 10	12-07-2017	If you can put up with the choppy frame rates and lengthy load times, The Sexy Brutale is a fun, worthwhile experience. The highs are high, but then the game chugs or hitches during a long load. Those ups and downs are present from beginning to end. No matter what though, I definitely recommend this game as something to be tried, just maybe not this particular version.	Read review
PC Gamer	Christopher Livingston	82 / 100	04-18-2017	A stylish and creative adventure with a clever time-rewinding hook.	Read review
PlayStation Universe	John-Paul Jones	8.5 / 10	04-10-2017	Awash in a frankly ridiculous amount of charm and bolstered by a genuinely innovative time travel mechanic, The Sexy Brutale is one of the most deliciously refreshing puzzlers to come along in a good long while.	Read review
pressakey.com	Jari Wieschmann	Recommended	04-26-2017	The Sexy Brutale überzeugt durch eine intelligente Spielmechanik, einen coolen Soundtrack und stimmungsvolle Grafik.	Read review
PS4Blog.net	Tracey	9.5 / 10	04-21-2017	The game only has 19 trophies but it does include a Platinum trophy for your trouble, and it’s not at all hard to obtain especially with the ability to rewind time. The game, story and gameplay mechanics are absolutely brilliant. The game gets full marks for uniqueness, and its graphics are great – very polished and stylish. The game has no voice acting, but that is not a deal-breaker. While The Sexy Brutale might be a short experience, it is highly recommended, addictive and well worth its asking price.	Read review
Push Square	Simon Fitzgerald	9 / 10	04-10-2017	The Sexy Brutale is a very different type of game to anything on the PS4 currently, taking up a Groundhog Day-style in gameplay that is excellently executed. The game is perfectly presented with outstanding audio and visuals that are able to switch the tone of the story from being joyfully upbeat to a very dark within a matter of moments. The story does a great job of keeping you fixated on looking for answers from beginning to end and its conclusion will leave you more than satisfied with your time spent solving its interestingly intricate puzzles.	Read review
Reno Gazette-Journal	Jason Hidalgo	8 / 10	05-08-2017	Groundhog Day meets Cluedo in the fascinating murder-mystery game, The Sexy Brutale. At times charming and other times poignant, this spin on the classic “whodunnit” formula in a mansion features an interesting time travel mechanic as well as a likeable cast of characters. The game and puzzles are admittedly linear and repeating time can get, well, repetitive at times. Overall, however, The Sexy Brutale is a fun murder-mystery romp, regardless of what time it is.	Read review
Sirus Gaming	Roxanne Co	9.2 / 10	04-10-2017	I honestly believe that Cavalier and Tequila hit the nail right on the head for this one.	Read review
TechRaptor	Perry Ruhland	7 / 10	04-10-2017	The Sexy Brutale is an occasionally muddled sci-fi story with just enough macabre charm and attention to detail to make it stand out.	Read review
Telegraph	Tom Hoggins	4 / 5 stars	05-02-2017	From its sumptuous decor and macabre mysteries to its tragic, toy-like characters, The Sexy Brutale is a smart, sharp and assured game that is well worth your time. Even if you have to adhere to its usual rules.	Read review
The Digital Fix	Rob Kershaw	9 / 10	04-13-2017	A cleverly plotted puzzle game wrapped in the cloak of a murder-mystery. It may be brief, but The Sexy Brutale will certainly deliver an unforgettable evening.	Read review
The Game Fanatics	Eva Marin	8 / 10	04-25-2017	All in all, The Sexy Brutale will keep you hooked with its general freshness. In its own right, it encapsulates the best of what the intrigue genre has to offer, accomplishing a distinct style with its sparkling originality and humor.	Read review
The Games Machine	Marco Tassani	6.9 / 10	12-27-2017	The Sexy Brutale is substantially a good game, but the Switch version has many technical problems: instable frame rate, very long loading times and some major bugs are only a few number of the issues that prevent the game from reaching a higher score.	Read review
The Jimquisition	Jim Sterling	10 / 10	04-10-2017	The Sexy Brutale deserves as much attention as any Horizon, Zelda, Nioh or Persona.	Read review
TheSixthAxis	Steve C	9 / 10	04-13-2017	Amidst the glut of blockbusters at the start of 2017, The Sexy Brutale stands out as one of the most enjoyable and well-realised titles out there. Successfully evoking the feel of a classic adventure and combining it with a distinctive art style and beautiful music, it deserves to reach a wide audience. Its 8 hour playtime is consistently entertaining and full of intrigue and the final narrative payoff is satisfying. All in all, The Sexy Brutale is a perfect indie game to fill the gaps between the many sprawling epics that are demanding our gaming attention this year.	Read review
TheXboxHub	Richard Dobson	4 / 5 stars	04-20-2017	The Sexy Brutale is definitely one of the more original ID@Xbox games that we’ve seen recently. On one side there is an incredibly dark and sinister side to the game solving, sometimes described in great gory-detail, murders. But then ultimately it is a game of hope as Lafcadio tries to prevent his friends re-living their nightmares day after day.	Read review
Thumbsticks	Joshua Wise	4 / 5 stars	05-10-2017	The Sexy Brutale nods back to ancient tradition while wrapped in the trappings of the 20th century, taking notes from some of the best adventure games there have been. At the same time, it looks forwards, unwinding to its own tempo, creating a game that feels distinct from any other.	Read review
TrueAchievements	Andrew Ogley	4.5 / 5 stars	05-02-2017	The Sexy Brutale is a truly memorable title.	Read review
VideoGamer	Alice Bell	8 / 10	04-11-2017	The secret stories Father Lafcadio uncovers are lovely, but you won’t always enjoy the process of uncovering them. Still, a series of elegant murders, with elegant stories, in an elegant mansion is enough to show anyone a good time. Time and time again…	Read review
Wccftech	Dave Aubrey	8 / 10	04-10-2017	While there are a few minor technical problems, I haven’t played a puzzle adventure game that’s absorbed me like The Sexy Brutale has in a long time. A great story well worth telling.	Read review
Windows Central	Lauren Relph	4 / 5 stars	04-14-2017	This is a gorgeously executed murder mystery puzzle game where there’s more than meets the eyemask.	Read review

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Game Info

Game Description / Storyline:

Set during a single, endlessly-looping day within “The Sexy Brutale” – a stately English mansion converted into a bizarre casino and named by the enigmatic Marquis – players take on the role of elderly priest Lafcadio Boone. To progress, Boone must hide, watch and learn the colorful stories of the other guests at the ball in order to save them from grisly deaths at the hands of the mansion’s staff. By discovering the key moments and methods how each guest can be saved and gaining occult seeming powers linked to their masks, Lafcadio is able to explore deeper and deeper into the mysteries of the mansion’s past and inhabitants to uncover the truth hidden at the heart of The Sexy Brutale.

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