

South African studio Free Lives has released a playable, Windows prototype along with development footage of Broforce. The demo stars action hero parodies from the 80s and 90s and feels like a sort of Terraria or Dig Dug for impatient gamers like myself, mixed with platforming and shooting. The demo offers only local bro-op play, but the final version should include online multiplayer bro-op as well as deathmatch arenas with leaderboards and rankings.



Players start each stage with one life but gain more as they rescue their comrades. Their guns and grenades can dig through the terrain, as they venture to the boss character and the rescue helicopter. This digging element could lead to more rewarding gameplay in the future, but for now I at least found a soldier or two.

Free Lives is aiming for a mid 2013 release, so there’s plenty of time to tweak Broforce. Ladder climbing animations and downward (and other directional) shooting BROFORCE I hope get some attention. Finally, those interested can help the vote for the game on its Steam Greenlight campaign.

I issue an extra task for anyone up for a challenge: name all the references to the male action characters in the trailer. I certainly couldn’t.

[via reddit]