Stellar Jockeys have released Brigador: Up-Armored Edition [official site], a “re-launch” of their excellent isometric mech combat game bringing a new campaign, a rebalancing, and graphical upgrades including better explosions. Don’t mind the name: the Up-Armored Edition comes as a free update, not a separate release.

Stellar Jockeys have also promised further updates throughout the month to add lots of new vehicles, which are explained in the following trailer:



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The new campaign is an introductory story to help “better ease in players and introduce them to the world”, while the default controls have also been tweaked to make them more accessible.

As a reminder, Brigador is a tough-as-nails mech game that plays a bit like a twin-stick shooter. Crowd controlling enemies and managing your abilities, health, and ammo is key, and there’s lots of explosions and destructible environments. Here’s what Alec had to say in his review:

“Brigador is glorious to behold – sweeping, detailed cityscapes clad in neon-flecked night, ordered and peaceful when a level begins, shattered and smoking by the time it ends. On the one hand it looks lo-fi, but on other the tide of destruction and intricate units make me feel as though I’m playing a tabletop game come to explosive, carefully-lit life. “A carefully-deployed explosive can create a chain reaction of tumbling buildings, and, of course a well-timed stomp can dispatch a horde of enemies simultaneously. It’s a very specific power fantasy, recreated with clear love, prizing scale and effect well above anything like simulation. Not what the die-hard Mechwarrior fan craves, no, but the broader category of mech-lovers will be in hog heaven.

Personally, I’ve never picked it up, but this update is tempting. There’s 30% off for the next five days, so it will set you back £9.79 on Steam, itch.io and GOG.

In addition, there’s a new curated music album to go alongside the game, called the Up-Armored EP, which will be free to anyone who already owns the Deluxe Edition of the game.

What do you reckon?