Marko: Beyond Brave, the debut title from Bulgarian independent developer Studio Mechka, is a 2D action platformer launched earlier this September 2024. The game was successfully funded on its Kickstarter campaign in 2021, featuring hand-drawn animations, vast exploration, a variety of enemies and bosses all heavily influenced by Slavic mythology and folklore. While it offers a unique aesthetic from a rare, unfamiliar cultural backdrop, the game falls short by several technical categories that take away from an otherwise memorable Metroidvania experience.
Developed by: Studio Mechka
Played on: Steam
Length: 7-10 hours
A review key was provided by ÜberStrategist.
Visuals and Atmosphere
Marko: Beyond Brave is a striking visual treat. Characters, enemies and environments are hand-drawn and animated with a great variety of designs, movements and appeals. Every frame is quite literally a painting brought to life, with environments ranging from dense forests to murky swamps, cavernous dungeons and halls of stone. The world of Marko is oozing with inspiration from its Bulgarian roots and I’ve not played another game that shares its visual footprint. The developers have successfully infused the game with a sense of wonder, leveraging Slavic folklore to design unique enemies and locations.
Gameplay and Mechanics
The game deploys a conventional mix of 2D platforming and combat seen in many other Metroidvania titles, but unfortunately these aspects are executed inconsistently. Marko’s core power currency is his “Courage,” a resource builds up by attacking enemies. Courage can be spent on healing and special moves, although initially only a meditative heal is unlocked. New moves are unlocked, such as extended attack patterns, attack combo, directional-input abilities resembling fighting game moves which allow you to spend Courage in more unique ways.
Based on my experience, Courage was never scarce as it built up quickly as long as you were consistently attacking enemies. However, boss battles often devolved into a juggling act of weaving your own attacks between the boss’s offensive and using Courage abilities sparingly. Particularly for the first five bosses I found myself relying solely on the Heal to get through tough fights, providing less room for experimenting with offensive Courage abilities.
The hit registration and imprecise controls are ultimately Marko’s biggest flaw. The platforming, while challenging, suffers from poor design and imprecise controls. Platforms behaving unpredictably and it was difficult to determine when enemies would collide with you and vice versa, making combat regularly frustrating. While mobility improves later with unlockable abilities, the initial frustration can turn less patient players off the game entirely. Personally I found the inconsistency of movement controls egregious due to how essential they are to a great platforming experience.
To further exacerbate the gameplay issues, limited enemy movesets and inconsistent hitboxes left me feeling unfulfilled and less willing to explore in the game’s otherwise breathtaking vistas. Boss battles, though visually impressive, lack the dynamic challenge needed to leave a lasting impression. Players often describe these encounters as repetitive and devoid of meaningful rewards.
Narrative and Exploration
The narrative in Marko: Beyond Brave is minimalistic, conveyed primarily through environmental storytelling and scattered lore columns. While this approach aligns with the game’s folkloric themes, it leaves much to be desired in terms of character development. Marko himself remains an enigmatic protagonist, with little backstory or personality revealed throughout the game.
Exploration is a double-edged sword. The game’s sprawling map is filled with secrets and collectibles, encouraging thorough exploration. However, the lack of a clear progression system or navigation aids can make the experience feel aimless. Locked areas and obscure puzzles frequently disrupt the flow, leaving players unsure of how to proceed. The game’s fast travel points are also placed in often inconvenient locations, and did not do much to facilitate the frequent backtracking that’s become a mainstay of this genre.
Technical Issues
Marko: Beyond Brave is plagued by technical shortcomings that undermine its artistic achievements. Bugs such as softlocks, glitches in enemy AI, and unreliable save mechanics are frequent complaints. These issues not only disrupt gameplay but also highlight a lack of polish that makes the game feel incomplete.
Though from deeper probing and reviewing the game’s updates, it appears that Studio Mechka has addressed a number of core issues with recent updates and remains committed to polishing the experience. I’d greatly appreciate some quality-of-life improvements, such as multiple save slots or a confirmation prompt when starting a new game.
Sound Design and Music
The soundtrack is one of the game’s winning points, featuring memorable compositions that meld Slavic traditional instruments with orchestral scores. The music accompanying players, especially in the introductory stages, does a great job of setting the tone of Marko’s grand journey.
Marko’s journey is one that is mostly solitary and harsh, with matching tones and foreboding tracks to accompany the players regardless of setting. Composer Iavor Pachovski really hit it out of the park with this effort and listening to the haunting melodies is one of the game’s stronger achievements.
Nevertheless, I was let down by the ambient effect and enemy sounds which were lackluster, often feeling out of place or downright cartoonish. This uneven sound design detracts from the otherwise captivating auditory experience.
Conclusion
Marko: Beyond Brave is a game brimming with its potential but ultimately fails to meet them. It shines in its artistic vision and cultural richness but is hampered by technical flaws, imperfect physics and a lack of polish. Devoted fans of Metroidvanias and indie games may still soldier through some of its low points to uncover a tantalising, but frustrating game underneath. However, for the wider audience, Marko still feels like a work-in-progress than a realized odyssey.
With additional updates and refinements, Marko: Beyond Brave could evolve into a standout title. As it stands, Studio Mechka’s ambition and creativity is on full display here and with some needed polish and lessons learnt. Their team is one I’m eagerly following to see what amazing new adventures they could produce as their followup to this debut.
Strengths
- Art Direction: The hand-drawn visuals and intricate environmental design are undeniably beautiful, showcasing the passion and creativity of the development team.
- Cultural Depth: The integration of Balkan folklore provides a unique thematic layer that sets the game apart from its peers.
- Soundtrack: The music complements the game’s atmosphere, adding an emotional resonance to the adventure.
Weaknesses
- Gameplay Frustrations: Inconsistent platforming mechanics and repetitive combat mar the overall experience.
- Technical Flaws: Numerous bugs and design oversights create a sense of an unfinished product.
- Narrative Gaps: The lack of character development and vague storytelling diminish player engagement.
Recommendation:
Buy on a sale, and only if you’re a diehard fan of Metroidvanias and want to try something with a unique Eastern-European style.
This review was written by Richard Teoh, a member of The CHAM Drinkers talent organisation. Find him yelling about robots, anime, films and food on Twitch or Twitter.
