Broforce E3 2014 Preview

Broforce, coming to Steam, PS4, and Vita, is an over-the-top homage to over-the-top action movies from the 80s. It even looks like a game from the 80s, featuring retro 8-bit graphics and the kind of simple but fun gameplay that defines games from that era. The goals in each level are simple ' kill all enemies of freedom, hoist up an American flag, and then jump onto a helicopter just as everything explodes.

At E3 I was able to get a little hands-on time with the game and, along with three newly met friends, experience the game's chaotic four-payer co-op mode. The levels we played were Vietnam inspired ' rescue all of the POWs from their tiger cages while blowing up everything in sight before heading to the flagpole and the helicopter evac point.

Part of the fun is just seeing which 'bro' you'll spawn into the game as. All are inspired by the heroes of those action movies that inspired the game, but with their names 'bro-ified' to protect the guilty. So you may find yourself with an 8-bit version of Sylvester Stallone or Arnold Schwarzenegger, but you'll be playing as 'Rambro' of the 'Brominator'. Each bro has his own ' or her own, the game does not restrict bro-ness by gender and you'll see Ellen Ripley and Sarah Conner in the game ' unique weapon and special attack, so you may find yourself armed with a machine gun, laser pistol, katanas, or even a whip (Indiana Brones, who else?). So far the game boosts twenty-two different bros in all.

The game's environment is fully destructible, so four-player co-op is an orgy of violence and explosions that should undoubtedly come with an epilepsy warning. That destructibility extends to the ground itself, so you can tunnel your way to your goal if you want to. This also means that gaps can appear at any time and that the ground can disappear beneath you, so there's a bit of a platform game aspect to Broforce that adds to the challenge.

The game's tongue-in-cheek humor and reverence for every action flick hyperbole make it difficult to play the game without smiling, if not laughing out loud. This, along with the crazy chaotic action, will probably make Broforce a coach co-op favorite when hanging with your bros (of either gender, of course) when the game is released later this year.