Isometric mech sim Brigador is 10 years old this year—a fact that kicked me right in the mortality given that I was certain it only came out a few years ago. The original version of Stellar Jockeys’ shoot ’em up was a decent, if flawed affair. But the developer spent the next year overhauling the experience, delivering a new campaign and several other reworks that netted it a much more favourable Steam rating.
The sequel, Brigador Killers, has been in development for ages, which surprised me as I assumed it was just Brigador on a larger scale. But Stellar Jockeys recently released some new footage of the game, which shows it is a very different affair from the original, almost like a mix of Syndicate and OG Grand Theft Auto.
As it turns out, that isn’t far off Stellar Jockeys’ own summary of the experience, with the dev having previously described it as “Hitman: Contracts meets GTA2”. The main difference is that Brigador was a dedicated mech shooter, whereas Brigador Killers lets players explore missions on foot.
According to the Steam page, you play as a “down and out nobody” who takes it upon themselves to become a one-man army and “kill some rich pricks who ruined it for the rest of us”. When we last checked in on Brigador Killers, said rich pricks were the characters you played as in the first game—hence the title.
From your homebase, the Garage, you choose to embark upon various mission types. These range from salvage runs where you grab resources to expand your arsenal and equipment, to combat missions where you’ll seek to take down targets. These missions are significantly more tactical than Brigador’s destructive assaults, letting you sneak around taking down guards by stealth, before rummaging through their inventories to nick their weapons and gadgets.
While pedestrian play is central to Brigador Killers, vehicles still play a big role in the experience. Your character can commandeer any vehicle they find, with options ranging from tuktuks to dune buggies. One thing that isn’t shown in any of the footage is mechs. Stellar Jockeys doesn’t seem to have said anything about mechs being absent from the game, so presumably mech piloting is more of a late-game experience that you build up to.
There’s no release date for Brigador Killers on Steam, but you can play the game already via Itch, where the in-development version is available for purchase at $25. Given how Brigador Killers is shaping up, I’m more than happy for Stellar Jockeys to take its time.
Best laptop games: Low-spec life
Best Steam Deck games: Handheld must-haves
Best browser games: No install needed
Best indie games: Independent excellence
Best co-op games: Better together
