Broforce
By David Wolinsky,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Tongue-in-cheek action game is lots of fun, yet shallow.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this game.
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Broforce
Community Reviews
Based on 2 parent reviews
It should be illegal to be this fun
Report this review
One of the best ever platform run and gun games ever
Report this review
What’s It About?
In BROFORCE, there really isn't a story, only an intentionally thin excuse to deploy an overpowered military organization that likes to blow things up. An evil organization is threatening to destroy the world, so it's up to the Broforce to head out and save the day by every explosive, bullet-filled means necessary. You'll use characters modeled after 80's action characters to cause this mayhem, and will need to keep destroying things until there's nothing left.
Is It Any Good?
This action game is extremely goofy and makes no attempts at all to take itself seriously. It is what it is, and it's very comfortable being what it is. It's a lot of fun to set loose and rescue your fellow bros and see which other characters from popular movies make appearances (Rambo is Rambro, the Terminator is the Brominator, and so on), but it's also necessary to do so because after one hit, one bro falls and the other takes his place -- in other words, each person you find counts as an extra life or try in each stage. And while the stages don't change all that much, they do noticeably ratchet up in difficulty in planting more obstacles and tougher enemies between you and your ultimate goal: to make it to the end of the stage, defeat the demon boss or bigger boss, plant an American flag, and ride a helicopter out while an electric guitar shreds, signaling your victory.
There's never anything else going on here, which isn't necessarily good or bad -- it's just that it cuts both ways. The game gets much more chaotic in multiplayer, where you have four bros wandering around the screen, setting off chain-reaction explosions and filling the screen with bullets, and in that sense, the game is a lot of laughs and a goofy excuse to run and gun and jump around. If you're looking for something else a little deeper, this isn't the game for you. But if you're looking for something a little mindless in a good way, Broforce is one to check out.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in games. Is the violence in this game OK because it's pixelated and not overly graphic? When is violence a solution to your problems? Is it ever?
Talk about sex, gender, and body image. The movies this game draws inspiration from seem to model machismo, but what do you think counts as masculinity? What do you think makes a man? Do your opinions and the game's opinion line up? Why, or why not?
Why do only certain movies get made into video games? Do you notice any sort of pattern or rhyme or reason to that? Which other movies do you think would make good video games?
Game Details
- Platforms: Linux, Mac, PlayStation 4, Windows
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: Devolver Digital
- Release date: October 15, 2015
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Topics: Superheroes, Adventures
- ESRB rating: NR for No Descriptions
- Last updated: March 8, 2019
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Play
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate