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Brandish is a distinctive action RPG and dungeon crawler that first emerged from the creative halls of Nihon Falcom, the legendary developer behind the Ys and Trails series. While many RPGs of the early 1990s followed the standard top-down or isometric templates, Brandish took a bold leap into experimental territory. It offered a unique perspective on the genre, blending the methodical pace of a grid-based dungeon crawler with the real-time intensity of an action game. Originally designed for Japanese home computers before making its way to consoles, the game is best known for its unorthodox camera system and its punishing, yet rewarding, subterranean exploration. It remains a cult classic for players who appreciate tight resource management and atmospheric level design.
The narrative of Brandish centers on a protagonist named Varik (known as Ares in the original Japanese releases), a wandering swordsman with a checkered past. The game begins in media res as Varik is pursued across a desolate landscape by a tenacious bounty hunter named Alexis. During their confrontation, the ground gives way, and both are plunged into the depths of a long-forgotten subterranean realm. This is the sunken Kingdom of Vittoria, a land cursed and buried beneath the earth centuries ago due to the hubris of its ruler, King Berebus, who sought forbidden power through a pact with a demon.
Varik’s primary goal is simple yet daunting: escape the labyrinthine ruins and return to the surface. As he ascends through various zones—ranging from crumbling prisons and flooded caverns to ancient shrines—he must uncover the history of the fallen kingdom while constantly evading or confronting Alexis, who remains determined to claim his head despite their shared predicament.
Gameplay in Brandish is defined by its unconventional control scheme and perspective. Unlike traditional third-person action games where the character turns within the world, in Brandish, the world rotates around the character. Whenever the player turns left or right, the entire environment shifts 90 degrees to ensure the protagonist is always facing "up" on the screen. This creates a gameplay loop that feels like a hybrid between a first-person dungeon crawler and a top-down overhead adventure.
Players must navigate complex, trap-filled floors, engaging in real-time combat against a variety of creatures. Varik can swing his sword, block with a shield, and cast a variety of magic spells to defeat foes. The game places a heavy emphasis on treasure hunting; players must constantly scavenge for new weapons, armor, and consumable items to survive. A key mechanic is the ability to jump forward, which is essential for clearing pits and avoiding floor-based traps. Managing inventory is crucial, as equipment can break, and space is limited, forcing players to make strategic choices about what to keep and what to sell at the occasional underground shops.
This game was released on several platforms, including the Super Famicom in Japan and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in North America.
Brandish occupies a unique space in gaming history. While its camera system was polarizing—some players found it disorienting while others praised its immersion—it helped establish Nihon Falcom as a developer willing to take massive risks with user interface and player perspective. The game was successful enough to spawn several sequels, including Brandish 2: The Planet Buster, Brandish 3: Spirit of Balcan, and Brandish VT (later released as Brandish 4).
In North America, the SNES release remains the most prominent version for retro collectors, though the series saw a resurgence years later with a full 3D remake titled Brandish: The Dark Traveler on the PlayStation Portable. This remake refined the mechanics for a modern audience, proving that the core dungeon-crawling loop of the original was still engaging decades later. Today, Brandish is remembered as a challenging, atmospheric title that paved the way for more complex architectural design in the RPG genre.