Brave Kings

I find Brave Kings to be one of the most aptly-named browser games out there, 'cause you'd need some serious spheres to sit in the midst of ramshackle castles, smiling, while some invisible dude takes potshots at you.

Maybe the game should be called Crazy Kings instead.

Concept

Brave Kings has no story to speak of, and closely emulates a number of similar destruction games, most notably Angry Birds. (Though as far as I know, Angry Birds didn't come first in the genre.) Your goal is simple enough: kill the enemy king, and his various knights, by firing siege weapons at their fortifications. Kill all the enemies and you move on to the next area. If you frequent browser games, you've seen Brave Kings' like many times before.

Controls

Brave Kings is a drag-and-release game. Hold down the mouse button to prep your weapon, then release - after aiming, of course - to fire either an arrow, a stone or a cannonball. Angles play an important role in Brave Kings, so make sure you look over the scene carefully before loosing your limited ammo stores.

The controls in Brave Kings are pretty solid, given that they're so simple. I have only one gripe: occasionally the pointer went a little wild, aiming my weapon in the absolute wrong direction. Since resetting a level requires only a click, though, this isn't a huge problem.

Graphics

Nothing special. Every level looks pretty much the same, aside from different building configurations, and all of the construction pieces recur over and over. The visuals do the job.

That said, I did take GREAT delight in the little characters. They don't look terribly creative, true, but they have the ability to follow your shots with their eyes - and when you get close to killing one, they get all fretful and gasp:

I never get tired of that expression.

Sound

Brave Kings has no music. Instead it relies on sound effects to get its point across, and though most of them are fairly hum-drum, I will again point out that the gasps of the kings, not to mention their death groans, are just perfect.

Challenge Rating

Brave Kings isn't terribly difficult, nor is it terribly long. You probably won't need more than an hour to puzzle your way through the game, and demolition experts may be able to lick the game's twenty levels in a matter of minutes despite the sometimes-capricious nature of the physics engine. There's not enough different between this formula and those of other, similar games to force a learning curve.

This does not mean, of course, that Brave Kings isn't tricky, nor fun. Its base formula just isn't terribly innovative. Take it for what it is.

Conclusion?

Good, solid, predictable fun. Brave Kings is a great way to spend an hour, and you'll probably take great delight in squashing kings over and over. Basic, but I approve anyway.

PLAY BRAVE KINGS

(Note: There's also a Players Pack available, complete with new levels - and music. Should probably play this one instead if you want a more complete experience.)