A Guillermo del Toro ‘one for them, one for me’, point and click loonython Bru & Boegie Get Da MILK! is one for me. I’d played the demo during the Steam Next Fest on a whim and quite enjoyed it, so as it was now showing up as available to purchase, I thought I’d take the plunge. Quick spoiler for those who also flirted with the demo: Episode 1 isn’t much of an extension of the demo.
You play y-front-wearing, baldie Bru. From the perspective of ‘I have no idea who these characters are, nor who MIKDOG is’, I liked the art style, and particularly liked the voice acting by its creator. I could happily listen to his rhetoric, conspiracy theories, and that cliche of being able to read the telephone book and make it interesting. For all you millennials, skim over that last comment, especially if Rolodex sounds like witchcraft.
Anyhoo, Bru & Boegie Get Da MILK! is an episodic point and click that can’t be accused of clickbait, with the exception of those involved in obtaining the milk, as, another spoiler, Boegie remains at home. This is a madcap, 90s Nickelodeon/MTV Oddities type animation, that is coincidentally hand-drawn and looks the business. Joining our hairless hero, we indeed need to obtain some milk, and to do that, we need to head into town on your wheels. Those said wheels are a trike, and regretably, you’ve lost the immobiliser key.
Cue some exploration and genre staples such as references to other games, but not the tried and tested Monkey Island, but PaRappa the Rapper instead. Bru will potter about the two-scene apartment looking for objects to enter into the deep recesses of his underpants, a.k.a. the inventory section, whilst also juggling a gotta collect ‘em all sticker hunt for achievement bragging rights and unrelated to the story. In the demo, once you’ve reclaimed your ride, it ends. In Bru & Boegie Get Da MILK!, it continues to two more scenes, then is disappointingly over.
Granted, it’s an indie title and the price reflects that, but my eagerness to purchase this was my demise as I almost wanted to stumble upon this sometime in the future, when all episodes are out, and to play back-to-back. Think the latest season of Stranger Things, where you’ve just reached the climax and then have to wait until a few weeks down the line. When the next episode is out is beyond me, but it’s already on my wishlist, with MIKDOG, a.k.a. Mike Scott, on my radar.
So, is it worth giving this a go? In complete honesty, this would be miles better as a complete package. The early bird may catch the worm, but like a first-day launch of something like the Switch 2 [spits on the floor], arriving at the party early means you have to wait longer. That said, the art style and humour in this game are spot-on, and the quirky dialogue is refreshing at that. It’s a given that the genre will feature a belly laugh or two referencing LucasArts and the like, though Bru & Boegie Get Da MILK! doesn’t seem to do that.
It’s a self-contained IP that knows its roots, doesn’t reinvent the wheel, and goes at its own pace by its own rules, and for that, I really like it. In the hour it took to play (at a very leisurely pace), I was pleased with how it went. Yes, I want more, and that’s what the marketing team have told you time and time again, ‘have them wanting more’. I do want more Bru and Boegie. Amateur Netflix detectives needn’t do any deep dives here either, as you can head over to Mike Scott’s website and watch the feature-length movie for free! You knows I loves ya.
As for episode 1? Grab it, stuff it in your pants, then give it a gander. Just make sure to feed the pregnant cat, ok?
