Developer: Michał Wikliński
Publisher: Michał Wikliński
Platform: PC, Switch
Tested on: Switch
Bearnard – Review
Have you ever wondered what joining a sassy bear on his quest to kill monsters and save his beloved forest would be like? If that’s the case, then Bearnard is the way to go! Bearnard was released for PC on August 12, 2024, and is now coming to the Switch. In this game, you play as Bearnard, and along the way, you’ll collect and use cards in tactical turn-based battles. Think back on your physics classes and use that knowledge to win battles and solve environmental puzzles. Bearnard is a 2D adventure game that combines all of the aforementioned with a bunch of humor and charming 2D visuals.
Story
In Bearnard, you play as Bearnard, who’s a grumpy bear wielding his trusty bow. Monsters suddenly roam the forest he loves so dearly, and his father leaves messages for him, encouraging Bearnard to go on a quest to find a legendary bow and defend their woodland home. The story is rather simple and quite straightforward, but it’s delivered in such a great way. Firstly, the game comes with a healthy dose of humor. Bearnard himself is as sassy as he is grumpy, making him lovable from the start. Next, the narrator plays an important role here too as the conversations between the narrator and Bearnard are simply hilarious. This makes the story of the game more compelling and encourages the player to keep going. Besides the narrator, Bearnard also meets some other quirky characters along the way that are also a nice addition to the story.
Graphics
Bearnard’s visuals are quite charming. The 2D graphics are colorful and vibrant. The character designs are simple yet well done. The same counts for the enemies Bearnard faces. They all have a unique and simple design. The simplicity in character designs fits the vibe of the game completely.
The background doesn’t change much throughout the levels, but the levels are spread across different biomes, which means you won’t always be travelling through the forest, but also, for example, through snow or a castle. This brings a healthy variety to the game without overdoing it.
Sound
The music in Bearnard is rather simple and doesn’t take the spotlight at all compared to the visuals and the gameplay. However, the tunes playing in the background while you’re platforming totally fit the atmosphere. The music becomes faster-paced when you enter combat. The soundtrack of Bearnard is good, but other elements of the game overshadow it, and it’s easy not to pay attention to it.
Gameplay
The gameplay is where Bearnard shines best. Bearnard is a 2D adventure game with turn-based battles in which Bearnard goes on a quest to save his beloved forest. To do this, he has to fight monsters that seem to be appearing out of nowhere. He follows the notes his father left him and uses his bow to reach objects, levers, and, of course, to fight his enemies. Wielding the bow, you’ll need to keep the laws of physics in mind. This is one of the many things that make this game stand out. You don’t just shoot arrows around, you actually have to put some thought into it.
Besides his bow, Bearnard also uses certain cards that can be collected throughout his journey. Many different kinds of cards can be found, some rarer than others, and they all have different kinds of uses. Some of them are on the defensive side, while others are more offensive. For example, the ‘Shield’ card will grant you a turn in which you can’t be hit by enemies. But there’s more to the cards. Some of them will create a chain reaction. You’ll have to figure all of the effects out by yourself to find a strategy that suits you best. But all of these possibilities motivate the player to continue playing for hours on end.
These cards are used in turn-based combat, and using one will cost you stamina, so you have to think about which cards you’ll use on which enemy and when you’ll use them. The limited HP meter makes this rather challenging, and sometimes battles can be frustrating, as it might take a while to figure out a good strategy to take down your enemies. This is something to keep in mind if you’re a casual player.
Conclusion
Bearnard is a fun 2D tactical adventure game filled with a good dose of humor. The game features a unique battle system that makes it stand out from other platformers. Discovering the game’s card system alone makes it worth a shot, but adding the vibrant visuals and funny conversations to the mix makes this game so enjoyable and quite special. And honestly, it’s hard not to like this sassy grump of a bear. Bearnard may not look exceptional from the start, but it ends up being far from a standard 2D platformer. It has this type of spark that makes the game stick with you even when you’re done playing.
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