City of Brass is the latest teeth-clenchingly hard roguelike to grace the Nintendo Switch and if you are finding that the Damned City is a bit too much to bite off, we have you covered.
1. Set your sensitivity
First things first, the default sensitivity in the switch can be a bit too sluggish so if you’re finding it hard to react to an incoming attack, try nudging it up a notch or two for better results. Also, there are several blessings you can equip before you head out to make things a bit easier. There is no penalty for using them, so by all means, go nuts. Personally, I enjoyed things more when I removed the time limit and upped the drop rate, but to each their own.
2. Smash everything
The aim of the game is to acquire as much gold as you possibly can. Throughout the levels, you will find plenty of gold lying around, but it is easy to overlook all the pots, barrels and boxes that are everywhere in the city. Quite often they contain a bunch of shinies that you’d want to scoop up for yourself. Remember though, if you play with the time limit on, you’d best not get too carried away. Also, make sure things are free to loot before going at it. You don’t want to get blindsided by some angry skeletons while you count your pennies.
3. Whip it! Whip it good
The whip is, apart from being the coolest weapon in the game, an invaluable tool of survival. Whenever facing multiple enemies or overwhelming opposition, the whip is your best friend. The reason for this is that the whip is very versatile and can incapacitate almost any enemy. There are three main areas of attack for the whip: The head, the arms, and the legs. The head will stun an enemy, the arms will make him drop his weapon and the legs will make him fall to the ground for a moment. Whenever you face more than one enemy, it is paramount that you keep your whip game going. Crack the face of the first opponent, trip the second and disarm the third and then let the murder begin. Different enemies will react slightly differently to the whip also; disarm archers and they will try to rush straight for you. This fact makes them ample victims for the many traps you will come across. Your whip can also be used to pull enemies towards you and through any traps that might be in their way.
4. Try it out, maybe you’ll like it.
City of Brass a roguelike, part of the game is to figure out what different potions, weapons, and spells do. Don’t be afraid to test the unknown option in the store or drink that mystery potion you find lying around. It might burn you, but then you will know to avoid it in subsequent runs. What’s more, this approach makes sure you’ll discover some weapon/trinket combination that will work for you.
5. I’ll tell you my secret if you tell me yours
City of Brass is littered with secrets. Cracked walls can be broken with explosives, treasure hides on top of hidden ledges and sand waterfalls can hide the path to a secret chamber. Beware though: traps are just as prevalent, even inside treasure chests.
6. The better part of valor
You will constantly find yourself outnumbered in City of Brass. Killing enemies gives you nothing in and of itself so if you doubt you will come out ahead, it’s better to just run past or go in a different direction. To help you avoid enemies, crouch to be silent and also utilise the slide move. If you run and push crouch, you will slide in the direction you were traveling, making you able to get past both traps and enemies alike.
7. Wish it were so
At the start of a run, you are given three wishes to spend on the genies you find throughout the Damned City. They can be used to turn an angry genie friendly or make the store have better (and more expensive) inventory. The point is: use your wishes. Don’t cling to them like bullets in a survival horror game. Put those things to good use and increase your chances of reaching the end.
City of Brass is one of those indie games that keeps on getting updates and tweaks at regular intervals, so what is in this guide might not hold true forever. It will, however, point you in the right direction as you set out to plunder the damned City of Brass.
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