No Place For Bravery Review - A Gory 2D Sekiro-like

thegamer.com:

No Place for Bravery is a game about fatherhood, first and foremost. It places you in the shoes of Thorn, a man who sees his daughter kidnapped by a powerful warlock right before his eyes. Shortly after, he comes across an abandoned young boy whom he promptly adopts. What ensues is a tale of hardship as Thorn mounts multiple expeditions across many years to find his daughter, Leaf.

I won’t give much away, but the game’s story takes place in a dying world, one seemingly destined to be obliterated by a giant colossus. Thorn mounts a final expedition with his adopted son, Phid, tied to his back since he cannot walk. What ensues is a very compelling adventure, with Thorn’s damaged mental state and moral ambiguity making him a questionable hero at best - he’s rash, violent, and single-minded, but fits right in with the harsh environment he has to put up with. We understand his anguish, and want him to achieve his goals.

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While the bare bones of the plot are easily understood - specifically the main objective of finding Leaf - learning much about the world of No Place for Bravery is a bit of a chore. The vast majority of lore is hidden in a datalog-type menu that gets filled up as you play. Dialogue with NPCs is often difficult to follow, and it’s hard to tell what points are significant and which are just window dressing. Some will relish the puzzles presented, but I found it arduous. I still don’t really know what the main differences are between the New and Old Orders.

As he travels to various new destinations, Thorn encounters plenty of resistance. Combat is a simple affair - you can attack, block, or use a dodge roll, we’re all used to that by now.