This retro-inspired 2D Action RPG might outright surprise you. CrossCode combines 16-bit SNES-style graphics with butter-smooth physics, a fast-paced combat system, and engaging puzzle mechanics, served with a gripping sci-fi story.
CrossCode is all about how it plays!
Take the best out of two po...
This retro-inspired 2D Action RPG might outright surprise you. CrossCode combines 16-bit SNES-style graphics with butter-smooth physics, a fast-paced combat system, and engaging puzzle mechanics, served with a gripping sci-fi story.
CrossCode is all about how it plays!
Take the best out of two popular genres, find a good balance between them and make a great game. That’s what CrossCode does. And it works pretty well. You get the puzzles of Zelda-esque dungeons and are rewarded with the great variety of equipment you know and love from RPGs. During the fast-paced battles you will use the tools you find on your journey to reveal and exploit the enemies' weaknesses and at the same time will be able to choose equipment and skills for a more in-depth approach in fighting your enemies.
Dive into a massive adventure with a playtime of around 30-80 hours
Explore a large world with 7 unique areas and hidden secrets all over the place
Fight over 120 enemy types including 30+ boss fights
Enter 7 expansive dungeons, all with with unique themes and puzzle mechanics
Master up to 100 combat arts and even more passive skills
Solve over 100 quests with a great variety of tasks and unique challenges
I play games for gameplay and this game feels excellent. It starts off fairly easy and gradually introduces you to more complex tactics for your character, adds in team members, and increasingly complex enemies. Before you know it, you'll be switching between elements to keep from overheating, weaving through enemy attacks, carefully deciding where and when to use a special skill, blocking, and deflecting attacks back at enemies all while your team mates are doing the same.
The characters have a lot of care put into them and even our mute...ish protagonist has enough expressions to convey exactly what they're thinking. I've found myself with a smile on my face enjoying most of the interactions and, oftentimes, laughing at the humor.
Overall this game has more polish and charm than most Japanese ARPGs these days and reminds me of why I began to love this genre.
Just thank you guys!! ...
What a cute pearl and high art. Its perfect. Seriously. I highly recommend to play this game. Without doubts... Try or die ( without this wonderful experience ^^)
I think this is my first review and I play quiet a few games. And This game is absolutely one of the best I've ever played. I think the only real problem I have is that UI is sometimes too tedious to navigate (and I just use wiki instead). But anything other (story, gameplay, graphics, music, accessability, dev support for the game) is absolutely incredible and it pains me, that it doesn't get the appreciation it deserves.
Really enjoyed the first part of this game (around 6/7 hours) however Temple Mine is just frustrating and is starting to make me think I'm not going to complete this game. Would still recommend to give this game a go.
This is my (modified) Steam review of the game, when I played it in late 2018.
It's like they took some of Seiken Densetsu 3, made the combat faster paced, removed magic, turned the limit break dial to 11, added a ton of puzzles that usually involve richocheting projectiles. Then slapping an MMO theme on it with tons of sidequests, materials to trade for gear, etc.
The combat has equal focus on melee and ranged, melee being more damaging, staggering enemies, while ranged is safe, but weaker, also getting out of reach enemies. It's satisfying to beat up everything in sight, while also building up a chain to increase drop rate as you keep chaining enemy aggro. Then there's the element system, you get 4 different elements that exploit enemy weaknesses to take them down faster.
CrossCode has a FF10-esque sphere grid skill/stat system, although less complex.
Progression is like this: After the big tutorial/prologue, you explore an overworld area, while fighting wandering enemies at your own pace (most of them only aggro if you attack them) and optionally traversing all sorts of hidden and obscure platforming paths, sometimes filled with puzzles, that unlock shortcuts, or a path to a chest, or someother. Also, beating up all the local destructable plant life, to get about half of the games trading materials. Then you come across towns filled with quests, traders and the like, as well as the main quest eventually leading to a dungeon. Dungeons are typically filled with platforming, tons of puzzles, enemy gauntlets, and a boss. Rinse and repeat several times, with things switching up every now and then to keep it interesting, especially midgame, and towards the endgame.
I'd say it's definitely worth 20$ for the amount of gameplay you get out of it (at least 25-60 hours), not to mention the game took seven years to make, the dedication for the game really shows, as it's pretty damn polished and great overall, minus some frustrating flaws and technical issues.
