Maroc - 3RD-STRIKE.COM - A La Une - 07/Mar 03:28

Crimson Capes – Review

When the original Dark Souls took the gaming world by storm, developers took note, leading to the birth of a new video game genre: the Souls-like. For such a relatively young genre, there is a wide variety of titles and especially variants to pick from, even if the combat core remains similar throughout. One of those variants can even be considered a sub-genre in its own right: the 2D Souls-like, which, as the name implies, takes the familiar combat philosophies but puts them on a 2D plane instead of a 3D environment. Within that sub-genre, there is still plenty of choice, and a game really needs to either be solid or have a unique hook to stand out. Enter Crimson Capes, an indie-developed 2D Souls-like where the gimmick isn’t about the gameplay but the visual presentation instead. But is visual appeal enough to make the game worthy of your time and attention? Story Set in a dark medieval fantasy kingdom, Crimson Capes’ story starts with four evil wizards trying to overthrow the king. While they ultimately fail to do so, their attempt prompts the king’s most trusted knight, Milon the Tempest, to form the titular Crimson Capes, an elite guild of knights. With the aid of the king’s sister, the witch Aelia, the Crimson Capes set out to hunt down the would-be usurpers, dealing with the corruption they are spreading through the kingdom along the way. The unfolding narrative is delivered through limited cutscenes, scattered dialogue, environmental storytelling, and bits of lore, including systems like “blood memory”. While the game does try to touch on political tension and ethical ambiguity, it never fully commits to these themes. Characters feel underdeveloped, and the story itself ends up being underwhelming as a result. Graphics Screenshots don’t do Crimson Capes justice: this is a game that you need to see in motion. The game makes extensive use of rotoscoping, a technique where artists trace over real filmed movements frame by frame, giving characters a uniquely realistic, almost lifelike motion. This results in remarkably fluidly animated pixel art characters. Likewise, specific effects like water ripples and weather stand out as impressive, adding to the game’s richly detailed world. And what a world that is, with its wide variety of environments: forests, ruins, towers, caves, and even cursed landscapes make an appearance. As a whole, Crimson Capes makes use of a much brighter colour palette than most other Souls-likes too, which makes the game stand out. There are some minor niggles here and there, like gear loadout not changing characters’ appearance, but even then, this is a fantastic-looking game. The fluidity of the combat animations doesn’t just feel natural, but it also highlights just how smooth the game’s overall performance is too. Soundscape The impact of those combat animations is reïnforced by a set of crisp sound effects. Sword clashes and the impact of magical spells feel weightier because the audio supports the on-screen action nigh on perfectly. Audio cues aren’t just atmospheric either, as they play an important role when it comes to timing parries too. The soundtrack supports the dark medieval atmosphere effectively, reinforcing the game’s tone rather than dominating it. While Crimson Capes could’ve benefited from voice acting, the dialogue is minimal enough that the lack of voices doesn’t detract from the game’s overall soundscape. Gameplay Rather than reïnvent the 2D Souls-like genre, Crimson Capes heavily leans into the kind of gameplay that made titles like Hollow Knight and Ender Lilies so beloved. The game knows where its strengths lie and plays to them. The result is a 2D side-scrolling action RPG that blends Souls-like combat with light Metroidvania exploration. Strange as it may sound, combat is simultaneously Crimson Capes’ strongest feature and its biggest frustration. The latter isn’t just because Crimson Capes can be brutally difficult at times, as that is to be expected from a Souls-like game. Before we can get to the frustrating bits, we first have to look at what makes Crimson Capes’ combat tick. All the familial Souls-like elements make an appearance here: you’ll be alternating between light and heavy attacks, blocking and dodging (with invincibility frames), all while managing your own stamina. A combat flow rhythm system rewards well-timed chained attacks, and the game’s parry system sees you lower the enemy’s stances before opening them to critical damage. Nothing about this is unique or original, but the execution of the core combat mechanics comes across as polished and streamlined. Where Crimson Capes’ combat starts to falter, however, is when combat goes beyond those basic one-on-one duels or boss fights. Fighting multiple enemies is needlessly chaotic and frustrating, especially since it often requires tight timing, while character movement can feel heavy or awkward. Some of the game’s more advanced systems are underexplained and overly complex. More often than not, we also found that basic attacks were sufficient, rendering those deeper mechanics unnecessary. Another combat gripe is that boss patterns aren’t always telegraphed properly, meaning that those first few attempts feel more unfair than they should. When combat “clicks”, it really does, but Crimson Capes is a game that alternates between highs and lows. The moment-to-moment gameplay baseline is very uneven. With four playable characters, and a massive open world to explore, Crimson Capes is a surprisingly sizable and replayable game. Roughly 80% of the world can be accessed early, though certain areas require specific items or progression triggers. There is quite a lot of backtracking required if you want to see everything the world has to offer, including hidden areas and optional bosses. Fortunately, there is a fast travel option present, mitigating the need to travel the entire map to complete side quests. Still, Crimson Capes’ campaign isn’t for the faint of heart. Not just because of the high difficulty level, which was to be expected, but also because it’ll take you upwards of 20 hours to complete if you want to see everything, and that’s without getting into the online co-op or PVP modes. You’re getting a lot of bang for your €14.99, albeit with the caveat that the bulk of that bang isn’t intended for a casual audience as much as it is for die-hard Souls-like aficionados. Conclusion Speaking purely from a gameplay perspective, Crimson Capes isn’t the most remarkable Souls-like out there. The core combat mechanics are solid and streamlined, but don’t bring anything new to the table, and the more advanced mechanics aren’t utilized to their fullest potential. What elevates the game above others in the genre is the presentation, with the fluid rotoscoped animations and gorgeous environments really standing out. This aspect alone probably isn’t enough to recommend Crimson Capes to anyone but the most ardent genre fans, but boy, does the game look pretty anyway.