Crimson Alliance Reviews

Another batch of reviews for Certain Affinity’s XBLA hack’n’slash Crimson Alliance is in, and we kick off things with this piece from Atomic Gamer, which enjoyed the game and awards it an 8/10.

Crimson Alliance’s main failures are its story and characters–serious issues for an RPG. Still, this is a modest little $15 XBLA game and it probably isn’t fair or appropriate to compare it to something like Dragon Age. So let’s just end by saying that for what it is and what it costs, Crimson Alliance offers some good-looking, undemanding fun and with its class-specific gameplay and multiplayer modes, a respectable amount of replayability. We’ll just ignore the schlocky dialog and focus on racking up kills and stacking up gold. Because really, isn’t that what we play dungeon crawlers for anyway?

The Observer, scoreless.

Characters don’t level up so much as get richer, gaining access to stronger weapons, shields and armour as they do. Levels can be replayed to grind currency and sniff out treasure-packed secret areas, and the sleek inventory system avoids maze-like management chores. But the focus on gold eventually does feel a little mercenary, especially since it’s tied to your real bank balance Crimson Alliance is free to demo, but the full game with a single character costs 800 Microsoft points, with all the characters 1,200. More cynically, after every couple of levels, players are tempted with a get-rich option (40,000 gold for 80 points).

Video Game Writers, 2.5/5.

Other than the generally forgettable naval combat game Age of Booty, Certain Affinity has been the go-to dev team for map packs and expansions. Though Crimson Alliance is technically competent, visually adept, and grimly, stolidly hews to action-RPG expectations, it lacks the imaginative spark that translates into a compelling reason to stick with it past that first blush. Even those desperately in need of a Diablo-inspired diversion will be disappointed in Crimson Alliance’s tepid story and DOA characters.

Mash Those Buttons, 4/5.

Overall, Crimson Alliance is a fantastic, fun, and well designed dungeon-crawler romp through the gaming days of yester-year with a slick new polygonal paint job and solid multiplayer to boot. In the present gaming world, good multiplayer dungeon crawlers are usually unheard of and it is truly refreshing to see the genre still alive and kicking. It does have its flaws and definitely leans toward the multiplayer experience over the single, but this title is absolutely a worth-while experience. If you miss the days of sitting on the couch with your friends over a nice game of Gauntlet or you’ve never played a dungeon-crawler in your life, Crimson Alliance is a great place to start.

Marooners’ Rock, 90/100.

If you like fantasy hack and slash games, Crimson Alliance is a great example of the genre. Assuming you like fantasy hack and slash games, and you have a fairly consistent history of playing a certain character type, 800 MSP is a great deal for a one-character copy of Crimson Alliance. If you like mixing it up, the extra 400MSP is definitely worthwhile for the full character roster. It’s not the most innovative in terms of gameplay, but it’s an enjoyable example of a fantasy hack and slash.

News 10’s Game Guys, C.

Like that co-worker you have that does just enough work not to get fired yet no more than he has to, Crimson Alliance gets the job done but leaves you wishing there was something more to it. The uninspired gameplay and stages begin to feel redundant after some time and while the game is entertaining to play in small doses, those who are expecting a fulfilling gaming experience should look elsewhere.

Diehard GameFAN, “Decent Game!”.

Crimson Alliance has a very solid core with its responsive controls, four player co-op for both online and offline, and some satisfying hack and slash combat. Unfortunately, in their attempts to streamline the experience in order to appeal to a more mainstream crowd, Certain Affinity has managed to trim away some key elements that makes games like this so much fun. Character customization is limited to your color scheme and the gear you have equipped, otherwise every avatar of the same class is built pretty much the same way. Some form of skill trees and an expanded loot table would’ve gone a long way to making this the next must have Xbox Live Arcade title, but as it stands now, the only thing setting it apart is its unusual approach to pricing. There is some fun to be had with Crimson Alliance, especially if you have some friends by your side, but nowhere near as much as what could have been.