Crimsonland review: A bloody twin-stick shooter for Windows Phone, Windows 8, and Steam

10tons is best known for its coincidental games like Sparkle 2, Rex Oddball and Tennis in the Face. But way back in 2003, the developer also made a fairly hardcore twin-stick shooter called Crimsonland and later remastered it in 2022. Terminal week, Crimsonland finally arrived on Windows Phone and Windows viii.

With dozens of weapons and perks to unlock, several game modes and tons of blood to spill, Crimsonland is an exciting release for genre fans. Read on for our full review of the Windows Phone, Windows 8, and Steam versions of Crimsonland – consummate with video review.

Quest mode

10tons has never been known for its elaborate stories or bounds. Instead, the developer likes to pair uncomplicated and addictive gameplay with simple only attractive art design. As such, Crimsonland has admittedly no story to speak of. You lot play equally a soldier guy who has to shoot lots and lots of zombies, monsters, and aliens. Works for me!

The primary game type is Quest Mode. It contains a full of six level sets, each with ten quick levels to blast through. Every tenth level is an ultra-challenging boss level. Should you lot vanquish all sixty levels, you'll unlock a new difficulty. Run through that harder difficulty, and you lot'll unlock an even tougher difficulty setting.

The goal in each level is simple: kill everything. The more things y'all eliminate, the more blood coats the ground. A meter at the top of the screen indicates how many enemies remain. Once the meter fills and the last monster dies, you tin move on to the adjacent level. You'll as well unlock a weapon, perk, or game manner.

Every level besides has an optional side goal – to beat information technology with total life. Should you come through unscathed, you'll receive a star for that level. This side goal can be challenging when scores of enemies swarm your player, oftentimes necessitating a retry or two. Thankfully, once yous unlock healing perks, you tin sometimes have damage, heal yourself, and nonetheless earn the star.

Earning all ten stars in a level ready doesn't seem to unlock anything, which is a shame. I enjoyed trying for the stars anyway, with the exception of level 2-10. I tried to get its star for at to the lowest degree 45 minutes but always took a hit. The residue of the enemies is off in that level – they always speed up and overwhelm yous, making a clean escape seemingly impossible.

Weapons and perks

60 levels of simple twin-stick arena shooting might non exist too exciting, if not for Crimsonland's splendid unlocking system. Almost every new level you lot beat unlocks a new weapon or perk, so yous're constantly earning new stuff. These will so appear in subsequent levels, calculation variety to your quests.

Past default, yous start with a wimpy pistol. But the offset enemy you lot kill in a level will drop a random weapon from the pool of guns y'all've unlocked. As more enemies dice, they'll leave backside more guns and/or power-ups.

With xxx different guns to collect, anybody'due south bound to find a favorite. Among the various categories are shotguns, rifles, rocket launchers, railguns, and flame throwers. Each comes in several varieties, all with different damage, speed, and reloading stats. You desire something with spread shots, but even a railgun can be lethal on many levels.

My one complaint with the weapon organisation (other than the weapon chart being disorganized) is the difficulty in identifying the guns that bad guys drib. 30 guns is a lot, and it'due south merely too hard to remember some of their identities at a glance. On Windows eight and Steam, the name of a gun appears briefly as you nearly information technology, but it disappears correct away and rarely gives the player time to read information technology. I'd rather the proper noun merely evidence up until the player picks the weapon upwardly or moves away from it.

Near the completion meter at the peak of the screen, you lot'll also see an XP meter. Experience earned from killing creatures eventually leads to leveling upwardly. Every time you level upwards, you get to select i perk from a random set of four that yous take unlocked.

Perks are bonuses and abilities that (more often than not) brand the game easier, much similar the abilities you'd unlock in an RPG. They can affect your impairment, health, firing and reloading rate, and much, much more. With 55 different perks to get (though some are enhanced versions of earlier perks), players tin can really customize their soldier and his abilities. I highly recommend perks that brand bonus items final longer and appear more frequently, as power-ups can increase your chances of survival.

By default, you can't use perks in Quest way. The game does allow players to enable Quest manner perks in settings though, which I highly suggest yous do. Otherwise, you lot'll but become to utilise them in the much shorter Survival modes.

Survival modes

Initially, only the basic survival mode is unlocked. But as you progress through Quest mode, you'll unlock iv additional game types.

• Survival: Try to last as long equally you can while contesting ever-stronger waves of enemies. Guns and perks unlocked in Quest mode will appear in Survival.
• Rush: Battle hordes of enemies with nada but an underpowered assault burglarize. At to the lowest degree it doesn't take to reload!
• Weapon Picker: All guns have limited ammunition, so you accept to dash for a new weapon equally soon as your quondam one runs out.
• Nukefism: With no weapons at all, you'll have to rely on ability-ups to keep the monsters at bay.
• Blitz: A faster version of Survival mode

Of the survival modes, but Survival and Blitz have any real staying ability. The difficulty ramps upward also quickly, though. By the time y'all attain level 6 or 7, the enemies are all but guaranteed to overwhelm you. I'd prefer more of a chance to build up perks and really customize the experience. Survival style should terminal for 30-60 minutes instead of becoming impossible afterwards 15 or so.

Comparing Windows Telephone, Windows 8, and Steam

The Windows Telephone and Windows 8 versions of Crimsonland both feature groovy touch controls. Yous tin can choose whether the virtual joysticks are visible or invisible, and too ready whether they stay in a fixed position or appear wherever you touch on the screen. They respond excellently and put the touch controls of Halo: Spartan Attack to shame.

However, touch controls can never be quite as responsive as physical ones. Luckily, Windows viii and Steam support Xbox controllers. You lot can even choose whether or non a fire button is required to shoot. If yous have the option, controller is the way to go.

Windows 8 and Steam also back up local co-op play! I don't accept the controllers to test it, but I believe Windows 8 maxes out at two players and Steam allows for four players. Given that Crimsonland tin can get pretty tough in later on stages, the ability to call in a friend or 2 is most welcome.

A goof-up on 10tons' part: the Windows Phone version has local co-op leaderboards even though information technology doesn't support co-op. They should actually patch that out.

Speaking of leaderboards, but the Steam version has actual online leaderboards (as do the Xbox I and PlayStation versions). Windows Phone and Windows viii simply offer local scoreboards. Online leaderboards add so much to score-based games like Crimsonland, then information technology's a shame some versions of Crimsonland don't take them.

The Steam version also offers Steam Achievements. Check out our multiplatform Achievement Guide for tips on how to get them all!

A bloody skillful time

Crimsonland is a surprisingly good twin-stick shooter. It doesn't look similar much, and the backgrounds definitely need more multifariousness. But the constant cycle of unlocking of new stuff in Quest mode and then trying it out in futurity stages proves highly enjoyable. Trying for high scores in Survival can be fun as well, though it could've been even meliorate.

This game marks the first 10tons title on Windows Telephone and Windows eight to support universal purchases. Buy one version and y'all go the other automatically - neither version supports cloud saves though. The downside is Crimsonland costs $10, which is a lot if you only want the telephone game. On the other mitt, Crimsonland costs $13.99 on Steam and PlayStation. The Windows versions are actually the best deal.

Which version should y'all get? If you lot have a PlayStation 4 or Vita, I'd probably take hold of them for Trophy back up. As far as Windows goes, the Steam version does have online leaderboards and Steam Achievements. The Windows Phone and 8 games have in-game Achievements but nobody else tin see them. Reckoner players should grab the Steam game, but tablet and telephone players will yet have a fine time with the mobile Windows versions.

• Download Crimsonland from the Windows Telephone Store ($nine.99)
• Download Crimsonland from the Windows Shop ($9.99)
• Download Crimsonland for Windows and Mac from Steam ($13.99)

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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/crimsonland-review

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