The 90s was the source of some of the most original and interesting games seen to date. It never surprises me when indie developers take inspiration from such a great era. The wonderful pixelated graphics, memorable music, and simple gameplay make each a fan favourite. Crossbow Crusade has tried to repeat these early successes with its gruesome gameplay and dated imagery.
Developed by HugePixel and published by ChiliDog Interactive, this is a gothic platform adventure title with a simple outlook. You must run from point A to point B, overcoming basic traps, shooting monsters, and collecting coins. There is little new here, but what you get is a dark story, some wonderful enemies, and a sense of reward once you overcome the increasing levels of frustration.
Crossbow Crusade doesn’t reinvent the wheel.
Don’t come into this thinking that you will get something original and unique, it ain’t happening. The gameplay doesn’t add to what is experienced in other platforming games. If you are a lover of the genre, you’ll feel straight at home with the usual mechanics, and lack of complexity. However, this doesn’t mean that what is delivered isn’t worthwhile, or of a low standard. No, the quality is good for a low-cost endeavour and the gameplay is addictive, it simply lacks a USP.
Crossbow Crusade revolves around a world-famous monster hunter who finds himself in the Dead Kingdom. He must slaughter each monster he comes across, collecting gold and tickets on his way to show his worth, and improve his weapon. The weapon that he wields is a basic crossbow! This tool pummels any foe it faces, and only poor reactions or accuracy prevent you from annihilating anything in your path.
The game stretches many stages and areas of the Dead Kingdom. Each chapter culminates in a boss fight where you must time your approach, learn their attack pattern, and pray to god that luck is on your side as you free the souls from their demon bodies. You will face four monstrous leaders, which include the final boss, the Demon King. These battles were truly frustrating and made me squeal with rage. The reasons for these issues will quickly become apparent.
Quick stages and a very gentle difficulty curve.
One element that I truly enjoyed about Crossbow Crusade was the intensity of short, sharp levels. Each slowly built up the difficulty with new monsters and traps to deal with. Just as you got comfortable with one element, another was chucked in for good measure. Whether this was monsters hidden in the ground, flying bomb-carrying bats, moving platforms, or circular saw blades, it kept you on your toes throughout. Now, the difficulty wasn’t too hard and even with the addition of new mechanics, it never got out of hand. It was well balanced throughout, allowing you time to think of your approach and to plan a route to the finish line.
Your path from one obstacle to another wasn’t always obvious, and this was part of the fun and the challenge of this title. You had to forge paths over pits and chasms by shooting bolts into hanging bodies and wooden blocks. You had limited time to use your new platforms to leap the gaps, and if you timed your attempt incorrectly, you’d fall to your doom. This doesn’t sound challenging in the slightest, but you will try and fail to overcome the easiest obstacles because of the dreadful control setup.
The controls will bring a tear to your eyes.
Just sitting here typing about the controls fills me with rage. I genuinely hated the movement controls and the lack of response throughout. You constantly died as the buttons rarely did what you wanted. The movement used a D-pad layout which made it inaccurate and unnecessarily awful. The controls, though poor, were serviceable, mostly, until you faced the boss fights. You will try your best, but the inaccuracies and lack of response fail you miserably.
This was so addictive that I played this from start to finish in one sitting. It took me around three hours to get through it all, and this included the full achievement list. With a lack of NG+ mode, no additional difficulty settings, and nothing to search for, Crossbow Crusade sadly lacks in replay value.
Crossbow Crusade oozes 90s gaming style.
I love a good retro indie title and Crossbow Crusade is a great nostalgia-filled game. With pixelated graphics, simple level design, smooth animation, and well-used colours, this is a game that ticks all the boxes. The style looks like it was pulled straight from a Mega Drive, and I loved it. Its gothic looks, dark tones, and grainy imagery all worked perfectly with this demonic theme.
Heavy medieval music created an eerie atmosphere. With upbeat major tones, the adrenaline was pumping throughout. What wasn’t so good, however, was the repetitive sound effects. The twang of your crossbow, or the screams of the enemies, soon grated on you. The bosses sounded like a stuck record and you quickly begged for them to stop.
You’ll hate it, want to scream, cry, and quit, but secretly you’ll adore Crossbow Crusade.
Throughout my time with Crossbow Crusade I wanted to scream with rage. I admit there was a lot of angry muttering throughout, plenty of expletives, but also a fair share of enjoyment. This is one of those games that will beg you to keep playing no matter how much you want to stop. The short levels and brilliant retro look will keep you playing from start to end. I enjoyed it, and I recommend you buy it here! No monster will stop a legendary hunter, not even in the Dead Kingdom.
