Luckily, the game is just as charming as it is deep. I am already eager to take it on a third time after shutting the book on both easy and hard mode. Want to speed run through the easy mode after building your stats to incredible heights? That's an option too.Ī good ending and a bad ending are not the only reasons to dive into this game more than once. Want to build an ultimate armor and weapon set? The New Game+ allows you to carry over everything, and you can grind away finding more game pieces to fuse together. Very few missteps roadblock this game, and aside from a questionable game design choice involving hunting for keys, you shouldn't have trouble totally losing yourself in this game's bottomless potential. Crimson Shroud is one of the best balanced RPGs in history when it comes to handling all of its ideas, and it pays off tenfold once you are able to wrap your mind around them. Every system works in tandem with the handful of other systems it lays on the table. If it sounds like a spiritual successor to Vagrant Story, another deep Matsuno game which depended more on equipment than levels, then you are not too far off. You can uncover the best weapon in the game, and it still might be paltry compared to that Battle Axe +9 you've created by fusing together all the spoils you've collected in battle.Ī long time will be spent determining which of your armor pieces will be best suited for some of the more challenging boss fights, especially in the New Game+. To take it one step further, two of any kind of matching weapon, armor, or accessory can be melded together, boosting the stats it provides the heroes with. There are a LOT of items to uncover.Įquipment also teaches the characters the Skills and Magic they bring to battle, and the game's complex melding system can attach magical scrolls to weapons and armor, permanently allowing them to be cast as long as that item remains equipped. Treasure chests and the slain bodies of enemies grant new swords, armor, shields, magical staffs, and consumable items, and Crimson Shroud is not shy with its inventory. One way in which Crimson Shroud departs from the typical JRPG fare is that its three protagonists do not level up in a traditional sense, but rather it is their equipment which takes center stage. Keep in mind that this is a Yasumi Matsuno game, the man behind intricately complex battle systems like Ogre Battle, Vagrant Story, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Final Fantasy XII.
Deep and Balanced MechanicsĪs fun as this simple setup is, the dice don't even begin to scratch the surface of how deep down the rabbit hole Crimson Shroud's mechanics go. These dice are mostly used to determine the success of a debuff on an enemy, but bonus dice obtaining through combos can be called upon to improve the chance of an attack succeeding or boost damage caused by a spell.ĭice also come into play when trying to avoid battle or determining which character has to dig through the corpse of a minotaur to pick up a key. It's all there, right in your face, and its so realistic that careless gamers can even toss the dice straight out of the mat they are supposed to aim for! 1d4, 1d6, 1d8, 1d10, 1d20.Īm I speaking your language yet, Dungeons & Dragons nerds?Ĭrimson Shroud touts its board game roots by actually allowing gamers to physically roll them through the Nintendo 3DS touch screen, refusing to hide its RPG roots behind simple menus. Once that chain gets long enough by using all of the elements, they are rewarded with an actual game dice of increasing value. When characters use different elemental attacks like Fire, Thunder, and Water, they can start a combo chain. Attack with a weapon, cast a spell, or use a consumable item. The other commands "Attack, Magic, Item," can take up the other half of a turn, and they are pretty self explanatory. If you like the idea of "buffs," using skills to affect characters statistics, then Crimson Shroud is right up your alley. One of these must be "Skill," which has such abilities as recovering Magic Points, buffing your characters, debuffing your enemies, and possibly cause damage with a few rare abilities.
While it might come off as Final Fantasy at first glance, Crimson Shroud slowly and brilliantly unveils all of its unique qualities one at a time, perfectly paced so as nothing can be overwhelming or overlooked.įor example, characters can make two actions per turn rather than just one, much like any Pathfinder session with your buddies. When coming across an enemy, you'll be granted the options of Attack, Magic, Item, and Skill. Of course, our three protagonists are bound to stumble across some unsightly foes down in the depths.īattles play out much like a traditional JRPG would. Crimson Shroud provides you with three characters, a fighter, a ranger, and a magic caster, and it sets you off dungeon crawling through a dangerous ancient castle.
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