![]() I was perusing my local e-shop looking for something to sink my teeth into. I had well and truly exhausted my back catalogue – my pile of shame if you will – and needed something fresh. During my rumination, Crown Trick caught my eye. It wooed me with talk of traditional roguelike combat set in a unique dream themed world. It promised me hand-drawn visuals and content that would satisfy my cravings for hours on end. NExT Studios had dropped their line, and I gobbled up the hook like a lobotomised goldfish. My interest was piqued, my e-wallet was lighter and my desire to die had reached new heights. She wakes up in the Realm of Nightmares and promptly bumps into an omnipotent Crown. After a heated debate on the value of the human experience, Elle forges a pact with the fancy dome piece and sets off on a daring adventure. Her goal – to kill the mysterious Vlad and save humanity in the process. It’s a brisk setup that thrusts you into the action long before you get the urge to hammer the ‘skip’ button. The Nightmares you are trundling through are actually procedurally generated dungeons. Each floor is composed of a random selection of rooms in a mostly unknown formation. Your goal is to make your way to the Boss, ideally without dying along the way. Rooms can contain enemies, loot, vendors, challenges and other lucrative things so exploration is certainly encouraged – even if doing so risks an early demise. To survive the game’s smorgasbord of challenges, you will need to engage with the combat system. Unlike most modern roguelikes which typically take a more action-orientated approach, Crown Trick aims to be more traditional. Combat is turn-based with every enemy in a given room moving and attacking every time you move or attack. If you go to boop a dragon on the snoot, be prepared to be beaten to a bloody pulp if you fail to position yourself correctly. The most obvious method of defeating an enemy would be to simply kill it until it was dead, however, Crown Trick has an ace up its sleeve to make this process a bit more complicated. Enemies have a health pool which works exactly how you’d expect, and they also come packaged with a break meter. Hit them enough times and they’ll be stunned and left somewhat vulnerable. ![]() Stun enough enemies in quick succession and your damage will increase exponentially. Combat, as a result, becomes an intricate dance and is all the more interesting for it. Thankfully you aren’t just punching the various foes that stand in your way. Whilst the game only gives access to two weapon types at first, it quickly opens up to a whopping nine. ![]() Each weapon changes how Elle can attack, and therefore opens up new avenues for engagement. The brutally efficient axe can cleave through every enemy around you, whilst the rifle can pluck away from a distance at the cost of a risky reload every few shots. ![]() Weapons come in a variety of rarities, with the harder to find variants of each weapon packing extra damage and passive effects that can define your run and playstyle. Not every weapon is created equal, however, and I found that spears and axes, in particular, were easily the most reliable weapons on offer. This made everything else feel like a chore, more than a legitimate option for consistent success.Īlongside weapons, you can collect various relics and familiars. Relics provide Elle with passive boons, such as an increased health pool, or bonus damage should certain criteria be met. ![]() Familiars on the other hand grant you potent active abilities and spells. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |