[Indie] CrossCode - Throwing Balls in a 2D Action RPG!

[Zombra]

Finally got around to trying it out last night, and damn this game is very cool. Really cool what they did with this concept and it has huge potential to be an interesting story. Gameplay is really cool, being a cross between twin-stick shooters and ARPGs like Secret of Mana/Seiken Densetsu 3. Cool combination that also reminds me of Nier and Nier: Automata in ways, except 2D of course.

I'm confused. Is this game cool or not?

 

[Shaewaroz]

I wanted to like it, but Far'jo Temple broke me with how much of a slog it is. The later dungeons are supposed to be even worse...

It took me more than 5 hours to go through Far'jo Temple. It's way, way too long, and a confusing maze to boot. I think you have to approach the game in a very casual manner to not lose your sanity - play 15-20 min per session, make a little bit of progress, go do something else. This method worked for me at least. However I still haven't finished the game - got overwhelmed by Gaia's Garden some 27 hour in. The game starts to repeat itself a bit too much at this stage. But overall it's a great game nonetheless. Really hope they can make a sequel that isn't so heavily focused on grinding.

 

[Jinn]

I'm confused. Is this game cool or not?

Long day and a little fried at the moment. Sorry for my redundant use of the term "cool." Will edit to be less offensive to your literary sensibilities.

 

[HansDampf]

The temples are slogs? I thought they flowed nicely. The problem here is at the end of Gaia's Garden, where you could choose to play 3 temples in a row. Don't know what they were thinking. This may also be the reason why Gaia's Garden is the largest area in the game. I'd recommend playing the Wave Temple first (right side), then spend some time exploring Gaia's Garden before you continue. I also believe they are a bit shorter. 5 hours doesn't sound right. But since I'm autistically taking screenshots of every game, I can even roughly check my times.

Time between Fire Temple entrance and defeated boss is about 3 hours and 20 minutes. But I remember that I also took a break somewhere in between. So let's say it took me 3 hours to clear the temple, which also includes getting every chest.
Shock Temple is harder to say, because I played it over two days, but it was at least 2 hours.
Same with Wave Temple, just over 2 hours.
And that tree temple (don't remember the name) also took me 2 hours, of which I must have spent 40 minutes on the boss.


That sounds about right. The Fire Temple also felt longer than the others. But yeah, they are all roughly based on the same formula, mixing combat with puzzle solving, then using those puzzle mechanics in combat. The slow ball puzzles at the end of each temple get old fast though. The game even comments on this with a joke at the end.

 

[Sykar]

Bought it today, so far I like it.

 

[Sykar]

This game kinda reminds me of Zelda with its temples and a lot of puzzles with enemies you cannot beat by just straightforward bashing in their skulls. In the middle of the Temple Ming dungeon, will future dungeons be a lot harder than this? Cause I feel like I already fail hard with some of the timings with the mines for example.

 

[Damned Registrations]

The difficulty does ramp up, but it's a pretty smooth curve, you'll likely be a lot more comfortable with the controls by then. Unless you're literally unable to beat a room in the mines despite knowing what to do, you'll probably be ok.

 

[Maxwell's Demon]

There are some crazy puzzles in this game. I don't know what your tolerance level is, but here's the final puzzle from the second dungeon, where the difficulty starts ramping up, as an example:

 

[Sykar]

I have a huge tolerance for everything except extended platforming.

 

[Maxwell's Demon]

You had better avoid that monk training sidequest near the first dungeon, then.

Edit:

 

[Sykar]

You had better avoid that monk training sidequest near the first dungeon, then.

Too late. Finished the normal version, now I got an elite version for 2:00 and no guard...

 

[Alpan]

Can I get through this game using keyboard/mouse, or is gamepad a better experience?

I have quite literally played and completed only two PC games with gamepad (one of which is Dark Souls) in my entire life, so I'm not much used to playing with one...

 

[Sykar]

Keyboard and mouse work very well. Cannot comment on gamepad though.

 

[Maxwell's Demon]

It's much easier with a controller. Your aim doesn't need to be that precise, but you need the ability to dodge in every direction.

Edit: I guess it's a matter of preference.

 

[Sykar]

Those goats are really annoying...

 

[HansDampf]

Don't waste too much time fighting overworld mobs.

 

[Sykar]

Don't waste too much time fighting overworld mobs.

Doing the quest from Bergen Guards, Goatfather.

 

[Sykar]

Ok the boss fight sucks balls in this quest. Tempted to unsinstall, who thought this kind of bullshit would be fun? Do I get more of this crap where I have to not only dodge multiple enemies but also multiple projectiles, some bouncing with semi homing and phase two multiple explosive projectiles on top of that AND can do this shit on a platform?

Edit: Finally over....
At least the conclusion was fun but still, could have at least spared the fight taking place on a damn platform.

 

[Roguey]

Ok the boss fight sucks balls in this quest. Tempted to unsinstall, who thought this kind of bullshit would be fun? Do I get more of this crap where I have to not only dodge multiple enemies but also multiple projectiles, some bouncing with semi homing and phase two multiple explosive projectiles on top of that AND can do this shit on a platform?

Edit: Finally over....
At least the conclusion was fun but still, could have at least spared the fight taking place on a damn platform.

I don't even remember getting annoyed by this so yes I can confirm that it will only get worse.

 

[Damned Registrations]

Only boss fight I remember being super frustrated with was one of the really early ones against some super hedgehog and another sidequest one right after that, just because they killed me so damned fast and you've got no tools at that point.

The later boss fights get crazy but you get some bullshit of your own to use against them.

 

[Sykar]

As I said my only gripe if in addition to dodging, attacking, countering, etc I also have to platform while doing all that.

I enjoy the puzzles and figuring out how to reach those ever elusive items where you have to think over several screens how to get to them. Combat is also enjoyable if there is no or only little platforming to do.

 

[Alpan]

I'm not too far in (just got the fire element in Temple Mine, one floor to go), but very much enjoying my time with this game. It's fun and ridiculously polished, by which I mean it wastes no time on bullshit. I don't really trust my environmental puzzling skills so we'll see what happens there, but so far so good.

Also, I just saw Roguey complaining about the tree defense quest in the first page -- having played that quest, I can attest that it's a remarkable post that exposes a Codex luminary as, well, a noob.

 

[Roguey]

Also, I just saw Roguey complaining about the tree defense quest in the first page -- having played that quest, I can attest that it's a remarkable post that exposes a Codex luminary as, well, a noob.

I did get through it. I dropped it down to easy to get past the heat temple boss and then I ended up giving up on it entirely because I had no interest in going through the new area gameloop again.

 

[Villagkouras]

Why is this game so criminally overlooked?

Don't people like nice games?

I'm in the second temple right now and I'm having a blast. Seriously, I can't stop playing.

 

[Zombra]

I've played for about 2-3 hours, I'm kinda overwhelmed by the number of quests, but I like it. Definitely will go till the end.

Why is this game so criminally overlooked?
Don't people like nice games?
I'm in the second temple right now and I'm having a blast. Seriously, I can't stop playing.

I notice it took you over 2 years to get through the first temple. Is the game that long or is it maybe not so great as everyone says?

I keep wanting to want to try the demo but all I see is pew pew, not sure what is special about this.