Crimson Alliance – Review

Crimson Alliance is the latest game to arrive on Xbox Live Arcade, and it’s a welcome addition. Certain Affinity did a fantastic job designing the title, with smartly developed co-op mechanics that encourage exploring the environment without letting things get overwhelming. Three character classes are available — Assassin, Wizard and Mercenary — each with its own advantages, and picking the one that best fits a preferred play style matters, since hidden rooms with treasure chests are often locked to only certain classes. A Wizard-only room, for instance, is completely inaccessible to an Assassin.

As a dungeon-crawling action RPG, Crimson Alliance rewards exploration with money that can be spent upgrading equipment, and leveling up requires real thought about trade-offs — a weapon that raises strength stats might cut too much from health to be worth using. The developers clearly want players weighing the pros and cons of each item rather than upgrading blindly, since an unconsidered choice can lead to an unpleasant surprise mid-fight.

The game can be played solo, but it shines in co-op, offered both locally and over Xbox Live for up to four players total. The way co-op was implemented here stands out: rather than competing with friends over health items, money or loot the way many other games in the genre handle it, Crimson Alliance distributes everything equally. A pile of money picked up by one player is shared by all; a heart container heals everyone; if one player needs only two hearts and another needs five, the game rations healing accordingly, generally favoring whoever needs it most to keep the party balanced. Exploring off the beaten path throughout the levels turns up secret rooms, puzzles and other items, rewarded in the form of loot or money for the shop, and the world map even flags missed items like heart pieces so they can be tracked down later — a detail well-suited to players chasing full completion and every achievement.

Enemy A.I. grows noticeably smarter over the course of the adventure. Early enemies aren’t particularly sharp, but by the end, different strategies are required depending on the enemy type. Some fire on sight without hesitation rather than waiting to be approached; others climb walls and railings in pursuit. Enemies fire arrows, bombs and electricity, and some carry shields that need to be broken down before damage can be dealt. Playing co-op with friends makes it easier to plan strategies around each class’s strengths, and environmental hazards — spinning blades, floor spikes, flames and more — can be turned to a player’s advantage by luring enemies into them.

The story is told reasonably well and leads players along at a good pace. The ending leaves things not entirely closed off, leaving open the possibility of a sequel. Crimson Alliance isn’t an official “Summer of Arcade” title, but it was the free game included for anyone who bought all of that year’s Summer of Arcade titles — a strong lineup overall, with Crimson Alliance serving as a fitting finale to the 2011 edition.

Anyone looking for a light-hearted dungeon crawler with light RPG elements should give Crimson Alliance a try. Replayability will vary by player, but going through it with different friends multiple times is a real possibility. A co-op playthrough took a little over five hours; a solo run takes somewhat longer. Fans curious about other games in the genre, such as Torchlight, but intimidated by the scope, should find Crimson Alliance a good, approachable introduction to what those games offer.