Crimson Moon has a stark, remarkable visual identity laden with gorgeous seraphic and demonic overtones, deliberate and visceral Soulslike combat, and some interesting roguelike progression elements thrown in for good measure.
I love a great Soulslike, and as I've more recently found out, I think I'm starting to like a good roguelike, as well. Crimson Moon is both of these things and a lot more. ProbablyMonsters was at this year's Summer Game Fest Play Days to give RPGamer a behind-closed-doors look at Crimson Moon, its gothic High Renaissance world, roguelike progression systems, and its visceral action combat.
The first thing that stands out about Crimson Moon is its world and visual design, which, as advertised, are brilliantly gothic and, indeed, very High Renaissance. The world of Gildenarch is gorgeous, with a distinct look and feel; derelict castles rise high and menacingly, entwined with red thorns, vines, webs, and all sorts of demonic viscera. The architecture of castle spires and churches looks magnificent, and the lighting engine does the game plenty of favors, with a sick demonic haze, sometimes red, sometimes green, other times a dark black, coating levels in a heavy, oppressive air and light. The Nephilim and demon designs both stun, with the Nephilim having a menacingly holy authority and the abominable demons looking vile and properly hellish. To top it all off, spells and particle effects, be it brilliant flashes of holy fury or bursts of demonic flame, look phenomenal, further elevating the visual flair of combat's holy crusade.
[caption id="attachment_194838" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Gothic cathedrals and demons abound.[/caption]
Gameplay involves traversing through procedurally generated levels and engaging in action combat. Players have the ability to execute heavy attacks, light attacks, parry, dodge, and block: everything players expect out of a Soulslike, and they all feel fantastic. The combat is deliberate, rewarding, and properly punishing, and the attack animations are perfectly telegraphed and timed, making parrying and dodging feel rewarding. Over time, excelling in combat builds up an ultimate ability that transforms the player into an incredibly powerful angel, making the hectic moments of swarming demons all the more manageable.
What really makes Crimson Moon's combat stand out, though, are two elements. First, death does not result in hard resets, with a life system that allows for failure despite the relentless brutality; as long as players have lives, they can get up and continue. Players still have to leverage when they can afford to lose a life, so it doesn't trivialize levels. Second, Crimson Moon is just amazingly stylish. Every demon that players fight has a unique execution animation when purged, and succeeding at executing combos against a line or group of enemies carries a supreme catharsis, whether it's a brutal impaling or baptizing them in a dramatic, sanctified conflagration.
[caption id="attachment_194837" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Performing a specialized execution on a winged demon. Rip 'em![/caption]
Along the way, defeated enemies will drop armor, accessories, or new weapons, giving a roguelike progression to each run. This seemed to work relatively well, although the length of the demo unfortunately prevented deeper analysis into the strength of Crimson Moon's roguelike elements. Also limited by the demo's length was a deeper look at combat via boss encounters, with nobody in our group able to reach the level's boss, although a few people got close. The other interesting element Crimson Moon offers but did not show off during the demo is co-op play, with both players sharing lives and apparently able to engage in synergistic attacks or combine abilities.
At the end of the session, I walked away extremely impressed: Crimson Moon has a stark, remarkable visual identity laden with gorgeous seraphic and demonic overtones, deliberate and visceral Soulslike combat, and some interesting roguelike progression elements thrown in for good measure. Further down the line, and before its September release, I'm hoping Crimson Moon can show off some more of its roguelike elements and co-op play, as those promise an even more thrilling experience if executed right.
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