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Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews What's this?

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7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 64 Ratings

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  • Summary: This retro-inspired 2D Action RPG might outright surprise you. CrossCode combines 16-bit SNES-style graphics with butter-smooth physics, a fast-paced combat system, and engaging puzzle mechanics, served with a gripping sci-fi story.

    CrossCode is all about how it plays! Take the best out
    This retro-inspired 2D Action RPG might outright surprise you. CrossCode combines 16-bit SNES-style graphics with butter-smooth physics, a fast-paced combat system, and engaging puzzle mechanics, served with a gripping sci-fi story.

    CrossCode is all about how it plays! Take the best out of two popular genres, find a good balance between them and make a great game. That’s what CrossCode does. You get the puzzles of Zelda-esque dungeons and are rewarded with the great variety of equipment you know and love from RPGs. During the fast-paced battles you will use the tools you find on your journey to reveal and exploit the enemies' weaknesses and at the same time will be able to choose equipment and skills for a more in-depth approach in fighting your enemies.
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Nintendo Switch Indie Highlights - January 2019
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 19
  2. Negative: 0 out of 19
  1. 100
    I am extremely biased towards this game. How could I not be? I had a 15-year-long lingering emptiness from weeks of grindcore MMOs and this game comes along to hit the spot perfectly. I’ve overlooked the technical problems on the Switch port because I think having this style of game on the go is so valuable. It’s a crowd-pleaser, a game which welcomes you to have it your own way, focus on the things you enjoy, and leave a play session feeling good. It is a heavenly JRPG – one which has the love and insight to make the necessary changes and improvements to the formula, while keeping the strange idiosyncrasies which make the genre what it is. And just in case I haven’t hyperbolised this game enough, I’ll end with this. It’s better than Secret of Mana. Go play it.
  2. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Oct 26, 2020
    90
    Honestly, CrossCode was not at the top of my most wanted list leading up to its launch in the eShop . . . but it probably should have been! [Issue #48 – September/October 2020, p. 23]
  3. Aug 12, 2020
    88
    CrossCode will keep us entertained for many hours with a living world, a retro artistic direction that will make you fall in love thanks to its frantic battles and challenging puzzles, the incredible OST that will accompany us and some extraordinary characters.
  4. Jul 16, 2020
    80
    At its heart, CrossCode is the sort of game that basically speaks for itself. Do you like '90s-era JRPGs? Do you like classic Zelda games? Do you like MMOs? If you answered yes to any combination of those questions, then it stands to reason that you’ll probably really enjoy CrossCode, too. Radical Fish has conjured up an impressive blend of RPG mechanics, engaging combat, and open world exploration here. It may not always run smoothly, but CrossCode is a well-crafted and enjoyable release that you certainly won’t want to miss out on.
  5. Sep 16, 2020
    80
    Cross Code is a marvelous 2D action RPG that features an interesting idea of a game-within-a-game and which treats the player to a lovely visual environment that recalls the 16-bit era right away, versatile combats, appealing dungeon exploration and plenty of freedom to wander around. Its occasional performance flaws, already under rectifying action, are not enough to tarnish the experience, which is one of the best to be had among RPGs in the Nintendo Switch catalogue.
  6. Jul 21, 2020
    80
    CrossCode is a colorful, fun, and content full action RPG that has a lot to offer both young and old.
  7. Aug 25, 2020
    60
    This has a tremendous amount going for it, but ultimately, it is going to appeal to puzzle gamers far more than JRPG fans, as the puzzle sections are incredibly demanding. Having players do hours of complex and convoluted puzzles in a row, is something that is going to put off many gamers that otherwise would have loved this title. For a RPG romp it could have been outstanding if this was shortened, and the puzzles/trickery were reduced by at least half.

See all 19 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 32
  2. Negative: 5 out of 32
  1. Aug 28, 2020
    10
    In some ways this game outshines even the Zelda series - it's among the greatest and most underrated games ever made. As someone who's spentIn some ways this game outshines even the Zelda series - it's among the greatest and most underrated games ever made. As someone who's spent 35 years playing & 30 years developing videogames - I personally recommend CrossCode as a "must-play" for anyone who appreciates Zelda-like games. It's the kind of perfectly-crafted work I *wish* I could create or even just contribute to. Hats off to the developers. Expand
  2. Apr 9, 2021
    10
    CrossCode no es una obra maestra, pero es un juego increíblemente redondo que da una lección a muchas superproducciones que acaban resultandoCrossCode no es una obra maestra, pero es un juego increíblemente redondo que da una lección a muchas superproducciones que acaban resultando poco más que juegos mediocres e insulsos con altas pretensiones.
    CrossCode te engancha centrandose en dos factores, el primero de ellos siendo la jugabilidad. CrossCode es un ARPG con mecánicas bastante originales y un sistema de combate increíblemente fluido y satisfactorio que brinda una enorme infinidad de combos según vayamos desbloqueando que habilidades en los diferentes arboles al subir niveles. Es un sistema que utiliza solo cuatro botones y las dos palancas direccionales (al poder utilizar ataques cuerpo a cuerpo o proyectiles, esto último funcionando como un shooter de doble stick), en un primer momento fácil de aprender, pero difícil de dominar, especialmente al desbloquear nuevas mecánicas. La dificultad del juego ayuda también a hacerlo increíblemente disfrutable, al no ser un juego fácil, pero no presentar picos de dificultad absurdos. Vas a morir mucho aquí, aprendiendo las mecánicas de los jefes o intentando dominar la esquiva perfecta, pero no es frustrante para nada. Además, el juego presenta la opción de reducir la dificultad en cualquier momento si esta es demasiado para ti, dejándote regularla.
    Otro punto a hablar del gameplay son los puzzles. Este juego incorpora muchos puzzles desafiantes especialmente en sus mazmorras (rollo zelda, o más bien "Alundra") lo que personalmente es un aliciente más. La dificultad de los puzzles puede bajarse también aunque desconozco cómo funciona esta mecánica.
    El segundo factor que engancha de este juego es la historia y los personajes. El comienzo es tremendamente genérico, pero actualizando varias cosas. Estamos en un futuro lejano donde la humanidad ha colonizado otros planetas. Un gigante del entretenimiento ha creado un MMO donde se juega con cuerpos reales en una luna, permitiendo a los jugadores que se conectan moverse por el entorno simulado, como si de un parque de atracciones enorme se tratara, con avatares a través de los que se conectan. Nuestra protagonista es despertada como avatar dentro de un barco que se ocupa del mantenimiento del juego, padeciendo al parecer amnesia (topico 1), con el modulo de habla averiado convirtiendola en protagonista silenciosa (topico 2) y al parecer sin poder actuar en la vida real al estar supuestamente en coma (topico 3 en juegos que simulan MMO). Los personajes que nos ayudan tienen interes en que recuperemos la memoria, y conforme la historia se va desarrollando, estos tópicos tienen gran importancia, dando giros argumentales importantes que tardaran en venir, pero cuando lo hacen no defraudan, incluso siendo predecibles algunos; y acabando en una historia redonda y muy emotiva, que acabara con un desenlace con uno de los mejores jefes finales villano-no villano que he visto, y con algo que se aleja de tópicos de salvar el mundo y demás. Los personajes que iremos conociendo y se nos uniran en la historia están también muy bien escritos (aplausos extra para Emilie y C'tron) y nos haran encariñarnos con el juego.
    Otro punto a favor son las sidequests, que para nada son tareas repetitivas y aburridas, si no que sorprenden y enganchan y, además, muchas veces hacen referencia a otros juegos o a la cultura de antes de los 2000 en general, pero sin abusar de ellos (referencias a metroid, FF7, pesadilla antes de navidad, el padrino...).
    El juego no es perfecto, presenta algunos fallos que no hacen desmerecer la obra final: hay algunos bugs con el sistema de trofeos internos del juego (algunos trofeos de progresión de la historia me desaparecieron a mitad porque "patata") y, en ciertos escenarios finales del juego con gran cantidad de enemigos, acompañantes, y efectos en pantalla, puede presentarse bajadas de fps si lanzamos ataques finales en sucesión saturando más aún de efectos estas situaciones (es algo muy puntual que solo he visto en tres lugares).
    Por lo demás, un juego redondo, con una enorme cantidad de horas de juego (60 horas en mi caso, y veo difícil completarlo en menos de 50, y pueden ser muchas más si quieres subir al máximo nivel y completar las copas de la arena...), una joya oculta que no debería pasar desapercibida a los amantes de este tipo de juego y que merece mucho la pena.
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  3. Oct 5, 2020
    10
    Tight platforming and combat, satisfying (if challenging) puzzles, and only a sprinkling of grinding (for the completionists; entirelyTight platforming and combat, satisfying (if challenging) puzzles, and only a sprinkling of grinding (for the completionists; entirely optional). The story is intriguing, too. Obviously gorgeous with a nostalgic-though strong-score. I'm 19 hours in and hooked. Expand
  4. Sep 24, 2020
    9
    Crosscode is a lovingly and deliberately crafted Action JRPG experience featuring vibrant pixel art, likeable characters, beautiful music,Crosscode is a lovingly and deliberately crafted Action JRPG experience featuring vibrant pixel art, likeable characters, beautiful music, nail-biting combat and cerebral puzzles, all in a dense, lore-heavy JRPG package filled with content, secrets and sidequests. Few games achieve what this game sets out to do, and fewer still do it so well. Everything is perfectly paced and well-designed, and puzzles neatly ramp you up to that "a-hah!" moment. Every map has a secret, some requiring you to backtrack. The game has a very deep bestiary rivalling the best like FFXII, and a rich but cleanly executed loot trading/item crafting system. Crosscode out-Zeldas some Zelda games, and provides the exhilaration of Hyper Light Drifter's combat, all wrapped up in a nice and comfy JRPG blanket. At USD20 for easily 60-80 hours of enjoyable content, this game is a must get for fans of the JRPG genre. What an excellent game. I love it deeply and can't recommend it enough. Expand
  5. Jan 20, 2021
    8
    Ich habe CrossCode direkt vorbestellt, da ich Pixel-Games auf Switch unfassbar gern hab. Und als es dan kam und ich ins Spiel eingestiegenIch habe CrossCode direkt vorbestellt, da ich Pixel-Games auf Switch unfassbar gern hab. Und als es dan kam und ich ins Spiel eingestiegen bin, war ich schnell verliebt. Soviel Liebe im Detail und Mühe die man sich da gemacht ist fantastisch. Es hat passende Musik, die aber manchmal grenzwertig an Dudelei vorbeischramt, sehr sehr kurze Ladezeiten und herrliche Pixelgrafik. Einen wahnsinns geilen Brocken schießt die Story ab, zu der ich nichts sagen werde aus Spoiler-Gründen. Boah, das ist neu. Top RadicalFish exzellent gemacht Expand
  6. Jan 10, 2021
    7
    When i first started the game and played the first two chapters, it was 10/10 for me. Intriguing story, fascinating characters, gorgeous worldWhen i first started the game and played the first two chapters, it was 10/10 for me. Intriguing story, fascinating characters, gorgeous world design and a fun gameplay experience.

    Then the game started to show its problems, and one of these problems eventually ruined the overall experience for me.

    This game has one of the worst pacing issues I've ever played. Once you completed the first dungeon, it just drags and drags, everything becomes such a chore to finish. For example:
    - there is a main quest later on where you have to take down a pillar-shaped enemy. Every time you destroy one pillar, it just generates one or two more, and every time you destroy all the pillars, it escapes to another map and you have to repeat the same thing again. And you have to go through multiple maps to finally beat it.
    - the "pvp" missions, why do I have to win all 5/5 duels? normall if I win 3/5 i am already a winner. especially one of the pvp duels against one specific character, even after you won 5/5, that character just keeps going and asks for yet ANOTHER duel.
    - the second the fourth dungeons, there are just so many puzzles and so many rooms. I love puzzles and I like most of the puzzles, the problem is not about solving the puzzle, it's about the awkward platforming and aiming mechanic. 99% of the time, I absolutely know what I have to do, but it takes me forever to aim it at the EXACT correct angel, or have to run all the way back to the start point of a puzzle because I misjudged the fake 3D platform (the one you think you can jump onto but it turns out to be higher)

    Even the characters in the game are making fun of how boring and tedious the game can be, at least the devs are self-aware.
    I really had to take several hiatuses from CrossCode to continue. At one point, I basically stopped caring for the story because all the dragging missions were so annoying to go through and they totally interrupted the progression of the story.

    The bottom line:
    - if you just want a puzzle game, this game is not for you.
    - if you just want an action RPG, this game might be for you.
    - if you just want a decent story, this game might not be for you.
    - if you hate puzzles, this game is definitely not for you.
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  7. Dec 29, 2020
    0
    The devs are bad and mean. The game was released on Newgrounds, but only as a demo! The game is better suited as a flash game from what IThe devs are bad and mean. The game was released on Newgrounds, but only as a demo! The game is better suited as a flash game from what I experienced from the Newgrounds demo (I don't own it), and it should have been full game on Newgrounds. Play the demo, and see if you like it. >:-( Expand

See all 32 User Reviews