CrossCode

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]

I very much enjoyed my trip to the CrossWorlds, much more than I ever did my trips to the World of Warcraft. The game is jam-packed with content, giving you upwards of 50 to 60 hours of enjoyment in your first playthrough. There are secrets galore to find, items to trade, and combat skills to master. However, the game never quite drew me in as much as I hoped when I first started playing, primarily due to the story issues. In the end, CrossCode is a slightly flawed action RPG masterpiece and an absolute stunning achievement for indie games. I can’t wait to see where the developers take the game in the next “patch.”

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.

CrossCode is a fine 2D action-RPG thanks to its challenging combat and excellent puzzles. It music and characters are also great, but the game is lacking in pacing. There are also some annoying bugs that should have been fixed.

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.

CrossCode is an excellent ARPG that’s definitely worth rediscovering again.

Visually it is a remarkable Action RPG of the XX century that is governed inside by the codes of the MMORPG of the XXI century. And while it is underpinned by many points in that magical 16-bit pixelated past, its spirit is really in the present.

CrossCode is an amazing puzzle action RPG with a touching story and a beautifully detailed world. Combat has tons of options and puzzles require a lot of critical thinking and creative solutions to solve. It draws inspiration from classic SNES RPGs and the Zelda series, but stands proudly among them as a modern classic.

CrossCode is a colorful, fun, and content full action RPG that has a lot to offer both young and old.

CrossCode is a near-perfect attempt at recapturing the charm and magic of action RPGs from the 16-bit era. Fortunately, this experience is only slightly marred by the occasional technical hiccup.

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.

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.

With its high-quality story, gameplay, and delightful protagonist, I want to tell everyone to play CrossCode. However, without a stability patch, the experience is noticeably worse on Switch. At the moment it’s an amazing game, but one plagued by bugs and crashes. Just like every MMO in its opening days.

If you miss RPGs from the 16-bit era, this is a game you should definitely play. Great combat system and tons of different enemies and dungeon, as well as well-crafted visuals, make it a solid choice.

While CrossCode is a superlatively excellent game, the Switch version is an astoundingly rough port. That said, the game is worthy of your time, even in this compromised version. While I can’t speak to the other console ports (due out the same day as the Switch release; the Xbox version will be on GamePass), the PC version is clearly better. If you can play CrossCode on PC, I advise you do that unless you desperately crave a handheld experience. A lot could be salvaged from this middling port of a stellar game with some of the same refinements and polish that made this crowdfunded gem so exceptional. As it stands, CrossCode gets a high recommendation from me with some slow, glitchy caveats.