Crimson Alliance

Don't be fooled by the identikit visuals: Crimson Alliance is frantic, fresh, and utterly brilliant.

Where Crimson Alliance could have joined the white noise of dungeon crawlers, Certain Affinity has managed to design a solid and - more impressively - distinctive game, regardless of whether the simple, pick-up-and-play approach turns off a few hardcore fans of the genre.

Every aspect of Crimson Alliance works together to engineer a fun cooperative hack n' slash. From the quick and easy inventory to the excellently designed levels and rewarding combat, this is the downloadable game to play with friends this season.

There are plenty of hidden secrets and scoring/upgrading incentives to replay levels, especially on Xbox Live with a few fellow dungeon crawlers. That combines with satisfying old-school hack & slash RPG action in a dark, dank and deeply buried dungeon realm that's visually appealing along with a not entirely original but certainly captivating story for a completely entertaining XBLA adventure.

Crimson Alliance is a simple but entertaining and deceptively addictive hack-and-slash title. It's very light on the RPG elements but makes up for it with a very satisfying combat system.

Just don't expect a lot more than some slick fantasy-style arcade brawling and it'll be money well spent.

A solid game that keeps the pace moving and balances the three classes very well.

Is it worth 1200 MS Points? When you and your friends join up to discover the treasure and mystery that abounds in these lands, then it is a steal.

That's why it's a little disappointing to feel like one is part of a market analysis experiment. The trial is free, but at every moment it's clear you need to buy one of the characters ($10) or all three ($15) to finish the game.

So let's just end by saying that for what it is and what it costs, Crimson Alliance offers some good-looking, undemanding fun and with its class-specific gameplay and multiplayer modes, a respectable amount of replayability.

At its surface, Crimson Alliance is a bit shallow. But if you take advantage of the tools provided, tweak the difficulty at times, and play with a group of friends, the depth starts to show. It won't deliver in areas that other action RPG games do, but there is no denying this title is an absolute blast to play.

An interesting game in a genre which is becoming crowded recently. Although it doesn't bring anything especially new in terms of gameplay, it is a simple, yet enjoyable game, with very good graphics.

Bite-sized gaming at its best.

A nice dungeon crawler that doesn't any over-complicated character development paths to be successful.

Still, Crimson could stand to be a little more robust and varied. Its comparatively paltry three classes beg for DLC, as does its four hour campaign; similarly, there are only a few enemy types per themed map, and the game doesn't seem to rebalance unit numbers for multiple players. Perhaps next time Certain Affinity should concentrate just a hair less on arcade simplicity; until then this is still a worthy note in a crowded genre.

It's full of RPG cliches, yet it delivers some solid fun, especially in co-op.

The game is not as deep as other games like it, and the levels are fairly straightforward. The combat is smooth and the visuals are actually pretty good.

A very good and solid game, capable of perfectly blending its action and RPG souls and with good visuals and level design. Our major complaint is about it trying to get more of our money than other standard XBLA games, with an insidious pricing model and in-game currency packs: this could create some confusion in the players.

Though Crimson Alliance lacks Torchlight's endless character development and the infinite replayability of its bottomless dungeon, it delivers something that addictive gem didn't: co-op play.

Crimson Alliance could be a delicious piece of peanut butter and s'mores toast with raspberry jam, it's just that the proportions are distracting on this first attempt. Basic genre expectations are fulfilled, delivering an approachable, action-RPG dungeon crawl -- but with a bit more careful measurement, Certain Affinity could have made this good game great.

Crimson Alliance is a great game to pick up. Grab some extra remotes because it's teamwork time.

Looking for something to play while waiting for Diablo III? Crimson Alliance isn't brilliant, but still a fine way to spend the time.

If you are a fan of the genre, there's no reason not to give this one a spin. Just be sure to come in looking for more of the "Action" and less of the "RPG".

It is fun and the combat system is smart, simple, and effective.

While it could definitely have used more meat on its bones, Crimson Alliance is a fine little game that does just enough to provide a few hours of solid fun. It's got a bright and fun visual style, an encouraging level of challenge, and should be the perfect way to keep one's sword sharp while waiting for Diablo III to turn up.

Crimson Alliance is a game that does just enough to provide several hours of solid fun.

Despite a bit of glitching, I think Crimson Alliance is a welcome addition in my household. Sure, it's not the prettiest girl in town, but she's charming, easy to get along with and still violent enough that your mother would not approve. What more could you want from a Sunday morning date? The game is available for purchase on September 7 via XBLA for 1200 Microsoft points (all three character classes) or just 800 Microsoft points (just one).

Crimson Alliance is a fun, and well-built game. I have to question if it would have been nearly as fun if I didn't invest extra money on gold to upgrade my character. Due to this, Crimson Alliance is a major set back due to ridiculous micro transactions. If someone pays $15 for a game, they shouldn't have to invest $5 more into each character in order to fully upgrade their gear.

Crimson Alliance is a decent hack and slash game with a few questionable marketing tactics.

Crimson Alliance is like Gauntlet mixed with some elements taken from all the Diablo-style titles out there. Limited loot and customization move its gameplay some levels under games like Torchlight and Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance.

Solid, and even better when enjoyed with company. [Issue#76, p.102]

If you are only flying solo or plan on running with strangers online, it is simply not as a good a game when played this way. So like my mother always said, stay close to your friends and be wary of strangers.

During my time with Crimson Alliance, I was left with a hollow feeling - the game never did anything to capture me.

A great scoring system for each level and an online leaderboard makes this game incredibly replayable.

There is a fair bit of content to hack your way through, if you don't mind the repetitive and unfriendly-ness that this game hits you with if you decide to undertake your spelunking alone.

It is essentially the spiritual successor to Gauntlet Legends. Yet those weaned on games like Diablo will find the content too shallow to merit consideration. The limited loot, lack of randomized dungeons, and loss of leveling ultimately undermines this Alliance before it has a chance to shine.

Overall, if Certain Affinity had pushed their ideas further, Crimson Alliance could have been a truly fantastic title. Nevertheless, despite its repetitiveness and generic story, the game is great fun, especially in multiplayer.

Certain Affinity took few risks in constructing a bare bones, workman like hack 'n slash and left experimentation to its pricing structure. Whether that was their call or Microsoft's isn't likely to be known, but it's definitely rendered Crimson Alliance an afterthought, or something to play if you've completely exhausted Torchlight and need something else in the console space.

Want some brainless intense action rpg filled by all the classic clichè of this genre? Crimson Alliance may be your perfect game to play, but it's surely far from excellence.

Crimson Alliance, even though it's a well produced game, doesn't meet all the expectations. A lot of simplified elements stare in your face making Crimson Allianc more of a Gauntlet-styled arcade than a real hack'n'slash. And even when looking at it this way, the gameplay is too monotonous (a flawed co-op mode saves it a bit). The game looked good but turned out only pretty well.

While the leveling mechanics are a little too shallow to keep true RPG fans invested, the dark cel-shaded visuals and easy-to-pick up combat system can make for a fun weekend with friends. Just be sure to make the right choice if you're only willing to buy one character.

A decent addition to the "hack 'n slash/ action RPG" genre that you will truly enjoy if you have some company over Xbox Live.

While interesting, Crimson Alliance fails to deliver an engaging and replayable experience. Coupled with the cost, this game doesn't seem to stack up, but future DLC may bring it back from the brink.

A pretty good – if not unexceptional – action-RPG where an arcade-oriented simplicity and an experiment with pricing structures are the orders of the day.

Derivative, shallow and ruthlessly unambitious, but as Diablo clones go this is still one of the best and most addictive on consoles.

Variety and character are treasures left undiscovered in the action RPG Crimson Alliance.

It's initially compelling, but starts to feel shallow as combat becomes a grind, and a nagging wish for more of RPG elements creeps in. [Nov 2011, p.110]

Crimson Alliance is a fairly competent, if completely forgettable game.

While there's nothing wrong with Crimson Alliance form a technical standpoint, it's a shame that a game with this much hack and slash action is so boring. The lackluster presentations, repetitive gameplay and generic story don't help anything. You're better off buying one of the better Diablo-clones currently available on the Xbox 360!