PC Spotlight #95: Crimsonland

Title: Crimsonland
Developer: 10tonLtd
Platforms: PC
Price: $13.99
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I never played the original Crimsonland. Well actually that's not true; I tried the demo once and the game didn't really seem like anything special. After reading some great impressions from a friend, I decided to check out this new and improved Crimsonland and I'm very glad I did. It's addictive, bloody, intense, and just one hell of a fun satisfying shooter.

In terms of story and gameplay, Crimsonland is as simple as can be. You and hordes of hundreds and hundreds of creatures on the battlefield, kill them all. But while the actual mechanis are not complex, Crimsonland adds a layer of strategy underneath the run and gun gameplay, turning a game that might seem shallow from the screenshots into a compelling thrilling experience. Every moment consists of countless decision. Which gun is best for the current situation? Should I rush for that power-up but risk having to run through a horde to reach it? Which order should I use power-ups? Which perks should I choose?

I think the most interesting aspect is how the varied enemies require you to totally change your tactics and influences the weapons and perks you'd want to use. It's not like some shooters where you can just get the most powerful weapon and kill everything. If you're facing fast spiders that replicate when they die, then you're going to want a weapon that's accurate and precise but that fires and reloads fast enough that they won't close the gap, and power-ups that focus on crowd control and defense. Hordes of zombies? You'll want to go for the spray and pray type weapons or explosives and all-out offensive power-ups. Thankfully your arsenal is just as varied as the enemies you face. Weapons range from a simple pistol and shotgun to all manner of flamethrowers, plasma cannons, automatic weapons, and even more exotic weapons. Power-ups slow time, shield you from damage, restore health, imbue your weapon with devastating plasma energy. The RPG-esque perk system offers diverse ways to customize your playstyle. Sacrifice health for damage, be faster, have more ammo, poison enemies, gain a melee attack, and many more perks make each survival attempt feel fresh and exciting

Crimsonland is a must play for top-down shooters. Besides the 60-mission campaign (and three difficulty levels), you can test your skills across severall survival modes, all of which adds its own twist of the core gameplay. The visuals and effects are stylish, the gameplay is deeper than you'd might expect, and seeing the screen literally turn red with blood and gore as you mow down hundreds of creatures is very satisfying. You can purchase Crimsonland on Steam.