Crimson Alliance | Review (Xbox 360)

Review Score:

Crimson Alliance is a cooperative action RPG game from Certain Affinity that puts you in the middle of an epic battle against the Cult Of The Soul Siren.

I haven’t gotten the chance to dive into multiplayer on Crimson Alliance as I do not have Xbox Live Gold, but if the game play is as solid as it is in the single player, there is no doubt in my mind that there aren’t many issues to worry about. Crimson Alliance lets you take control of three character roles including the assassin, mercenary, and my personal favorite the wizard.  Each class uses different abilities to attack the enemy which can be upgraded with gold.

For each enemy that is defeated you are rewarded with gold. These coins can be exchanged for different types of weaponry to be used in battle. Some areas on the map are designated as hidden areas. Find these areas and you are rewarded with even more gold to add to your collection to exchange for goods and services for battle.

The strengths for Crimson Alliance clearly lies in its gameplay and its multiplayer. There aren’t many RPG’s that anyone can just pick up and play without completely understanding the concept of gameplay; but Crimson Alliance is one of those games where that is the exception. The gameplay is perfect for anyone new to the genre of action RPG’s. And what makes up for the non-experienced players is easily made up for in multiplayer. 9 times out of 10 if you are playing the game on Xbox Live or with a friend, at least one player is going to have some kind of experience with this genre so they can help you along the way.

Multiplayer is where this game shines

With every strength comes a weakness and unfortunately, Crimson Alliance has a couple of shortcomings as well. While it can be fun setting up turrets to fight off your enemies and watch them run into your traps, at times, this can become somewhat repetitive. Especially when some of the enemies that you fight are the same variation just in different waves and amounts. Of course this doesn’t break the fun of the game but it can become tiresome for some folks who want a fresh feeling experience at all times. The level design is also pretty linear and you won’t get a chance to explore around different areas with side-missions and quests as much as other RPG games as this game pretty much sticks with the main storyline. This can be a plus or a disappointment depending on what type of RPG games you enjoy.

But all in all, Crimson Alliance is a pretty solid RPG. Sure it’s not your best or your top choice in terms of other games in the same category, but if you are looking to play an action RPG game that has a simple concept and combines that element with multiplayer online or local action, then you won’t be disappointed. I enjoyed Crimson Alliance for those reasons and if you are in the same boat as me, then this game shouldn’t disappoint you.

Access to Crimson Alliance is free, but if you want the full experience, the Assassin, Wizard & Mercenary Class packs will set you back 1200 Microsoft Points for all three. The game is rated T for Teen.