Another Crusade

Rough around the edges, but solid none the less. The story is short but well told. The characters are silly but charming. The normal mode combat is brutal if you can't land the timed attacks/parries. But none of that is a problem for me, as an SMRPG fan this was worth the play. Puzzles could use some work but overall it's been a satisfying experience.

I want to love the game, really I do. I try to find the positives in all the games I play. A Super Mario RPG inspired game sounds awesome! But the further I get in, the more I'm turned off. Spoilers ahead. The timings are dreadfully tight even on normal mode. A missed opportunity would be to make you gain SP based on how well you time the attack, with miss being 1/3 an SP, great being 2/3 an SP, and perfect being an entire SP. At least then the tight timings would be somewhat justified and encourage you to learn them for a good reason, instead of the reason being "so the battle doesn't take 10 minutes." That's my suggestion in case the devs ever read a small time review like mine. I understand trying to balance the game around time hits is difficult, because you want to incentivize players to use them, but this is not it. Trying to grind levels is a slog. The EXP curve is vicious, as soon as you get a level in one area, it basically becomes obsolete to train in that area. Before I get some dude that's like "Nooo RPGs should be strategy not just leveling! That's boring!" First of all, there's no strategy in this game. It's nail the timed hits or die. Attrition =/= "strategy." Efficient management of resources =/= "strategy." These are skills. Play a single game of Chess, an actual strategy game, and try these "strategies" against a player with twice your ELO. I'm sure you'll spot the difference very quickly. Secondly, I enjoy grinding in RPGs and steamrolling bosses sometimes. You can have your big brain, let me and people like me have our big balls sometimes. Both can coexist and be fun, I promise. Oh, and don't even try to fight the boss if you are not [i]at or above level.[/i] Because if you do, the fight will legitimately take 30 minutes. Which compounds into my next issue. The boss fights take way too long. I feel like their HP could be cut in half and they'd be more reasonable. At some point, bosses start acting twice or even three times in a row once they get to low HP, low being a stretch. In this game the boss having 2900/3000 HP while I'm dealing 30 damage at best is "low HP." I don't mind the acting twice and thrice at low HP. What I mind is that the bosses also get some sort of speed increase and start taking turns for every turn you take. So instead of a smooth [Boss x3 actions > Me > Me > Me > Boss x 3 actions] it's [Boss x3 actions > Me > Me > Boss x3 actions > Me > Boss x3 actions] or something. This gets egregious when you're fighting the boss of Altaterra Castle, the ice zone, who can summon an add that heals him for 180 HP when you can deal 172 damage at best if Varenna buffs herself with Mind Solution and uses Flame Blast, which will deplete all three of her SP, and now you gotta either spam ethers or attack 9 times while Rai gets rid of the adds and Niro heals. Just have 10 ethers. Brilliant strategy. I'm Magnus Carlson up in this ♥♥♥♥♥. I felt this the worst with Armordillo, who would constantly buff himself two or three times in a row in between hitting me with lightning, which is a party wide attack that can paralyze you even if you time the block perfectly. I should've had the paralysis charm on, so maybe that's a skill issue, I'll hold that, but I just came from an area that poisons you and went into this boss blind. There's no NPC or something that's like "oooh you better watch out this monster has a vicious lightning attack that'll stun you." What made me drop the game was the Apicem Village scenario. You have to fight four battles in a row. Fine. You don't get healed or your SP restored in between these battles. Fine. I lose the fourth match, the "main" match. I can hold Ls, bad things happen. I gotta do all four fights all over again. Annoying, but whatever, I played my fair share of NES RPGs, this ♥♥♥♥ ain't nothing to me. At least I got all the items and resources I used back, so let's run it back. I beat the fourth fight. Yay! ♥♥♥♥ you, there's a surprise fifth fight. Wait what? I lose the fifth fight, because I wasn't restored after the fourth fight, and I was low on resources, nor did I know there was gonna be a fifth fight. Also ♥♥♥♥ you, this time you don't get all those items you used back. Also also ♥♥♥♥ you, you gotta do [b][i]all five fights over again.[/i][/b] So why don't you shimmy your ass to the mines and get your balls bashed in by the gnomes for two hours because this game gives you like 100 gold and items cost your entire wallet. Needless to say, I did not do that. I'm good. That's not "salt." That's not "butthurt." That's not a "skill issue" or whatever the hell the kids are saying these days. That is bad. Understand that I tried to give this game the benefit of the doubt. I'm not some cynic who bashes on games. A lot of these reviews will also complain about the writing and the dialog, I won't say it's bad, I'll just say it's not for me. There's a lot of 4th wall breaks and meta humor, I'm sure if I jived with that style of humor or if I were 14 I'd be falling out of my chair. That sounds like an insult I promise I mean it in the best possible way. It could be worse, it could be Nexomon: Extinction with the cat creature who constantly negs and lampshades on things that happen in the game. IYKYK. I could go on a diatribe where I explain that it's actually way more charming, refreshing, and funny to take your story seriously rather than nudging me with your elbow and going "Eh? Ehhhh? So that just happened! This is a video game!" But I'll leave that for some Youtuber. Tl;dr - Game is not fun, battles are slogs, boss fights are even worse, grinding is tedious yet you need to be on pace or the slogs will turn into WW1 Trenches. I hope the devs make another game and try to iterate and improve on these flaws.

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Can't recommend. Is it more difficult than SMRPG? Yes. Does it have more mechanics? No not really. Does this essentially boil down to the game demanding extremely consistent performance on the action commands? Yeah pretty much. Not exactly engaging,

The game is a nice nod to Mario RPG. It recently got an update for difficulty so that might help others with their play through. I enjoyed the challenge myself. It has its quirks but a solid experience that isn't super serious and makes for an interesting adventure. I did end up buying it on switch.

Another Crusade is a turn-based role-playing adventure developed and published by by Dragon Vein Studios that blends classic RPG design philosophies with modern presentation and interactive combat mechanics. Built with clear inspiration from older console role-playing titles, the game embraces familiar genre foundations while adding enough personality and mechanical variation to avoid feeling like simple imitation. Through a combination of timing-based battles, colorful storytelling, and a world that gradually expands beyond its traditional fantasy beginnings, Another Crusade delivers an experience aimed directly at players who appreciate nostalgic RPG structure with newer design sensibilities. The adventure follows Rai Reysend and a growing cast of allies as circumstances pull them into a conflict much larger than expected. What initially appears to be a relatively straightforward fantasy journey slowly evolves into something far more unusual as hidden truths emerge and larger mysteries reshape the direction of the story. Rather than remaining strictly tied to medieval fantasy traditions, the narrative gradually introduces science fiction concepts and unexpected developments that help create a stronger identity for the world. One of the strongest qualities of Another Crusade comes from how confidently it balances familiar ideas with more surprising elements. It understands the appeal of traditional adventure storytelling built around exploration, party growth, and escalating stakes, but it also introduces enough twists to keep progression engaging. The game leans into nostalgia without becoming trapped by it. Combat becomes one of the biggest reasons to remain invested throughout progression. Battles follow a turn-based structure but avoid passive repetition by introducing timing mechanics that reward active participation. Attacking effectively often depends on player input rather than simply selecting commands from menus. Defensive actions similarly encourage careful timing to minimize incoming damage and maintain momentum during encounters. These systems add an extra layer of engagement that keeps battles feeling more interactive than many traditional turn-based RPGs. Success depends not only on equipment and statistics but also on understanding timing windows and executing actions consistently. The result creates encounters that remain enjoyable even during routine combat situations. Character progression strengthens that engagement further. New skills arrive steadily while party development introduces meaningful decisions surrounding team composition and combat strategy. Different abilities encourage experimentation, allowing players to discover combinations that fit preferred playstyles. Enemy encounters also provide enough variation to discourage relying entirely on a single approach. The cast itself contributes significantly to the game’s appeal. Character interactions create lighter moments that help strengthen emotional investment while balancing larger story developments effectively. Party members display personality beyond combat utility, helping the journey feel driven by relationships rather than purely objective progression. Narrative pacing generally remains consistent throughout the experience. Story developments unfold steadily while gradually revealing deeper layers beneath the world’s initial presentation. The game does not rush major revelations, allowing discoveries to carry greater impact as understanding grows naturally alongside progression. Visually, Another Crusade embraces a colorful presentation style that reflects its classic inspirations while incorporating modern polish. Character designs carry personality while environments reinforce the adventurous atmosphere effectively. Rather than pursuing realism, the game focuses on style and identity, helping establish a tone that feels welcoming and nostalgic without appearing outdated. Environmental variety also contributes positively to exploration. Towns, pathways, and larger locations encourage movement through the world while helping maintain the feeling of participating in a larger adventure. Exploration rewards curiosity without becoming unnecessarily overwhelming. Music and audio presentation support the atmosphere effectively throughout progression. Combat themes strengthen larger encounters while quieter moments receive appropriate emotional support through softer musical direction. The soundtrack complements pacing naturally while reinforcing the game’s classic role-playing influences. One particularly impressive aspect of Another Crusade comes from how sincerely it embraces adventure as a central theme. Many modern role-playing games lean heavily toward darker storytelling or increasingly complex systems. Another Crusade instead captures a more traditional sense of discovery and progression where exploration, growth, and companionship remain equally important parts of the experience. The game does reveal some limitations. Players highly experienced with classic turn-based RPGs may recognize certain progression structures and storytelling patterns relatively early. Familiar genre conventions occasionally create predictability during portions of the journey. Combat timing mechanics may also require adjustment for players accustomed to purely menu-driven systems. While the active elements generally strengthen encounters, players seeking completely traditional turn-based pacing may need time adapting to the more involved structure. However, these smaller concerns rarely diminish what Another Crusade accomplishes successfully. Dragon Vein Studios demonstrates clear appreciation for classic RPG design while delivering enough original ideas to create its own identity. The game feels inspired by older genre favorites without becoming entirely dependent upon nostalgia. Another Crusade succeeds because it understands what makes role-playing adventures memorable. Strong party dynamics, satisfying progression, engaging combat systems, and a world worth exploring remain timeless strengths when executed effectively. By building around those foundations while adding interactive combat and creative narrative direction, the game creates an experience that feels both familiar and fresh. For players who enjoy turn-based combat, adventure-focused storytelling, character progression, and role-playing games influenced by classic console RPG traditions, Another Crusade offers an enjoyable and charming experience filled with personality and mechanical depth. Rating: 7/10

So the first thing that I saw about this game was how hard it was and that there was an easy mode implemented later, I started on normal and managed to finish the first zone without much hiccups, then I fought the second boss on the next zone and got trampled without mercy for like an hour, changed to easy and it was STILL a dificult boss but beatable. I thought that it was only a kinda poorly balanced boss and changed the game back to normal for the next zone... and got two shot by the first generic encounter in that area, yeah, the game stayed in easy after that. And on easy the game was supremely enjoyable and it had no bearing on achievements (as an achievement ♥♥♥♥♥ I thank this inclusion greately) it sincerely felt like the normal JRPG balance, Easy mode isn't EASY it just makes the game have a normal dificulty curve. The story is kinda there, the hook was the characters making jokes all the time and the moment I discovered that this game was mexican (as I am) I decided to change the language to spanish and I will admit that the humor hit a lot more after that... Though I will admit that what made me laugh the most was the fact that 'La llorona' is a secret boss in this game. And I know it's kinda late to mention but the turn based combat here is really really good... wich shouldn't be all that surprising since the combat system was taken almost beat for beat from super Mario RPG wich is one of the best games of the genre, more games that ape that combat system the better for the whole genre I say.