Crimson Capes

This is a very strange game. One by one most parts of it are mid to bad, except combat. But somehow when put together they start to work and I enjoyed my time with the game way more than I would expect. Pros: - The combat is great. It has weight, impact and overall the best part of the game. - Good variety of bosses and enemies to engage in that satisfying combat. Some quite creative. - The art style is good, there is a proper dark fantasy feel. - Steam Deck performance is great. - Overall the game feels fun to play despite its many flaws. Cons: - The animations are hilariously bad and the main character runs like he's trying to get to the bathroom in time. - Game gives the visual vibe of a flash game from 2000s, while the art style is good, the presentation is poor. - The platforming is neraly non-existent and the explaration is barebones. - Any out-of-combat movement feels unnaturally slow and awkward, moving around the map feels like a chore. - Multiple characters feel useless because you are forced to play the main character a lot anyways. - The ending is weird and abrupt. - There are some traversal abilities brought by the side characters, but you will not find a full metroidvania experience in this game. I recommend this game if you like slow and methodical combat and not looking for anything beyond that. Might be a good pick on sale to see if you like it.

As difficult as it is fun. It is very fun. It's a 2d Souls game in many regards. 4 characters to play, each with different stances, specials, etc. It's all timing based. The game is broken up into small segments between save points, enemies respawn whenever you hit a save point. The lore is interesting and mysterious, the ambience and music are eerie (aside from the Conan the Barbarian inspired theme). The bosses can be very challenging. I've found myself taking a break and coming back with renewed vigor to fight them. Do not be afraid to use your consumables, you can only carry 3 of most of them so you can't really hoard them. The game is a bit cryptic at times but almost all answers can be found in the manual that comes with the game. If you like tight, timing based 2d combat or fighting games and want a good challenge, give the demo a try. Well worth the $15 for the full game.

Crimson Capes is done. Here is my review: Personally, I especially loved the combat in this game. It is slow and methodical. As you defeat enemies you gain experience points which you can then use to buy items from merchants across the world and use those same experience points to unlock new abilities. You have light attacks, heavy attacks and can block/deflect as well as dodge incoming physical attacks. As you progress the game, you unlock more playable characters from your guild, the Crimson Capes. Each one of the characters have special composite attacks. These attacks use a special power meter. They also have combat disciplines that are much more powerful than composite attacks and each one of the heroes have a special move that consumes the entire power meters to use. The game plays much like a 2-D souls-like game. I do not think this is a metroidvania because you do not learn or unlock any specific skill to progress to other areas. In fact, the world is very much open from the start. You can pretty much traverse to any area of the game right from the beginning. There is one or two areas only accessible by obtaining a special item from a boss or using a specific character's ultra-ability to progress. The artwork is beautiful and though the music of the game is very simple, it fits nicely for the theme of the game. I enjoyed the "in-combat" music the most. Checkpoints are flowerbeds. Once activated, they allow you to rest, access the world map, change your guild character and learn new skills. The map is hand-drawn, and it is quite beautiful. The entire aesthetic of the game is amazing. The game is very short, but it is quite compact and full of enemies, which there is a great variety of them. There are also many, many bosses. Some much tougher than others and require some thinking on how to approach them. There are, if I recall correctly, four (4) distinct Hunts, which are separate, procedurally generated areas that contain enemies and traps, with one boss at the end rewarding you with a special item. Multiplayer is also a thing in this game. Much like souls-borne games, you can join a host to co-op or invade another player for PvP. My only complaints about the game are the inability of being able to see the map at any time as you can only access it while resting at a flowerbed and not being able to place any custom marks on it whatsoever. Consumables are quite handy. There are scarce but very cheap to buy from merchants. Overall, this game impressed me. I don't even remember where I saw it, but it was on my wishlist and when it went on sale a few days ago, I had to buy it. If you enjoy slow and methodical combat and love a good 2-D game with fantastic bosses, this game is for you. My final score for Crimson Capes is 8.5/10

Neat lil game, played it all the way through, found multiple optional bosses. It's definitely a lil jank, but the demo will give you an exact idea of what you're signing up for, surprisingly competent and flowing combat. A surprisingly large map and pool of items aswell.

Dear reader, welcome to the review of Crimson Capes, a game that makes it clear from the very first moments what kind of experience it aims to offer. The tone is heavy, dark, and almost austere. It doesn’t rely on spectacle or exaggeration. It isn’t about explosive fantasy. It’s something colder. Older. More restrained. Developed by Poor Locke, Crimson Capes arrives on PC with a clear identity. Not vague. Not hesitant. From the start, the intention behind every design choice is evident. And that confidence influences the entire experience. Let’s be honest. The first impression screams “Soulslike.” Health bar. Careful combat. Enemies that punish impatience. Checkpoints that reset the world. Anyone who has spent hours with FromSoftware titles will immediately recognize the structure that made Dark Souls famous. But that recognition soon turns to curiosity. Because Crimson Capes isn’t chasing spectacle. It doesn’t try to impress with flashy excesses. It pursues something much more difficult: authenticity. The weight. The effort. The commitment. And strangely, this shift makes the experience feel fresh. Many games treat large weapons as mere decorations. Huge blades that move like feathers. Impressive, but unnatural. Crimson Capes goes in the opposite direction. Milon’s two-handed sword behaves like a real object. Every move requires patience. Every recovery animation requires awareness. You don’t just attack; you choose to attack. At first, the pace feels almost awkward. Your instincts demand speed. But the game resists. It slows you down. It forces you to think differently. And then, something changes. Combat ceases to be mechanical and becomes a decision. Crimson Capes doesn’t encourage you to rush recklessly. It pushes you to read your opponent. To calculate distances. To wait for the right moment. Feints take on meaning. Movement becomes strategy. One mistake can cost you dearly. Battles feel more like duels than chaotic brawls. There’s tension, anticipation, hesitation. A strange dance of risk. Slow-paced, yes. But never boring. One of the most clever systems is battle flow timing. You land a hit, and your next move becomes faster. You maintain the rhythm, and the battle gains fluidity. Not frantic. But sharp. Controlled. There’s an almost musical feel to the combat. When you find the right rhythm, everything seems to work in harmony. When you lose it… the game remembers. Usually in a painful way. If you’re coming from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, you’ll need to adjust. Parrying here doesn’t work the way you’re used to. Enemies have energy or poise meters. You must first pressure them. Only then do parries effectively create openings. It’s a bold choice. Sometimes excellent. Other times slightly frustrating. Readability becomes a critical issue, especially in boss fights. The bosses look fantastic. They have identity. Presence. Character. But the design consistency isn’t always perfect. Some attacks are executed with minimal warning. The challenge shifts from reading patterns to immediate reaction. That’s where the tension starts to border on discomfort. It never falls apart. But yes, there are moments when the clarity could be better. The game offers four different fighters. Milon moves with balance and discipline. Skean embodies gravity and strength. Feiyoun relies on speed and bleed damage. Jonai focuses on magic and field control. These aren’t superficial differences. Each character fundamentally changes the way combat flows. Feiyoun stands out in particular, in my opinion. His speed and mobility create a thrilling counterpoint to the game’s more methodical pace. Experimentation becomes a natural part of the experience. Crimson Capes rejects traditional stat grinding. There are no inflated health bars. There are no numerical shortcuts. Progression is based on equipment, skill trees, and combat disciplines. Bosses remain skill checks. For some players, this is refreshing. For others, it’s demanding. Combat disciplines function as modifiers to your fighting style. They change the pace. They add tactical options. They encourage creativity—though not always with absolute clarity. Some mechanics seem slightly enigmatic. They require testing, adaptation, and repetition. The ideas are powerful. Their communication is sometimes less direct. The semi-open world is vast but easy to navigate. Areas stand out visually. Transitions are clear. Checkpoints are logically placed. Loading times are fast. The difficulty is high. Friction is low. And this balance matters. Visually, Crimson Capes is impressive. The rotoscoped pixel animations lend a human feel to the movements. The environments have depth and atmosphere. Lighting, weather effects, water—everything works in harmony. There’s a subtle echo of Prince of Persia. That sense of realistic movement that lends weight to the actions. Nostalgia, yes. But modernized. The sound design reinforces the sense of gravity. The clashes of metal, the bursts of magic, the thunder—every element adds power to the battles. The soundtrack, though brief, fits the game’s tone perfectly. If anything could be improved, it’s clearer audio cues in general. Nevertheless, the overall audio experience remains strong. Crimson Capes is demanding. But it rarely punishes you. Loads are fast. The player’s time is respected. Death serves as a lesson, not an obstacle. Except for moments when the gameplay becomes less predictable. Co-op. Invasions. Dynamic hunts. These systems add longevity without weighing down the core gameplay. Although only the host’s progress is saved, the experience remains entertaining as an extension of the single-player mode. The Greek indie scene continues to evolve, and Crimson Capes is a strong example of this creative momentum. The game is not a small production. It is a deliberate and well-crafted project. In conclusion, Crimson Capes treads familiar ground, but with a different approach. Less spectacle. More authenticity. Less exaggeration. More intensity. It’s not perfect. But it’s clearly unique. And that, often, is more important. I’d like to thank Gamelab for providing me with the game so I could review it for you. Rating: 8/10

約10時間で一応クリアできました。sekiroのような弾き主体のチャンバラ、ダークソウル風の休息場所と回復薬、スキルはありますがレベルの概念は無しです。結構ごり押しが効くし、弾きのタイミングも甘めで、難易度は高くないと思います。上手い方なら初見でどんどん進めると思います。ボスのすぐ前に回復場所がある新設設計で、ファストトラベルもすぐに使えるし、非常に快適に遊べます。日本語はありませんが、まあまあわかりやすい英語で、そんなに困ることはありませんでした。続編、DLCで続きを遊びたくなるような終わり方でした。闘いの舞台はばらえてぃに富んでいますし、ボスも多く、戦闘が心地よく、自分はとても楽しめました。いわゆる死にゲーを期待すると拍子抜けしますが、丁寧に作られた優れたゲームだと思います。

10/10