CrossCode | Revo Reviews

[@RadicalFishGames]

Thank you so much for the review! As for the story being semi-open as it currently is: I know it's sort of hard to believe, but that was how we originally planned the story to end. Some aspects of the story have been intentionally left open with a number of hints for players to speculate over. In hindsight it maybe wasn't the best way to end the game. The idea for the Post Game DLC came around the end of the development of the full version. Knowing that we were going to continue developing the game beyond the full release, we had the idea to continue the story and show a bit how things will continue "beyond the end" - and then we added a hint for it, right at the end of the game. Maybe having that hint at the end and in general framing the conclusion in a way that it "will continue later" made it all feel less complete than it really was. (think about it that way: the big conflict really was resolved but the precise future was unclear - you could say the same about, say, the Xenoblade Chronicles ending - I didn't play the Definitive Edition yet though) In any case: the idea was never to "split up the story" to get the "full game" finished early and get more money via the DLC. The story ended as it was planned, but the ending probably wasn't planned and presented in the best way.

[@TheMinecraftMan757]

Kudos to the whole team for making this masterpiece.

[@ZaffreRevolution]

actually wild you took the time to watch this, thank you so much for giving me your time :) knowing that you ended the story as intended but wanted to add more simply to give a more satisfactory feeling, for lack of a better term, makes me respect you all that much more. the amount of polish, attention to detail, and will to improve the package overall is incredible. thank you for providing such a phenomenal game

[@Evanz111]

Woah, so incredible that Zaffre has the attention of the developers of the games he’s reviewing! He deserves no less honestly :) thanks for reviewing his review, developers!

[@abitofBaileys]

The Post Game DLC is being made because of players wanting a more conclusive ending instead of a semi-open one 👍

[@finkejak]

CrossCode blew me away when i first played it, pre 1.0 mind you, because that concept of a offline mmo type story paired with a unique battle and physics gameplay was just so different! Also, we, the fans, were YEARNING for this to come to the Switch for the past almost 2 years or so, and RadicalFish always responden with "only, if Hedgehogs learn to fly", which is, why the switch version has flying hedgehags as exclusive enemies ^^ And YES, it's a masterpiece!

[@ZaffreRevolution]

i was wondering what was up with that post-credits scene... that's awesome lol

[@Shad0wmoses]

i think one of the coolest things for me at least in my first 3 hours of gameplay is that despite the mc being a silent protag she is her own character. having limited words and seeing her frustration over it just add this endearing quality to her. of course theres also the really fun combat and puzzle sections ive encountered so far.

[@ekimmak]

"Is this an overlooked gem?" Yes.

[@JevinJohnson-CloudShift]

Just a heads up, for those who see this, the new DLC is out and on sale. You can get it all for less than the game's original price (which is also on sale) until march 5th

[@rhiannn3416]

and its on sale again on steam rn in a bundle with the ninja skin

[@ekimmak]

I feel like there's a subtle bit of logic to the elemental circuit grid, actually. Each circuit has a specific art branch that won't reach rank 3, it only goes to rank 2. And for each element, it makes sense. For example, the Cold circuit only has a rank 2 dash art. Which makes sense, that's the element that slows everything down.

[@Sheevlord]

Zaffre reviewed CrossCode? A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one.

[@VoiceofMidnightStorm]

I frickin LOVE this game! It's been one of my very favorite games since I saw the trailer on Steam! 60fps, awesome graphics, crisp, crunchy sound effects when fighting, BEAUTIFUL character portraits, and an engaging story which make you feel so much love for Lea when you discover who she really is! I LOVE IT!! Also, for the newbies, if you can't tell where to go when platforming, aim at the platform you plan to jump to. If it looks like your future shot will reflect, you won't be able to land there.

[@Warpix7]

Had a great time watching! As you said at the end, when I first played CrossCode I had no idea how much of a masterpiece it would be and boy oh boy am I glad I tried it.

[@Thirteen13551355]

Really enjoyed this review! A friend of mine played this, but I still gotta pick it up myself. This is another great sign for me to play it!

[@MysticMountainNebula]

I was on the fence and this review is the one that sold me. Looking forward to diving into this soon!

[@The_Reaper_Ren]

The pixel art in this game looks really good, also the combat is giving me some Hyper Light Drifter vibes. I'm gonna keep an eye out for this title when I get around to play more indie games. Good review Zaffre.

[@ZaffreRevolution]

definitely do! especially with your love for hyper light drifter, the game's right up your alley man

[@bobbusc]

Hyper Light Drifter and CrossCode are 2 of my favorite games of the past decade. Hollow Knight rounds out my top 3. I'm not sure if that helps your decision to play, but I hope you give it a try.

[@raidjelloplays8259]

Its funny being an early adopter to the game and watching this review, a bunch of the side characters didn't have character portraits and its really fun to see them now in this review XD

[@LibertyDino]

Fun fact. One of the developers started out making rpg maker games. The one he created (and never finished) was so awesome.

[@Evanz111]

Woah, wasn’t expecting you to review this! The game gives me major Star Ocean 3 vibes (if a game was set in the Eternal Sphere)

[@shyguy2046]

Omw....I didn't have to wait 2 months for a video... Can't believe .... My weekend is complete this awesomeness. Thank you! This game reminds me of old school Zelda

[@ZaffreRevolution]

LMAO i told you i was gonna get better at uploading! next review's already up on patreon so the momentum's going strong!

[@shyguy2046]

@@ZaffreRevolution your vids are awesome... It's not impatience but it's high praise and admiration for your work!!!

[@CsabaGamings]

I might review the game in Hungarian because I can't speak English. I just need a good microphone. Good review mate!

[@MinkDaddy]

Zaffre! Keep up the awesome content! If you like fast pace action RPGs, I highly recommend the Ys series.

[@ZaffreRevolution]

glad you've enjoyed my stuff! i've gotten ys recommended quite a bit so that's gonna be one of the series i'll keep my eye out for when i build a pc pretty soon here. just to make sure the quality's up to snuff

[@rhiannn3416]

Crosscode blew my mind when it came out. Puzzles were extremely difficult, bosses were challenging, it was wonderful. I finally bought the full game (when it was on sale) with the DLC and ninja skin pack that steam has in a set on sale at the moment. I'm going through the DLC rn, and it is great. Considering the game was made by a small handful of developers, it's really incredible what they've done and I'm glad I am able to support their impressive creation! Some parts definitely had me in tears, and other times laughing at the character's shenanigans. THe one I remember the most is Emily freaking out about bugs in Saphire ridge. There are so many little bits with incredible attention to detail. If you use the new game plus mode and enable "sergey hax", there's a whole range of new, hilarious dialogues along with character portraits, and it's absolutely hilarious. I love how they went the extra mile to make the experience that much more interesting. I actually, have seen that in someone else's video but have yet to try it out, after I've finished the DLC and found all the chests in the new areas. this already turning out to be quite the rant, but I actually had no clue the difficulty sliders existed... and I'm glad I didn't know. I think the default difficulty is just right. I generally suck at games, and have slow reflexes, so this game realllllllllyyyyy tested and pushed me. Not going to lie, I just replayed the final dungeon to get the good ending and although it's been a a year or 2 since I last played it... it still took me a good 45+ minutes to figure out and get the timing right for that last puzzle... boy, that final dungeon puzzle is what nightmares are made of. I'm excited, but also scared for the new dungeon in the DLC. I can already feel myself beginning to rage. Oh... and I forgot to mention, but I play crosscode on a MacBook air (early 2015), and it actually runs...extremely smoothly, surprisingly. It's one of the few games that runs on my laptop butter smooth and doesn't make my laptop fans runs the moment I start it up. Everything about this game has been such a pleasant surprise, and I just highly, highly recommend you check it out!

[@crazy338866]

3:51 I'm not sure if it is included in the switch version, but there is an in-game code that adds in the voice acting from the april fools update.

[@X1erra]

CrossCode is the game I never knew I needed, and now, I'm glad I was blessed with this game in my life after playing it. it has emotional values so phenomenal I wish everyone can experience by themselves, stick through the thick and thin becoming a smarter person through the puzzles, enjoy crispy combat systems, and you absolutely do NOT want to get spoiled by any plot heavy moments.

[@Phabrysio]

Great review! Your like ratio says it all man, keep it up :)

[@Realmidboss]

Let's see..... MMO setting with Visor, a lot of interesting characters, story that mixes both the MMO story itself and the story of the real game, action RPG. My .hack sense is tingling.......

[@JerichoDeath]

As a small note, while Lea is playing a "MMO", the game she's playing is not virtual. The MMO developer bought a small moon, terra-formed it, and all the avatars are located there in physical form.

[@Realmidboss]

@@JerichoDeath DAMN.

[@WervynAnixil]

A little more background on the DLC decision, the original plan was for the story to end where it ended -- as you said, it's not like there's no ending, it just feels unresolved. That became clear during private beta leading up to the release, that the story really needed an epilogue. But they firmly did NOT want to half-ass that, and with things barreling toward a promised end of 2018 release, we all realized that was going to have to come later. The options were basically, go ahead and release the game "on time" (after multiple years of delay) as it was intended to end but setting up the promise of future content, or delay the game AGAIN, and it STILL wouldn't be published today. The price tag is related to that. The DLC contains a significant amount of content, it's not just a tacked on bit of story where everyone lives happily ever after. You can expect to spend 5-15 hours playing through it depending on how much of the optional content you engage with. That's over a dozen new sidequests, a new overworld area to explore, some unique centerpiece gameplay sections, and an absolutely MASSIVE dungeon with a crazy new puzzle mechanic that synergizes with everything else to this point. And then of course, a story epilogue that I believe people will find very, very satisfying. All done to the same level of polish as the main game. They haven't announced a price for it yet, so don't take my word as gospel, but if I were to place a bet, I'd guess $5. For all of that. Anyway, look forward to it!

[@noah_ignis]

Finally decided to try and finish this game so far on the 3rd temple it's freaking dope these puzzles are Zelda mastery to the max

[@arti2074]

my first playtrough was like 50 hours and i didn't even do half the sidequests. or gotten more than 50% botanics. my overal completion was like 60-70%. in 50 hours.

[@AtomTomZeitalter]

A review of Crosscode that actually mentions it's origin as a crowdfunding project? One thing I really have to give the devs credit for, is how they handled the delay of the game release. As it is often the case in crowdfunding games, there was a "get the game once it's finished" perk and a "get Early Access" perk. Once the set deadline from the indiegogo approached and it was clear, that they couldn' finish the game in that time, they actually upgraded everyone to Early Access tier. It's such a small thing, but I really think that this shows how much passion was put into the game.

[@Evanz111]

Side note: if you can ever consider reviewing Star Ocean 3 with a critical eye, then I’m so certain you’ll find at least elements which you enjoy that surprise you in no other game having them. I’m not easily impressed, but it’s still my favourite of all time. It’s always been a huge wish of mine for you to review it. The part you said in the video about it being cringeworthy when people herald every new game as their favourite? I completely agree, it’s difficult when you get recommended something that’s “the best” every other day - so whilst I won’t agree Star Ocean 3 is the best game ever, I can at least agree it’s one of the best in the amount of different things it strives for. It’s so different from Star Ocean 1 & 2 in that regard. It’s available on modern consoles with PS4 if you ever consider reviewing it anyways!

[@agidyne9676]

Totally forgot the dlc came out earlier. I downloaded the game again! Can’t wait to jump into CrossCode’s DLC!

[@apukami3643]

Hyped as I will be getting it this week.

[@gamerprince-tl5hg]

I was playing this game for a while and got pretty far in it but ended up stopping for some time for... reasons. But I absolutely adored my time with it and am considering picking it up again on Switch. I spent hours doing all the deep side-quests and exploring the world. I think my biggest issue was definitely the depth perception thing you mentioned. They could've done a better job at making each plane look different. I just wish I was good at the combat. I honestly felt like it was simply too fast-paced for me to properly keep up with what was going on. Still though when I replay it again, I'm going to try my best to relearn everything and kick major ass. Great review as always. I think you should check out Unsighted. It's a bit similar to this game combat and exploration wise and the story has gripped me from the very beginning. It also has a very unique and interesting gimmick that has to do with saving NPCs from their inevitable deaths that's constantly approaching via an in-game timer.

[@GordonGordon]

They just finished it! Console release in the summer....

[@Mijdax]

This game is nothing less than a masterpiece. You really feel how the devs loved games like terranigma or secret of mana. They took what they loved about those games and made a modern game that conveys the good things about snes Era of games

[@widget3672]

Yes, this game is a cult classic, and only that because for some reason it's not a widely renowned as it deserves to be. I spent about 80 hours just beating the main game and with the extended story and New Game + (that even has unique modifiers and dialogue for said modifiers, like how would Apollo react if you entered Beginner's Arc not at level 4 but level 65?) And hard as it was the catharsis of beating every challenge is unreal. This game will stay in my list of all time favourites.

[@gamerprince-tl5hg]

Agreed. I'm honestly so disappointed this game didn't blow up the way Hades, Hollow Knight or Celeste did. This game seriously deserves as much praise and notoriety as those games. And the fact the game is priced at $20... it definitely feels more like a $40 game than anything.

[@creaturetransylvania8943]

Hmm a good start for gaming in my opinion.

[@purplephantom9]

Great vid as always! 😁😁

[@ZaffreRevolution]

i can't believe you watch these T_T

[@ashbornphoenix7104]

You know Ive seen this game around a few places but this review finally sold me enough to try it out myself. Also if your looking for an indie game based on the 2d tales game then you might want to look at Aurion: legacy of the Kori-Odan, it is a pretty fun game that has combat that felt very Tales-esque to me.

[@ZaffreRevolution]

word???

[@xDinomanx]

So Zaffre how did you feel after completing the Post Game DLC? Me personally it helped answer a lot of questions.

[@soratheorangejuicemascot5809]

I tried the demo and its great. No one can make me say otherwise.

[@tanookiplayer]

Nice to see another indie game review. Those are some of my favourites of yours. I don't really like cliffhangers in anything especially since not all games would get a sequel or new post game content. With smaller independent games though I would be a bit more forgiving when it comes to post game story dlc especially the self published ones since they don't have the same budget as AAA games and it comes off as the devs being ambitious and caring about their project instead of corporate greed.

[@ZaffreRevolution]

yeah pretty much how i felt when finishing up this game after sitting on it for a while. i really believe that's the case so i'm just gonna look forward to the post game episode hopefully releasing next year! and i'm glad you enjoy my indie reviews they're a lot of fun to make and play :)

[@Soruigi]

I already had a big interest in the game, but I didn't know it had 2D Zelda based puzzles! Now I really gotta play this game

[@Juice8767]

I’d love multiplayer coop as I have a few friends that I play every game with that I can but this has been an amazing title since jumping into it a few days ago. I snagged it a little while ago on sale in the eShop but I’m kind of tempted now to grab a physical copy from amazon to keep it in my physical/forever collection.

[@Juice8767]

Oh I forgot to note, I turned off most of the graphic options because the screen shake and frame drops were giving me a bit of a head ache and things seemed to have smoothed out pretty well. It does take away some of the charm of course but with it being a 16 bit game and so fast paced it's an easy trade for me.

[@soratheorangejuicemascot5809]

Hey Zaffre, do you want Lea from Crosscode to become a dlc character for Blaster Master Zero game?

[@lullil8356]

I just started playing it on the Luna controller. it's A W E S O M E .

[@ultris07]

My few complaints boil down to the sidequests themselves. Such as the Observation dome, which had a decent amount of hype around it, only for the end result feeling lack luster and leaving me wanting more. Some sidequests also just don't even have endings, they just end. Of course the ones that are satisfying just feel incomplete since they end as they get good. Second complaint I have is being able to unlock everything in the first playthrough, which even when NewGame+ is added in all it does really is add more difficulty, no really new areas, or ways that get unlocked to grab all the extra content that the game offers.

[@RegalPixelKing]

I'd say this game is less like a SNES JRPG, and more like a Saturn Zelda clone. This game looks a lot like Linkle Liver Story for example. This game also plays closer to a Zelda game so I would not say it fall under the JPRG genre in general.

[@MrFreedomforyou]

Okay you sold me I’ll buy it

[@antoniogaravo9289]

5:42 this is totally not targeting any anime that came out in recents years

[@yoredrag-onight4204]

I agree with pretty much everything here, Gravity Rush series was my top favorite of last year and this game easily takes this year until Anno Mutationem (another pixel game this time with Evangelion, Blade Runner, and Ghost in the Shell vibes) comes out.

[@jimmyjohnjoejr]

Love this game, can't wait for the dlc

[@rannel7644]

It's out

[@jimmyjohnjoejr]

@@rannel7644 and it's amazing!!!!

[@Reffont]

DLC RELEASE DATE TRAILER!! ITS HAPPENING!!!

[@KamenriderCrusher]

wait which quest was the one you need to do with the good ending

[@KamenriderCrusher]

oh also the envoy of change line was semi foreshadowing for the actual plot

[@Jimmeeehhh]

It wasn't a quest in a way that you had to accept. Hiln hints at the true ending before the final stretch. She tells you automatically.

[@Jpinkyfan]

Instant sub

[@justcallmezudo]

Man it’s my favorite gunvolt Chan- ok the joke it’s getting old( not really) but the game looks interesting, may look into it

[@atk_ogre2185]

The game is much better than it looks, it's actually excellent.

[@ZaffreRevolution]

please, i'll proudly be the gunvolt channel

[@justcallmezudo]

ZaffreRevolution well ok, Zaffre gunvolt it is

[@richtersteinberg329]

"My boi Tobby..." That did not age well after playing "a new home"...

[@nondayz593]

He’s still our boi

[@apocrypha9620]

I just start a new home did we see tobby again in dlc ?

[@richtersteinberg329]

@@apocrypha9620 ye, he is back Just play that gorgeous dlc

[@apocrypha9620]

@@richtersteinberg329 yeah he is back as a evotar

[@thehumanpractice2985]

Yeah Crosscode is one of those games that you know are immortal

[@Dante1282]

from what i know the post game dlc wont be paid

[@extremewirehead]

Star ocean 1 was bad? That's kinda sad. I have fond memories of 2 but I never got around to 1

[@pieternaude1469]

C'mon! Your PC cannot be THAT much of a potato to play CrossCode!? Specs please! Seriously though, this is one of the best games I have ever played.

[@Juice8767]

I'm pretty sure he's playing the Swtich port. They've been patching it but it's still a bit rough.

[@magi1134]

greatest 69 hours of my life

[@calebb7012]

This game has some seriously overly complicated and exhausting dungeon design. It's made me drop a game I absolutely adored.

[@omensoffate]

Oof

[@romeoduque7297]

Apollo is annoying af though

[@shadowknight109]

Hard pass on this game. Everything sounds good and I may be inclined to hold on to the story progression but the story being linked more so to the DLC is a hard pass. Things are getting expensive and bills are pilling if I can afford a game but not have enough to buy the rest to finish the damn thing. Fuck it. I can find something else that would be complet, assuming I can buy it.

[@omensoffate]

You sound like a man child

[@nondayz593]

This comment sure aged like milk, not like it smells good in the first place.

[@MrNamenloser21]

We're talking about 15 buck for the game with DLC.

[@Jimmeeehhh]

If you assume this game has Asura's Wrath level of blue balls where you had to buy the DLC to complete the main story, know that the base game finishes its story, leaving the future open ended. That, in turn, makes the DLC serve as the epilogue.