CrossCode Reviews
I don’t doubt for a second that RPG fans will be happy with “Crosscode”. Especially if the said fans also just happen to like puzzles. However, for everyone else though, it will be a gamble at the price.
This has a tremendous amount going for it, but ultimately, it is going to appeal to puzzle gamers far more than JRPG fans, as the puzzle sections are incredibly demanding. Having players do hours of complex and convoluted puzzles in a row, is something that is going to put off many gamers that otherwise would have loved this title. For a RPG romp it could have been outstanding if this was shortened, and the puzzles/trickery were reduced by at least half.
CrossCode is an ambitious game, but its myriad parts lack cohesion.
For an indie pixelart RPG, there’s a lot going on, and Crosscode is polished, ambitious and charming. Combat is a treat, although it can get very challenging with the tactical demands of some enemy types. The puzzles are up there with the classics of the genre, but there are so many of them that the temples can become a marathon slog, only to find an unbeatable boss that’s so hard it’s no longer fun.
On the other hand, if you can push all that story into the background and focus on the sheer thrill of the game's combat and the challenge of its puzzles, it has a lot more going for it. CrossCode puts its mechanics to good use in inventive ways, and at times, I found it to be legitimately impressive. However, without the beating heart of a convincing narrative, you may find yourself logging out too soon.
CrossCode is a fine 2D action RPG thanks to its challenging combat and excellent puzzles. It music and characters are also great, but the game is lacking in pacing. There are also some annoying bugs that should have been fixed.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
CrossCode is a beautiful world loaded with puzzles of all kinds. If you can find your center among this storm of separate genres, you might really enjoy this game.
Even on PS4, CrossCode is a quirky little action RPG that deserves credit for its combat system and the sheer amount of content. It's not the deepest and more narrative driven RPG on the market, but it's challenging enough to deserve a go.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Where CrossCode excels is in its scope and ambition...
Uneven pacing and quirky controls aren't enough to undermine CrossCode's stylish graphics and sound, innovative puzzles, and fantastic story and cast.
The PlayStation 4 version of CrossCode is both a tribute to the classics that inspired it and a masterpiece in its own right. It hits all the right marks because it knows the audience all too well. At the same time, it finds the perfect balance between appealing to ones nostalgia while also being an original experience.
I found CrossCode to be enjoyable. Despite my depth issues, they’re minuscule in comparison to the good. While the game is grind-heavy to obtain items needed to trade, it’s all mindless and the perfect activity to do while you’re listening to a Podcast. Though, I will say the music in-game are great listens. The map is interconnected and will encourage you to explore. Do so to find ways to climb cliffs and to find secrets. I was enamored with learning the lore and Radical Fish Games did a fantastic job of immersing me. They hit it out of the park with the online game feel. Perfectly emulated. The gorgeous pixel art and combat is a love letter to the SNES era. The influence of Secret of Mana is too obvious. I couldn’t help but smile when I saw the homage after defeating a boss. The sound effect and explosion. The writing is charming and the amount of effort put into this should be acknowledged. While the Nintendo Switch version had issues at launch, those have been largely fixed. What hasn’t been isn’t enough to be a dealbreaker.
It may look like a 16-bit retro-esque game at first glance, but it’s a well-polished action RPG that offers so much that it can compete head-to-head with its modern high-budget counterparts.
One of the best games of the year and one of the better indie games of the generation.
CrossCode isn’t just a love letter to the golden age of JRPGs, this German-made gem might actually belong there.
All-in-all, CrossCode isn’t a title you should glance over, but rather, actually try as it’s a great title that won’t break the bank for what it has to offer. Just trust me when I say this, Deniz Akbulut definitely deserves a round of applause for the music created for the game as the soundtrack is simply unforgettable.
GREAT - CrossCode is a great action/RPG that features beautiful graphics and an amazing soundtrack. The setting and story are unique but didn’t really wow me as much as I had hoped. The combat and puzzle solving are fun, but some might find aspects of the game too challenging. That being said, there’s a ton to like here and this is a great game for the Switch!
Overall, despite a few drawbacks and the infernal botanics menu, CrossCode is a really solid title that made me habitually forget I was playing it by myself. The characters are all pretty interesting and unique, the dungeons and puzzles are challenging but not impossible, and the combat is smooth. While there is a lot of menu lag and some of the quests can get a little frustrating, ultimately the latter is something you have to deal with in any RPG, and the former can be generally ignored by staying out of certain menu features. CrossCode is definitely worth checking out, and now that it's on the Switch, you can bring it with you too. If you're any fan of .Hack// or Trials of Mana, take a look into CrossCode, you'll probably be pleasantly surprised.
With an audiovisual section bordering on the honors, Cross Code does not remain a simple pretty face and offers us an adventure of about 40 hours in the form of Action RPG of the old school. Despite the framerate problems that it has, it is a 100% recommended experience, yes, taking into account that it does not have a Spanish translation.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The music is reminiscent of all the 1990s SNES games I loved as a kid, the pixelated art style is well-done and great to look at, and the game feels exactly how I want a 2D top-down RPG to feel in 2020. It takes cues from games like A Link to the Past while updating the gameplay for modern audiences and controllers, all without losing its artistic charm and still paying tribute to beloved retro titles.