Crimson Snow Deluxe, a game that goes too wordy for words.
There is a lot I can say about this game in both the good and bad categories. The combat is very simplistic for the build that I played, and from my understanding the game is still getting overhauls in regards to a lot of features. Still, it is easy to see how much games like Undertale and Deltarune heavily inspired this game. My experience for writing this review is based upon getting 2 endings for the game.
Unfortunately, it is hard to weigh this due to some parts counting as both a pro and a con for this game. For instance the story itself. It is a pro in the sense that it is unique and that there are multiple paths and endings that you can get for your playthrough, making each playthrough possibly unique. It is a con that it does at times feel like a first or second draft of a story, and your saves get deleted at the end of a playthrough.
There are times where certain paths are not clear, or where it feels like you achieved an ending, but Phantom Scott did not approve of it so he deleted your save and made you start over. Or where player agency was taken away due to Phantom Scott. There are times for the sake of plot that player agency should be or can be taken away, but you have to be careful when it is done and how you frame it is also very important. Otherwise, it can feel like a betrayal to the player or even leave a bad taste in their mouth due to the experience.
Save deletion for a narratively driven game with multiple endings by the way, is rather hardcore, and can turn many players away. Not saying there are not games with similar or the same feature, just simply that if a game is very dialogue and story driven, while not being a roguelike, then it can again make players unhappy. Especially if a particular choice gets them an unexpected ending, and now they have to start over from the beginning. Sometimes, we like going back to a previous save to see if a choice would have made the difference, without going through the whole game again.
The map is a bit of a struggle at times, where this game could definitely use a fresh/new coat of paint versus the RTP being used. As in some parts it clashes with the hand drawn aesthetic of the characters. Lots of small rooms as well, but very few with anything of actual note in them. And due to the sizing of the maps and how easy it is to transition from one kingdom to another, it is hard to believe this is a full world.
There is also the issue where the suspension of disbelief, where you as the player are able to set aside small details to fully enjoy the story, becomes difficult. Purely due to a few narrative choices, and they tend to stack up. One of the big ones that sticks out is Foreline, the kingdom you start in, has all the food. Combined with the low populations of each kingdom, where they barely get over 100 all together, it makes it difficult to believe that there are even kingdoms left. Or why everyone hasn't simply moved to Foreline, as that is where the food is. In fact, it is flatly mentioned by the other kingdoms that they have to trade with Foreline to get food.
The interactions between the player and Phantom Scott, including the "pets" section, does not feel satisfying. Especially since you do not get any kind of notification that his happiness gets too low, and then he will just ♥♥♥♥ with the game. The added thought that he may just straight up disobey in combat because these got too low, is also a drawback. And from my time playing, I did not see a benefit to this entire section.
However, I cannot ignore the elephant in the room. The game is meant to be set in a Medieval-Renaissance like era of the 1530s. As mentioned, the game is dialogue heavy and unfortunately the dialogue is going to turn a lot of players away almost immediately. The reason being that it is a strange form of Shakespearian wording. Not just the use of doths, thous, and such, but even pulling many words that would be archaic even to the time of Shakespeare.
It goes without saying that the use of archaic words in modern times does not work, because not many people would know the exact translation of the word, may struggle with the word entirely, and when you make paragraphs of these words one after another, it can be taxing. No one wants to have to translate the game themselves while trying to play and enjoy the game.
For example, rampant use of the words "what", "wot", "not", and "aught" right next to each other in the same sentence. Where "wot" means "to know", "know", "have knowledge", or "have knowledge of" depending on the usage. The word "aught" meaning "anything or any part of" such as "I do not know aught of this." The word "hie" meaning "to hurry", "to hasten", or "to go quickly" once again based upon context. These among many others are thrown at you often with many other nouns and proper nouns that makes it hard to distinguish at times. I feel I only did as well as I did during my streams of the game due to my background and love for Shakespeare. Even then, as it is mentioned in a very easy to miss book/entry, there are some words that do not mean the same compared to ones that we would know if we are familiar with the language of the time period. However, your average person would likely get lost and possibly uninstall due to not understanding the plot or what was being said.
The biggest point against this game is honestly the language. It would be fine if one or two of the NPCs spoke this way, as they could just be labeled as "weird" or from a culture where that is more normal. However, it is every dialogue in the game. Even the written dialogue has the dropping of letters where it is written like it is being spoken and not like it was properly written. It acts like a gate that keeps out potential players, simply by the fact that it becomes an accessibility issue.
Mixing verbiage, languages, and even using archaic words is fine, when used properly and sparingly. Changing a simple phrase like "Sir, doth thou wot aught at all about Maxwell?" to "Sir, doth thou know aught of Maxwell?" still has a bit of the same old style of speaking but it flows much better when spoken/read, as you are no longer jumping from "wot" to "aught" where (if you are like me) you may end up saying "wahtat".
FFXIV is a good example of using such flowery, poetic language sparingly in the character Urianger. Who speaks in this kind of prose and form, but he is (if memory serves) literally the only person who does this. And it is even pointed out as to being just an odd thing that Urianger does. By using such a character sparingly but also in a manner in which that his phrasing and verbiage doesn't distract or slow down the scenes due to it being simplistic enough to easily understand, Urianger becomes a rather well liked and unique character. I feel that Crimson Snow Deluxe would benefit greatly if it were to take this kind of approach. That way it is more easily understood for a wider range of audience.
All in all, I score this game a 3 out of 5: "Attempt once more, when thou hast honed thy skills with parchment and quill."
Note: Still recommending the game due to the ongoing revamps.
