Ahhh, CRUX. This is one of my long-awaited games that I've been following the development of for quite some time. It's developer is a good friend of mine, and as such have had the chance to playtest the game through various phases of it's development. With all this being said though, I intend for this review to be as objective as possible.
[h2]The Review[/h2]
[b]Gameplay[/b]
CRUX features 13 arenas over 5 worlds, each getting progressively harder & more chaotic, and as such, more fun. Per any given run, you only get to play 6 arenas in their respective chronological order, meaning almost every run will be different. All the arenas feature unique enemies and boss fights, each with their own movement and ability sets.
There are 3 weapons from which you can choose to cause mayhem with. The Shotgun, Plasma Rifle, and Missile Launcher. The game sometimes refers to these as the "Unholy Trinity of Weaponry", which is spot on. All of these weapons include their primary fire, and also an alternative fire. For example, the Shotgun includes a grappling hook which you can use to better traverse the arenas.
But none of the above would matter if it weren't for the most important feature of the game: The Perks.
CRUX has a selection of over 100 perks which you can use to customize your playstyle. Every time you enter an arena, you are given the choice between 3 random perks of varying tiers. You can also unlock specific perks you want by killing bosses and using their titan hearts as currency. You can have up to 4 custom perks to start the run with. This is definitely one of the most fun aspects of the game. Experimenting with different perks and builds, and finding out how they reflect in the arenas.
Overall, the gameplay rivals many games of this genre, and will undoubtedly continue to get better as time goes on!
[b]Graphics[/b]
CRUX's graphics are not the best in any way shape or form and I myself have critiqued them in many occasions. But that's okay. In my honest opinion, the game's focus is not on the graphics but rather on the gameplay, and as established above, the gameplay is absolutely brilliant. This is an especially important fact seeing as this is an indie game developed by one person. Do not let graphics stop you from trying this game!
[b]Sound & Music[/b]
The sound effects in CRUX are pretty good, but the music on the other hand... Is an absolute banger. The music fits really well with the tempo of the gameplay, with each arena having it's own track. I can't tell you how many times I've caught myself humming this game soundtrack, or trying to play parts of it on my guitar.
[h2]Conclusion[/h2]
Although the game is lacking in some areas, I think that the gameplay more than makes up for everything. I totally recommend this game to anyone who plays similar games, and I definitely can't wait for the new updates that will be added in the upcoming months following it's release!
