One of the best.

As a fan of shooting games, coming fresh off of many Cave staples, I've come to enjoy Crimzon Clover more than any other. Not only is it my favorite, it has become the new baseline for which I like to judge all others.

Gameplay:
Like most vertical STGs, Crimzon Clover follows many of the same rules set down by the genre. You have 3 ships (later 4) with varying balances of speed and weapon spreads, the standard shot/laser with slower movement, a small hitbox, and bullet clearing bombs. Two things which set CC apart are its enemy locks and break mode.

By holding down the lock button, your ship will attempt to lock on to as many nearby targets as possible. Releasing said button will launch out missiles towards those targets. This design really harkens back to Star Fox; if you're familiar with it, same principle. Unlike Star Fox, though, your score multiplier is based on the continual success of these lock ons. The more enemies you lock onto and hit, in one salvo, gives you a proportionate score multiplier for a few seconds. So, for high score, you’re looking to lock on to a group of enemies, get a high multiplier, use it to gain a lot of points on the next batch, and repeat.

Break mode is the main gimmick of Crimzon. After successfully filling a meter, you have the ability to transform into break mode. The transformation itself lends a second of invulnerability, good for saving bombs and lives. Once transformed, you’re granted several benefits. Firstly, and most noticeably, your firepower increases significantly. It’s likely you’ll be clearing the entire screen throughout the duration. Second, you’re given a higher lock multiplier limit. This means everything you’re blowing up with all those flashy lasers is possibly dumping thousands and millions of points down. If you manage to fill both meters, 200%, you can break again for another moment of invulnerability, and double these benefits. Because this mode is so valuable, most score routes are very defined by when you break.

All other mechanics are simply best in class. The movement feels like any arcade STG. The bosses are challenging yet patternful. The stages do have a nice incline of difficulty and there are certainly a slew of true last bosses to unlock by 1CCing.

Graphics/Sound:
I feel like if the first 5 seconds of stage 1 don’t sell you, nothing will. The bombastic opening fanfare, the emerging of the carrier, launching of your fancy hitbox, and a moment of calm where you’re likely already spamming a screen full of bullets all compose it. That whole slice of cake is a perfect feel for the rest of the game. It’s fast, it’s bright, it’s arcadey, and the music is constantly up-tempo and pumping. This isn’t to say the game’s soundtrack is a cranked burner with nothing in the pot. Stages 4 and 5 especially have these moments where the soundtrack just wanders through amazing moments which fit the onscreen action. I’ve actually come to time many of my routes and timings on the musical cues. The music is there to support the manic action happening on the screen.

Replayability:
I know STG games and bullethell shmups are a tough genre to sell people on. Crimzon Clover offers a nice set of different modes, unlocks, achievements, and most importantly a novice mode. I cannot stress how well done the novice mode is. Do not over pride yourself by going straight into the normal modes without being a veteran of the genre. This game will live up to its root and kill you outright on normal and beyond. That isn’t to say you can’t fully enjoy it on novice. This is equally true for players familiar with the genre. Novice mode will still kill you, and not an easy 1CC.

If you just want to spam continues and bombs and get to the credits, then this won’t be a fun game. These games were not meant to be quarter fed for a win, anybody can do that. The point is to repeat them again and again until you’re able to beat it without using a single continue and/or achieving a higher score than your friends (or the world). All of Crimzon’s replayability is crutched by this design aspect. It is very much an enjoyable game to repeat again and again. It’s fun trying out different ships, different tactics, different routes and scoring strategies, learning boss patterns, etc. I encourage anybody new to the genre, playing this, to go ahead and play through the game a couple times over. Count how many times you continued each run and see how it shrinks, see your high score get higher. Trust me, it’s as addictive as modern rogue-likes, and a reason why the genre is still popular amongst gamers.

= = = = = = =

Don’t shy away from the stigma of the genre. It’s a really fun game and well worth the price. You’d be hard-pressed finding a better shooting game, especially on Steam.

[b]One of the best.[/b] As a fan of shooting games, coming fresh off of many Cave staples, I've come to enjoy Crimzon Clover more than any other. Not only is it my favorite, it has become the new baseline for which I like to judge all others. [b]Gameplay:[/b] Like most vertical STGs, Crimzon Clover follows many of the same rules set down by the genre. You have 3 ships (later 4) with varying balances of speed and weapon spreads, the standard shot/laser with slower movement, a small hitbox, and bullet clearing bombs. Two things which set CC apart are its enemy locks and break mode. By holding down the lock button, your ship will attempt to lock on to as many nearby targets as possible. Releasing said button will launch out missiles towards those targets. This design really harkens back to Star Fox; if you're familiar with it, same principle. Unlike Star Fox, though, your score multiplier is based on the continual success of these lock ons. The more enemies you lock onto and hit, in one salvo, gives you a proportionate score multiplier for a few seconds. So, for high score, you’re looking to lock on to a group of enemies, get a high multiplier, use it to gain a lot of points on the next batch, and repeat. Break mode is the main gimmick of Crimzon. After successfully filling a meter, you have the ability to transform into break mode. The transformation itself lends a second of invulnerability, good for saving bombs and lives. Once transformed, you’re granted several benefits. Firstly, and most noticeably, your firepower increases significantly. It’s likely you’ll be clearing the entire screen throughout the duration. Second, you’re given a higher lock multiplier limit. This means everything you’re blowing up with all those flashy lasers is possibly dumping thousands and millions of points down. If you manage to fill both meters, 200%, you can break again for another moment of invulnerability, and double these benefits. Because this mode is so valuable, most score routes are very defined by when you break. All other mechanics are simply best in class. The movement feels like any arcade STG. The bosses are challenging yet patternful. The stages do have a nice incline of difficulty and there are certainly a slew of true last bosses to unlock by 1CCing. [b]Graphics/Sound:[/b] I feel like if the first 5 seconds of stage 1 don’t sell you, nothing will. The bombastic opening fanfare, the emerging of the carrier, launching of your fancy hitbox, and a moment of calm where you’re likely already spamming a screen full of bullets all compose it. That whole slice of cake is a perfect feel for the rest of the game. It’s fast, it’s bright, it’s arcadey, and the music is constantly up-tempo and pumping. This isn’t to say the game’s soundtrack is a cranked burner with nothing in the pot. Stages 4 and 5 especially have these moments where the soundtrack just wanders through amazing moments which fit the onscreen action. I’ve actually come to time many of my routes and timings on the musical cues. The music is there to support the manic action happening on the screen. [b]Replayability:[/b] I know STG games and bullethell shmups are a tough genre to sell people on. Crimzon Clover offers a nice set of different modes, unlocks, achievements, and most importantly a novice mode. I cannot stress how well done the novice mode is. Do not over pride yourself by going straight into the normal modes without being a veteran of the genre. This game will live up to its root and kill you outright on normal and beyond. That isn’t to say you can’t fully enjoy it on novice. This is equally true for players familiar with the genre. Novice mode will still kill you, and not an easy 1CC. If you just want to spam continues and bombs and get to the credits, then this won’t be a fun game. These games were not meant to be quarter fed for a win, anybody can do that. The point is to repeat them again and again until you’re able to beat it without using a single continue and/or achieving a higher score than your friends (or the world). All of Crimzon’s replayability is crutched by this design aspect. It is very much an enjoyable game to repeat again and again. It’s fun trying out different ships, different tactics, different routes and scoring strategies, learning boss patterns, etc. I encourage anybody new to the genre, playing this, to go ahead and play through the game a couple times over. Count how many times you continued each run and see how it shrinks, see your high score get higher. Trust me, it’s as addictive as modern rogue-likes, and a reason why the genre is still popular amongst gamers. = = = = = = = Don’t shy away from the stigma of the genre. It’s a really fun game and well worth the price. You’d be hard-pressed finding a better shooting game, especially on Steam.