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Crimson Sea
by Hector Cortez
Friday, April 4 2003
A Koei action-adventure game in the Dynasty Warriors veil? Where do I sign up?
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Title:
Crimson Sea
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Platform:
Xbox
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Publisher:
Koei |
Developer:
Koei |
#
of Players: 1 |
Genre:
Action/Adventure
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Origin:
Japan
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Expected
Release:
Spring 2003 |
Grapevine:
Visually, Crimson Sea is beautiful! If there is one thing that Japanese development companies take seriously, it's their graphics! |
Crimson sea is a game from the same company that brings you the great Dynast Warriors series. With this talent behind the game, you can expect a great game even before you pop it into your Xbox. Koei hardly ever disappoints the fans. When they make a game, they make a game!
The storyline in Crimson Sea is this: You are Sho, a young boy struggling for money. You are approached by a strange (and hot) woman who belongs to a space organization and offers you money in exchange for your help in fighting off the Moutons. Simple enough you may think, but be prepared for some serious action as hundreds if not thousands of these critters attack you and your team anywhere you go. From the first time you pick up the controller to the end, you will be in the middle of some serious, intense action that Koei seems to do so well.
The game is presented in the mission style. You will be aboard a space ship from where you will go to a screen and select which mission you would like to take on. From there you are sent to the mission and the ass-kicking begins. But it's not always about killing the Moutons, in some levels will have to escort people to safety while in others you are send on missions to recover an object that is essential to the game. But you won't go at it alone. You will have a team that is helpful in completing your missions. Trust me, you'll be glad to have your friends watching you back as you blast Moutons to hell!
As Sho, you will have many moves and weapons. You will be able to dash, strafe, jump, lock-on to enemies, and use neo-psionics. The controls are pretty simple and easy to learn. The Left Trigger is used to Strafe while the Right Trigger is used to lock-on to enemies. X is used to shoot, talk to people, or interact with an object. A is used to jump while B is used to dash and turn 180 degrees. The Left Stick is for movement and the Right Stick is the camera.
I mentioned neo-psionics above and you're probably wondering what in the hell neo-psionics is. Well, I shall explain. First off to use neo-psionics, you will use the White button. Ok, now what exactly is neo-psionics... in simple terms... it is magic. Neo-psionics can be used to attack, heal, protect, etc... depending on the situation.
Throughout the game you will notice some weird names for weapons. I'll clear them up now. Barrels are guns, Effectors make your guns stronger, and Generators control the energy of your guns. Speaking of guns, some examples of gun names are Viper (standard gun), the Vulcan (machine gun), the Legion (shotgun), the Leviathan (bazooka), and some others that I won't spoil for you.
Visually, Crimson Sea is beautiful! If there is one thing that Japanese development companies take seriously, it's their graphics! The environments are greatly modeled and highly detailed, of course you won't get much time to admire the beauty... what with hundreds of enemies rushing towards you with one thing on their minds... kill! Characters are done extremely well. Their animations are fluid and each has their own style. For example, the main character Sho has some crazy hairstyle that would make Squaresoft blush. FMVs are jaw-dropping, while cut-scenes are great as well.
Crimson Sea's sound is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. If you don't have 5.1, then you are missing out! Seriously, hold back on a few games and go for a surround sound system... you'll be glad you did. In game sounds are great! Fighting off hundreds of baddies in surround sound is an experience that will change you. While all the action sounds great, some of the voice acting is annoying... mostly your little sidekick Yangqin. He can become a bit annoying. He has one of those 'little kid' voices that just drives you crazy! Asides from that, the sound is great!
With over 40 missions, great visuals, sound, and action; Crimson Sea is definitely worth a purchase. No Xbox gamer should be without it. A deserving game that deserves all the attention and praise it receives. Koei strikes gold with Crimson Sea. Now, we can only hope for a sequel.
--- Hector Cortez
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