From “Etrian Odyssey” to “Shin Megami Tensei 4,” the 3DS was home to a variety of excellent JRPGs and dungeon crawlers. “Crimson Shroud” stands out as a creative take on the genre, taking heavy influence from “D&D” and dice-based tabletop games in its turn-based combat.
In 2012, Level-5 Studios allowed a handful of well known Japanese game designers to make small titles for a compilation entitled “GUILD 01.” The first of the two “GUILD” projects featured five games from different developers, including “Final Fantasy 12” and “Vagrant Story” designer Yasumi Matsuno, who made “Crimson Shroud.” While other titles from this first collection offer fun experiences, “Crimson Shroud” is by far the deepest and most substantial offering.
The writing seems to take inspiration from tabletop games, with descriptions that read like something straight out of the “Dungeon Master’s Guide.” You control a trio of adventurers progressing through a dungeon full of goblins and rare loot. With no traditional leveling system, “Crimson Shroud” instead places an emphasis on trying out different gear to give your characters distinct skills and magic abilities. You can complete it in seven hours, but the interplay of these systems and the inclusion of a New Game+ mode that expands on the story make this novel experiment a blast to replay.
- Release Date: Dec 13, 2012
- Available On: 3DS
- Genre: RPG, Dungeon Crawler
- Game modes: Single-player
- Metacritic: 76