I’m an animal person, so when Flynn: Son of Crimson had me taking care of my big, fluffy companion right off the bat, I was in. What’s even better about the game, is that it expands its interesting world and wide range of characters in each of the dozens of levels you’ll slash and dash your way through.
Flynn: Son Of Crimson Offers A Mysterious Past
You’ve heard that one before, but that’s ok because the past you unravel in Flynn: Son of Crimson is still unique and interesting enough to keep you invested. Early on, there is an encounter with one of the main baddies in the world and it’s now Flynn’s job to put a stop to what’s coming next.
The protagonist isn’t just some kid with a sword, he has powers and abilities to unlock that will help save the day. All of these look interesting and controlled well, I just wish I had a little more of them from the beginning. While I appreciated the well-crafted story the game brings with it, I did find it took a little too much time to get into the real action for a game that already isn’t terribly long, lasting roughly 8 hours.
Slashing Red
Flynn: Son of Crimson’s core gameplay is a screen-to-screen 2-D platformer with swift and quick slashing and combo gameplay. It works really well for the various environments and biomes you’ll travel through, each of them divided by an overworld map.
Every stage has a number of colourful and interesting enemies that range from a well-equipped knight to a giant plant that spits projectiles toward you. Early on they have simple health bars, but quickly many of them take a more nuanced approach as a stagger bar can be filled to open up an opportunity for more attacks.
Each of these attacks is wielded from raw crimson magic whether it be a sword, an axe, or projectiles Flynn can use to defeat enemies or help solve some puzzles. The weapons all have their own advantages and disadvantages, and I found switching my playstyle every hour or so to be refreshing and rewarding. Abilities are also obtained from fun boss fights, including an overdrive type mode called Crimson Control where Flynn’s attacks are extra fierce and impactful.
Along the way the collectables and currency that enemies drop allow you to upgrade skills that make Flynn an overpowered crimson master. Nearly all of these options provide more combat depth and are a ton of fun to use.
Flynn: Son of Crimson is not the most challenging game out there, but the combat is fast-paced and just challenging enough to feel rewarding. The platforming can be hit or miss and some of the puzzles require more precise timing than the jumping controls allow. Some respawn points could also be annoyingly far away from a difficult encounter or platforming section. This doesn’t always happen, but when it did I sighed pretty heavily.
Flashing Red Pixels
The 2-D pixelated graphics are very well done, with colourful attacks, characters, and environments, I found myself impressed from the beginning. The game also runs smoothly and has no trouble making hectic action sequences easy to follow and understand even in the most complex areas.
Flynn: Son of Crimson is yet another indie title with a heck of a soundtrack as well. It’s one I found myself bopping to every time a new track came on when I entered a new set of levels.
Verdict
Flynn: Son of Crimson is a great quick action-platformer that doesn’t hold your hand but also asks for some commitment to its fun combat. I’d recommend checking this out if you want something a little familiar but also unique in its storytelling and combat depth. It’s not too difficult, and that’s ok. Sometimes a little action adventure for under 10 hours is what we all need once and a while.
[A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review purposes.]
Reviewed on: Xbox Series X|S
