When I first started to play Croixleur Sigma, I didn’t really know what to expect. What I found, however, was a very competent, if slightly stripped down, action RPG that will definitely satisfy your quench for a Monster Hunter game with a bit of a kawaii side to it.
As far as story goes, there really isn’t much of it. Some girls fight, etc. The voice acting, however, is absolutely fantastic. It really puts me in mind of the Neptunia series, and if you know me, you know that’s high praise. I don’t really miss a deep story, though, and that’s mostly because of the gameplay.
We’re constantly on the lookout for a “console experience” on Vita, but we forget that the Vita is a handheld. And I absolutely adore pick-up-and-go games, from Tetris to Squares and beyond. Croixleur Sigma brings this portable mentality to action RPGs, in much the same way that the Monster Hunter franchise has done before it. However, it does so with cute girls, which to me, is a plus.
I am still confused by the developers’ choice of control scheme, though, as they have done away with the traditional “X is attack” dogma that PlayStation gamers have grown used to for the past two decades. Instead, you attack with the circle. Of course, there are other attacks, and it may seem like a minor annoyance, but I constantly found myself doing anything and everything except attack, and as this isn’t an overly easy game, this meant a lot of death. Couple this with a camera that is sometimes wonky, and well… it can be a bit frustrating.
Onto the topic of difficulty: CS is bound to throw a challenge your way, as it’s the norm for PLAYISM games, and I’m glad about that. It never feels unfair (aside from the minor control issue) or cheap. It feels challenging and rewarding in a very balanced, zen way.
The music is nothing to write home about but the voice acting, as I said before, is fantastic. The graphics are surprisingly pretty for a budget action RPG, showing to the $39.99 titles that you CAN make a game pretty without going full-on retail on our wallets.
Another positive with the game is that it doesn’t lack diversity in the game modes department. Alright, some may feel more similar to each other than others, but all in all, there’s plenty of bang for your buck here in terms of replayability and the mighty hours-of-gameplay-per-dollar benchmark.
All in all, I find very little to be wrong with the game. A bit of a wonky camera and an odd control scheme are not enough to put me off it, and nor is the seemingly thin storyline. Beneath this budget veneer lies a heart of ARPG gold that is bound to entertain you if this is the kind of game you enjoy.
- Title: Croixleur Sigma
- Publisher: PLAYISM
- Developer: Souvenir Circ
- Format: PSN Download
- Memory Card Space Needed:2.0Gb
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