Even though Crimzon Clover World EXplosion was originally released in 2011, this is an action packed shooter that is insanely fun to play today. To make this short and simple, this is a must-own for any shooter fan and makes a quality addition to any Switch library.
Watching the trailer for this top-down vertical shooter doesn’t fully do the game justice. It isn’t until you play it for yourself can you realize the pure mayhem that is this game. At any given time, especially in the last two stages, the screen is literally filled with bullets, enemies, and explosions. It is so crazy you cannot help but smile and laugh at the insanity, all without skipping a beat. No matter how hectic the screen gets, it never drops in frame rate and remains buttery smooth throughout. It is an amazing sight to behold specifically when the controller is in your hands.
Like any shooter, there is a gimmick behind the gameplay. Thankfully, Crimzon Clover has one that is easy to understand, intuitive, and actually enhances the gameplay experience. Holding the A button unleashes the typical machine gun fire that always feels satisfying simply from how quickly the bullets respond to your touch. The B button is dedicated to the lock-on mechanic. Holding this button will unleash a circle radar around your ship and anything that comes within radius will be locked-on and destroyed when the button is released. I found that holding A with your thumb then rolling to the B button at the same time is the way to go as it double dips the much needed fire power. The Y button, however, is the super move button. Once the meter fills from defeating enemies, pressing Y can instantly kill everyone on the screen, including incoming projectiles, and temporarily enhances the fire power of the ship. It also increases the score so leaderboard chasers will want to take note to maximize the bonus. Honestly, this super power acts more like a life saver as it saved me from incoming death by neutralizing the bullets many times. It also makes you feel like a powerful badass when you nuke everything on screen with one attack.
There are also multiple playable ships, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, along with a few different difficulty settings. The best part about having these options are the dedicated online leaderboards. There is a scoreboard for each ship and each difficulty so you can accurately compete using the options of choice. Scores, by the way, swell into the hundred billion range too. With scores this high, it easily separates the pros from the amateurs and makes you want to play better. Getting better is also made easy thank to the Replay mode, a thoughtful addition.
My biggest complaint about this enhanced console release is the lack of a save feature. Completing all five stages takes about 30 minutes in a typical play through. Unfortunately, there is no option to save and come back later if you are hurting for time. You can always leave the Switch in stand-by mode but this isn’t the same because you will not be able to quit to another game in the meantime. Not having a mid-game save function seems like an incredibly unfortunately oversight considering it takes a while to complete one attempt.
Even without a save function, there is no denying the absurd fun factor that is Crimzon Clover World EXplosion. It is fast. It is over the top. It is freakishly smooth. It is highly entertaining. As ridiculous as this game is, it is still manageable though. That is the key. There are going to be a bagillion things on screen at one time but the player will still feel in control thanks to responsive controls, an intelligent visual style that easily distinguishes friend from foe, and the creative yet simple screen clearing super move. This is a title shooter fans need to have downloaded to their Switch at all times (although First Press is releasing a physical version in limited quantities).
Have Not Had This Much Fun Since: Ikaruga on Gamecube
Don’t Forget About: the Cotton Reboot
Much More Exciting Than: Genesis on Gameboy
By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
Twitter: @ZackGaz
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