Critadel
- October 12, 2021
- Pixelian Studio
Get on Steam
Get on Epic Games Store"Critadel" is a single-player Science Fiction Platformer game with good mechanics. As one of three playable characters, players must navigate through the levels of the giant mechanical tower, Babel, fighting off enemies and upgrading abilities to reach the top for ancient knowledge. With 360-degree aiming, continuously reconfigured paths, and a variety of weapon and item options, each playthrough is unique. The game features retro-inspired graphics and a pulse-pounding techno soundtrack.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- The game features responsive controls and fantastic spritework, making for a visually appealing experience.
- It offers a high level of player choice with a variety of weapons and synergies, enhancing the gameplay depth.
- The core gameplay is fun and polished, with a good balance of challenge and skill, making each run feel unique.
- The control scheme can be awkward, especially with gamepad support, leading to inconsistent menu navigation and aiming issues.
- There are significant balance problems with weapon effectiveness and difficulty spikes, particularly with certain bosses.
- Visibility issues arise during gameplay, making it hard to distinguish between enemy projectiles and background elements.
- gameplay44 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a blend of action and player choice, offering a mix of emergent gameplay and strategic decision-making. While it is generally polished and fun, some players noted issues with weapon balance and durability mechanics, as well as a lack of diversity in items. Overall, the gameplay is fast, responsive, and engaging, particularly praised for its challenging bosses and RPG elements, though some aspects could benefit from quality-of-life improvements.
“It's action-based gameplay combined with a lot of player choice, making it the perfect mix of emergent gameplay and strategic choices of the player.”
“The core gameplay is very fun and works flawlessly.”
“Gameplay is fast and responsive.”
“The weapon balance issue is complicated by the presence of an annoying weapon durability mechanic.”
“This is frustrating because there are many mechanics (character upgrades, elements, relics, familiars, etc.) that you'll miss and you can't reach your potential.”
“While you can eventually skip floors, it's never worth it since you lose so many resources and possible drops/artifacts, etc. I'm always running full runs only; the floor teleport mechanics feel bad.”
- graphics28 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a cute anime art style that blends retro influences with modern design, though some players find it lacks originality. While the visuals are generally well-executed with clear animations, the foreground artwork can obscure gameplay elements, making it difficult to discern threats from background effects. Overall, the audio-visual experience is praised for its distinct weapon sounds and varied graphics, despite some inconsistencies in weapon design.
“The visuals are slick and very well-made.”
“Animations are clear as to what's happening, and the art style is very consistent.”
“I really love the art style, and there is a decent variety of guns to mess around with.”
“It's done in a vaguely chiptune-y 'fakebit' style that suits the visuals well enough but has been done to death by other games of this type and just doesn't stick out at all.”
“The weapon graphics range from 'cartoony sci-fi gun' to 'what am I even looking at', with more trending toward the latter.”
“It's hard to explain, but all of the artwork is in the foreground, making it hard to see what would actually hit you and what is just 'exploding scenery'.”
- music20 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players find the soundtrack enjoyable and fitting, others describe it as forgettable or not particularly memorable. A few highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, enhancing the overall experience, while others prefer to disable it for better immersion. Overall, the music is generally considered solid but lacks the impact to leave a lasting impression.
“Audio feedback is solid and has a nice soundtrack which never gets old (at least for me).”
“A generally well-executed roguelite shooter that has very fun gameplay, art style, and an incredible soundtrack.”
“Fun little side scroller, love the graphics and the music is upbeat and keeps you going.”
“The music is very forgettable.”
“I often disable music to enhance the feeling of immersion, but the musical offerings are quite good.”
“The music is very forgettable.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat present but manageable, with many noting that the enjoyable gameplay makes the grind tolerable. While some express a general dislike for grinding in roguelikes, they appreciate that it feels less burdensome compared to other titles in the genre.
“I dislike grinding in roguelikes, but the game is fun enough here that it's tolerable.”
“There is some grinding to rank up characters, but I didn't feel it was too bad, especially compared to other roguelites.”
“This is kind of grindy to unlock everything, but I don't hate it too much.”
- story6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal and lacks depth, with players noting that the silly weapons do not align with the overall tone. After completing the main narrative, there are additional modes like boss rush and hard mode, but these offer little in terms of story development.
“Many of the weapons in the game are very silly and don't seem to suit the tone of the game's story at all.”
“Little to no story aside from that.”
“After finishing the main story, you unlock boss rush and hard mode.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development is positively highlighted, with users appreciating the engaging and visually appealing character designs that enhance the overall experience.
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability with plenty of discoveries to be made, though some players note minor balance issues with certain items that may affect the overall experience.
“I love this game; it has a lot of replay value and things to discover.”
