CROSSBOW: Bloodnight
- September 24, 2020
- Hyperstrange
- 2h median play time
"Crossbow: Bloodnight" is a first-person shooter game that takes place in a sprawling, procedurally generated city. Players take on the role of a vigilante armed with a powerful crossbow, using stealth and precision to take down enemies and survive the night. With a range of upgrades and customization options, players can tailor their playstyle to their liking in this intense, fast-paced action game.
Reviews
- Fast-paced and addictive gameplay that encourages players to improve their scores.
- Good graphics and sound design that create an engaging atmosphere.
- Multiple firing modes for the crossbow add variety to combat and strategy.
- Limited content with only one arena and a small variety of enemies, leading to repetitive gameplay.
- Enemy spawn mechanics can feel unfair, with enemies appearing off-screen and causing cheap deaths.
- Lack of depth in progression and upgrades, making the game feel shallow after a few runs.
- gameplay65 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its fast-paced, frantic action and simple mechanics, reminiscent of arena shooters like *Devil Daggers*. While the controls are responsive and the graphics are visually appealing, many players find the limited scope, repetitive levels, and lack of clear mechanics detract from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, some enjoy the addictive nature of the gameplay loop and the challenge it presents, making it a decent option for fans of the genre, especially at a low price point.
“The gameplay is emulated well here, from its fast-paced attack lineup to its frantic multidirectional incoming threats, enough to keep you glued to the screen with the 'just one more' itch arena shooters are known for.”
“Its simple gameplay loop is balanced and engaging; Hyperstrange has concocted a pleasant dose of action for all to enjoy.”
“Intense gameplay, great controls, and pace.”
“Cheap and floaty feeling gameplay, plus the only two levels in the game are the exact same map.”
“You die seemingly at random and they don't explain any mechanics (I'm picking up souls... okay does that negate a hit? Is it a score thing? I have no idea).”
“The lack of opportunity to understand the mechanics of an enemy without dying to it immediately is a huge detriment for replayability, and the decision to structure the game as escalating spam spawn structures with little rhyme and reason also leads to another problematic aspect.”
- graphics42 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally well-received, featuring a beautiful gothic aesthetic and solid visual design that enhances the Lovecraftian atmosphere. While some players note minor glitches and a lack of depth in gameplay, the overall visual presentation meets or exceeds expectations for a budget title, with many praising the art style and special effects. However, a few critiques highlight that the visuals can sometimes hinder gameplay clarity, impacting the overall experience.
“With spine-chilling visuals and audio, this action game offers a blood-pumping blend of horror, skill, and relentless challenges.”
“The game's aesthetic stood out to me, the backdrop is this nice rendition of Victorian London at night time with a touch of what I presume is cel-shaded graphics.”
“Shakes up the Devil Daggers formula with just enough new ideas to feel fresh while not messing with what works, then drenches it in a gorgeous gothic aesthetic.”
“Usually when I play and then review games, the primary reason I simply can't recommend the games to other gamers is not due to the core game concept, but because the developers did a bad job creating the game, typically through substandard/low quality game assets, graphics, and so on.”
“Here the sound is nearly useless, the visuals are a lot less informative, the mobs don't move in a way that's manageable, the hurtboxes are too big, and many enemies are bullet-spongy.”
“I realize it's an art-style decision, but it's actually impacting gameplay a fair bit more than you'd think.”
- story19 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely criticized for being nonexistent or extremely shallow, with players noting a lack of development and depth. Most reviews highlight that the narrative is limited to a brief splash screen at the start, leaving players with a repetitive gameplay experience devoid of engaging storytelling or character development. Overall, the absence of a compelling story detracts significantly from the game's potential.
“🔳 epic story”
“It's a nice setup, but other than a splash screen explaining the setting and what's happening, there's not much of the story.”
“I hope they work on a story mode expansion for this game in the future.”
“The game has no story, is extremely repetitive, lacks enemy variety, and has only two maps.”
“And here are the downsides - just a shallow story that is not developed further, just one weapon and one arena with very simple design, low number of enemies, exponentially increasing difficulty, repeating the same actions again and again, absence of upgrades or power-ups, generic music and sounds.”
“It's a nice setup, but other than a splash screen explaining the setting and what's happening, there's not much of a story.”
- music15 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its gothic and Lovecraftian style as fitting and atmospheric, while others find it generic and lacking depth. While the ambient tracks contribute to a spooky atmosphere, players have noted a lack of a substantial soundtrack and effective audio cues, leading to a somewhat shallow audio experience. Overall, the music enhances the game's tone but may not satisfy those seeking a more dynamic or engaging auditory experience.
“Lovely feeling, great climate and amazing music.”
“The ambient music offers a somewhat 'creepy' or 'sinister' tone, which fits.”
“The only pros I can see are acceptable graphics and music (except for some enemy sounds).”
“Despite the soundtrack, I can't actually tell how injured I am.”
“The music and sounds are simple, and get the point across: just enough to set the tone.”
- atmosphere7 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is described as immersive and intense, particularly during frantic combat sequences, drawing comparisons to titles like Devil Daggers. While some players feel it lacks the distinctive art style of its predecessor, the overall aesthetic and variety of enemies contribute to a compelling and engaging environment. The combination of dark themes and dynamic gameplay mechanics enhances the overall experience, making it enjoyable despite differing personal tastes in atmosphere.
“Excellent atmosphere and a variety of enemies to fight with.”
“Great tiny battle arena, very atmospheric.”
“Great dark atmosphere.”
“Although it doesn't have the distinctive atmosphere and art design that 'Devil Daggers' had, it is still as fun and immersive, and the new mechanics like dashing and heavy attack make the gameplay more diverse.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game enjoyable initially, particularly due to mechanics that allow for farming resources and fast-paced movement. However, the repetitive nature of replaying the early stages becomes tedious over time, especially for those aiming to climb leaderboards, leading to a decline in overall enjoyment.
“Fun for about 10 minutes unless you enjoy grinding leaderboards for high scores.”
“After a while, replaying the start feels tedious.”
“Fun casually, but grinding the game competitively to climb the leaderboard gets boring quickly.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game offers a solid gameplay loop with high replayability, primarily driven by leaderboard competition. However, the experience can become repetitive over time, and the lack of opportunities to learn enemy mechanics without dying detracts from its overall replay value.
“A really straightforward FPS game with a good gameplay loop and a significant amount of replayability!”
“High replayability.”
“Small, but very replayable.”
“Late game replayability comes mostly from trying to climb the leaderboard as high as possible, though at some point it does become very repetitive.”
“The lack of opportunity to understand the mechanics of an enemy without dying to it immediately is a huge detriment for replayability.”
“The decision to structure the game as escalating spam spawn structures with little rhyme or reason also leads to another problematic aspect.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is praised for its impressive performance, achieving 3000 fps in menus and 200 fps during gameplay on a 5700xt, indicating a well-optimized engine and a lack of serious bugs. This reflects the developers' potential in delivering a polished experience.
“The game graphics, optimization, and absence of serious bugs show the potential of the developers.”
“The engine seems optimized well enough, offering 3000 fps in menus and 200 fps in-game on a 5700 XT.”
“The game graphics and optimization are lacking, which detracts from the overall experience.”
“The optimization issues lead to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
“Despite its potential, the game suffers from poor optimization that affects performance on various hardware.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its quirky elements, such as a funny crossbow, which adds a lighthearted touch to the gameplay. Despite being a budget title at just three dollars, some players feel it receives undue criticism, suggesting that its comedic aspects contribute positively to the overall experience.
“Cool arena shooter with a funny crossbow; I would recommend it.”
“It's funny in a game like this, which is just 3 dollars, that it gets the hate that it does.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with the game's design, highlighting that the small map and overwhelming enemy encounters create a chaotic and often unfair experience, leading to feelings of anger and disappointment.
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game features appealing graphics, but users have reported occasional glitches that affect overall stability. Despite these issues, the experience remains enjoyable.
“The game offers some nice graphics, although there are some ugly glitches here and there; it is pleasant all the same.”