Krzyżacy: The Knights of the Cross
- July 19, 2023
- Olive Panda Studio
- 1501h median play time
Get on Steam"Krzyżacy: The Knights of the Cross" is a story-driven deckbuilding RPG game, with unique pixel art illustrations and meticulously crafted combat mechanics. The game offers a unique and immersive experience, adapted from historical events in medieval Europe. Join the Knights of the Cross and build your own deck to defeat your enemies.
Reviews
- The game features a unique card-based combat system that allows for interesting team dynamics, where the type of cards played affects the actions of party members.
- The art style is praised for its quality, with many players enjoying the character designs and overall aesthetic.
- Despite some flaws, many players find the game fun and engaging, especially for those familiar with the source material or looking for a light-hearted experience.
- The English localization is poorly executed, leading to confusion and making it difficult to follow the story.
- Gameplay can become repetitive and lacks depth, with limited card variety and simplistic mechanics that may not satisfy seasoned card game fans.
- The game suffers from various bugs and quality of life issues, such as clunky menus and a lack of meaningful choices in the narrative.
- story79 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 81 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it unengaging and poorly translated, which detracts from immersion. While some appreciate the character development and the attempt to follow the source material, others criticize the shallow interactions and repetitive missions, leading to a lack of investment in the narrative. Overall, the storytelling is seen as mediocre, with some players opting to skip dialogue due to boredom.
“The game itself is fun, sprites are cute and the story is interesting.”
“Adapted from Henryk Sienkiewicz's classic novel, 'Krzyżacy,' the story unfolds against the backdrop of the Teutonic Order's presence in medieval Poland.”
“Surprisingly enough, the storyline does follow the book pretty faithfully, although you can change the fate of some key characters at one point, which I totally did.”
“The story of Kryzacy fails on all levels: it's completely uninteresting in general, the way the characters interact with each other is super casual and unimmersive. Their behavior is extremely shallow and does not create any sense of personality.”
“I skipped almost all the story dialogues in my second run to quickly finish my run and stop playing this game, since it's too boring.”
“The story is barely acceptable; there seem to be some turning points during the story, but it still leads to the same ending.”
- gameplay46 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a turn-based card battle system that allows players to assemble a party of four characters, each with unique abilities. While some players find the mechanics intriguing and enjoyable, others criticize the lack of depth, repetitive combat, and unclear mechanics, leading to a mixed reception. Overall, the game offers a blend of strategic elements and deck-building, but many feel it lacks the complexity and variety expected from card battle games.
“A nice deckbuilding game with original gameplay.”
“Gameplay-wise it's a fun game where you use cards to battle.”
“Gameplay in 'krzyżacy' centers around strategic elements, allowing players to engage in both large-scale battles and diplomatic maneuvers.”
“But the gameplay for the free mode is so different from the story mode that I don't know how to get resources, how to find fights, how to solve quests.”
“Lots of massive turn offs from the gameplay feeling clunky to the UI being cumbersome to go through (and at times not working at all), just an overall pass from me.”
“Cons: atrocious translation, unclear mechanics and interactions, ultimately boring deck building, extremely unclear situations and bosses that are a steamroll or a brick wall depending on unclear choices made throughout the game.”
- graphics20 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The game's graphics feature a dual art style option, allowing players to choose between anime and a more traditional western aesthetic, which has received mixed reactions. While some praise the character design and overall beauty of the graphics, others find the anime style less appealing and criticize the exaggerated features. Overall, the commitment to historical realism and the quality of pixel graphics are noted, though they may not meet the expectations of players seeking modern blockbuster visuals.
“There is only one good thing about this game and that's the amazing character design and overall art style.”
“The art and the graphics are really beautiful.”
“While the graphics may not match the standards of blockbuster titles, the game's commitment to historical realism compensates for any technical limitations.”
“Players seeking fast-paced action or modern graphics may find the game's deliberate pace and visual style less engaging.”
“I expected a boob-baiting animango shoveware and while the art style is still a cringe-inducing boob-a-palooza, the game is mechanically pretty decent.”
- music10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The music in "krzyżacy" is generally well-received, with a folksy and medieval-inspired soundtrack that enhances the game's immersive experience. While many players appreciate the sound design and its contribution to the atmosphere, some note a lack of variety and occasional repetitiveness, with a few finding it less engaging during certain moments. Overall, the music complements the gameplay, particularly during key battles, but opinions on its effectiveness vary.
“It's a good game, and I love the pixel work, and I absolutely love the folksy musical score.”
“The music and sound design in 'Krzyżacy' contribute to the immersive experience.”
“The soundtrack, inspired by medieval themes, enhances the sense of time and place, while the sound effects add realism to the battlefield and castle environments.”
“Music during important and boss fights is generally pretty good.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as extremely funny and delightfully absurd, blending elements of Polish history with quirky fanservice and anime aesthetics. Players find the combination of a classic 19th-century narrative and whimsical characters to be hilariously random and endearing, with the amateurish English translation enhancing the comedic experience. Overall, enjoyment of the humor may depend on personal taste, particularly regarding the historical references.
“Really funny game with tasteful fanservice.”
“Like many others, I bought this game because I'm Polish and the combo of 'classic 19th-century historical novel' and 'barely-dressed anime girls with magic powers' was just too hilariously random to ignore.”
“The result is extremely weird, very funny, and also kind of adorable, and the somewhat amateurish English translation only adds to the experience.”
- character development5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is noted for its commendable effort, particularly through the personal journey of the knight that intertwines with historical events. While the story may lack depth, the attention to detail in character design and the option to customize appearances enhance the overall experience. Players are encouraged to appreciate the character development alongside the game's impressive art style.
“The attention to detail in character design, armor, and weaponry adds authenticity to the setting.”
“There is only one single good thing about this game and that's the amazing character design and overall art style.”
“Story-wise, it's a little meh; you kind of have to disconnect your brain to just enjoy the story at face value, but there's a definite effort to get some character development.”
“The character development in 'Krzyżacy' is commendable, as players take on the role of a knight with a personal journey that intertwines with historical events.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, especially in the first half, as acquiring multiple copies of cards for upgrades can be challenging. However, once they become accustomed to the mechanics, many report that the experience becomes more enjoyable and smoother. Overall, while grinding is necessary, it can feel excessive at times.
“There is a card upgrade system, but it requires three copies of the same card for a minor upgrade, which can be difficult and grindy to achieve.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it offers diverse play styles and excitement with new experiences, others feel it ultimately lacks the depth needed for sustained replay value.
“8.5/10 play styles - in a niche market and replayable.”
“Adds not only replayability, but excitement when you see something you haven't seen before.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including numerous bugs and translation errors, which can be frustrating for players. Despite these problems, many users still find the overall experience enjoyable, particularly in its blend of RPG and card elements.
“Buggy as hell, not translated in some places, nerve-wracking at a few points, but in general, the game is quite great at combining RPG and card elements, which is very nice. If you can ignore some bugs, I'd recommend the game for sure.”
“A buggy mess, with some grammatical errors.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "krzyżacy" is praised for its effective portrayal of medieval landscapes and fortresses, creating an immersive visual experience that enhances the overall gameplay.
“Visually, 'Krzyżacy' succeeds in capturing the atmosphere of medieval landscapes and fortresses.”
