Crimson Dragon – First Look

Crimson Dragon has been through what some would refer to as a rocky development cycle, but we prefer to say that the game has simply evolved over time. It began as an on-rails shooter for the Xbox 360 that was controlled exclusively via the Kinect. It was unveiled at the 2011 Tokyo Game Show, with a Japanese release date of June 2012. The game was later delayed, then appeared at E3 2013 as an Xbox One exclusive.

With the shift to Xbox One, the gameplay has also been through a few changes. The Xbox One allows for games to use both the Kinect sensor, and a regular controller simultaneously. This allowed Crimson Dragon to add controller functionality and even move some areas of the game to free-roaming instead of restricted on-rails action. Some techniques in the game are better performed with the controller, while others work better with Kinect functionality. In the end, it will probably be personal preference, but doing barrel rolls by leaning one direction or the other doesn’t sound too bad.

In addition to multiple control options, you can aim and shoot with multiple reticules. By default, moving the cursor over a group of enemies with a specific button held down will target that group of baddies and allow you to take them down with a powerful barrage. Alternatively, you can use a more free-form targeting system, but your attacks will be less powerful. Ideally, you’ll switch between the two targeting methods based on the situation at hand.

Many see Crimson Dragon as the spiritual successor to the Panzer Dragoon series. Yukio Futatsugi was the director of the first three Panzer Dragoon titles, and he’s also heading up Crimson Dragon. When you play the game, it’s easy to see that it feels like a Panzer Dragoon next-generation title. There’s even been talk of a Crimson Dragon RPG if the title sells well.

Speaking of sales, Crimson Dragon will be priced at a very generous $19.99 when the Xbox One launches on November 22. One reason for this is the jump from Xbox Live Arcade (Xbox 360) to Xbox One, which some have claimed caused a hit to the graphics of the title. We’ll let you be the judge on that topic, but as a $20 title, the content seems to fit the price.

At launch, Crimson Dragon will offer five missions and six dragons. If you download the digital title before the end of the year, you’ll receive an exclusive dragon to thank you for the purchase. In addition, future content is planned, but no details on price or features are available at this time. We expect more stages and dragons at the very least.

It’s hard to pass on Crimson Dragon given the price and the fact that it’s a day one digital download. It almost feels as though Microsoft is taking a Killer Instinct-like approach to the game. Release it with enough content to justify the price, then allow gamers to add to the game with new DLC as they see fit. Either way, Crimson Dragon is shaping up to be one of the more sought after launch titles for the Xbox One.