Featuring everything from mechs to Metroidvania in giant alien derelicts, Cryptark is easily one of our most anticipated indie games.
Even though I didn’t really know much about Cryptark going into the demo (who can keep up?!), I was immediately taken by the game’s stunning visuals -- a beautiful 2D side-scrolling art style full of mechs, robotic enemies, and skeletal monstrosities undoubtedly inspired by the work of H.R. Giger. In fact, if I had to describe Cryptark’s aesthetic, I’d have to call it a fuse between Super Metroid and what a good platformer made out of the Alien franchise might look like.
Good might be too small a word for Cryptark, though, as it might be the best game I played at PAX East 2016, in no small part due to its grotesque sci-fi environments and familiar genre tropes, but also because of its explosive gameplay.
In Cryptark, you play as a privateer out to make a big payday by raiding giant alien space-hulks and scavenging them for loot. This is easier said than done, of course, as these derelicts are filled with cybernetic enemies, trigger-happy security lasers, alarm systems, and locked doors. You have to fight your way through each procedurally-generated ship to find keys in order to unlock doors, disable security systems, and reach the ship’s core -- which actually looks like a Mother Brain, a nice homage to the Metroid series.
There’s even more to it than just blasting your way through these maze-like ships (you WILL need to inspect your map often, as each level offers tons of twists and turns). Before you begin the campaign, which is made up of six ship raids, plus a final stage, you will need to pick the type of mech suit, weapons, and items you want to take with you. Several mech suits are available at the start of the game, from a heavily-armored combat version to a more stealthy alternative. The catch is that you’re stuck with the suit you get for the entirety of the randomly generated campaign, so you’ll have to adapt to each situation based on the approach you’ve chosen. On top of the roguelike structure, the difference between the suits promise a ton of replayability.
Once you’re ready to launch into your first mission, you’ll be taken to a map menu where you’ll draw up your plan of attack. Your ship’s intel provides enemy emplacements, security systems, key locations, and the core for each derelict. With this intel, you’ll have to strategize where to set a waypoint in the ship, an insertion zone that will decide whether you approach the enemy aggressively or in a more careful manner. Basically, the planning stage is just as vital (and fun) as the shooting aspect.
I chose a relatively quiet section of the ship to sneak into, even though I had the more heavily-armored variation of the mech suit. A lot of the early part of the stage was about exploration, finding enough keys to unlock the doors to your objective. The quiet didn’t last too long, though.
Combat is hectic. My weapons included machine gun turrets, a grenade launcher (which I enjoyed using quite a bit), and thrusters that allowed my to smash through enemy laser emplacements. I also had an awesome shield that helped me sneak past motion sensors. In order to succeed in firefights, you have to constantly be on the move, as enemies swarm to your position. Most rooms and corridors aren’t very big, so you can run out of space really quickly. It’s best to have your enemies chase you to adjacent rooms or across the ship so that you can funnel them and take them down one by one. Of course, this will require knowledge of the ship’s map, which is why it’s so important to pay attention in that planning phase.
My first mission went relatively smoothly, and I managed to make it to the ship’s core without too many scratches, but AlienTrap Games art director Jesse McGibney assured me that things get infinitely more complex, epic, and puzzle-like in subsequent stages. Later missions provide true labyrinthine challenges.
In the end, after all of the planning and action and the ship’s core has been destroyed, it all comes down to how much money you made on your latest raid. Cryptark handles the business of being a space privateer quite simply. On top of what enemies might be waiting for you inside a particular derelict, you also have to consider how much specific weapons and items will cost you to equip before a mission and whether you’ll make a profit once you’ve completed your objective. Depending on how much of a challenge the derelict poses, that’s how much money you’ll make. Of course, that also means that beginners will want to come better armed, which will decrease the profit quite a bit. Veterans (or self-described badasses) do have the option to take on a high difficulty level with lesser gear if they really want to make a buck, but they run the risk of dying a whole lot. It’s your choice. The goal is to not run out of money because then it’s game over.
Cryptark proves to be a complex, fun shooter with a lot of replayability and more than one homage to classic space adventures, not to mention a beautifully sleek art style. The best part is that you can get Cryptark right now on Steam Early Access. The game is slated for an official release on PC and PS4 later this year.
