Crimson Dragon: my thoughts so far (no spoilers)

Got this game and its a bit of a letdown. Love the Art but the controls are just horrid and in a shooter that’ a fatal flaw .

Yeah, the controls are a big disappointment. You are welcome to submit a review to TWOTA if you like, Team Andromeda. My one is available here.

OK, I’ve not played this game yet, as I live in Japan, and the Xbox One isn’t coming out here until around September time. I’m tempted to buy a US machine though, but I’ll try and wait it out, as I’d prefer to play Crimson Dragon with, hopefully, Japanese voice acting.

With regards to micro-transactions; in certain games, I consider them to be digital versions of the old Action Replays you used to get on older consoles. Didn’t want to waste time grinding on Final Fantasy 7? By an Action Replay, Game Shark, etc, cheat to lvl 100 across the board, and storm through the game.

I don’t know if this is the same effect in Crimson Dragon, but I’m hoping that micro-transactions are an optional method of allowing gamers more freedom to enjoy the game the way they want to. If you don’t mind grinding through the same levels, then not a requirement. If you want to storm through the game, for whatever reason, the cheats are there, at a price, to do so. But, alas, as I’ve not played the game, I’ve no idea whether this is how it is in practice.

And, honestly, I’m quite pleased the game doesn’t play so much like the original Panzer Dragoons. After playing Orta, I’m not really sure where the series could’ve gone next. In hindsight, perhaps Crimson Dragon would’ve felt too much like a retread if it continued the tradition of using the arcade game’s mantra of skill, exploitation, and technique to win. They would’ve had to have made some bold design choices like that in Sin & Punishment: Star Successor to have made it feel innovative and fresh.
Of course, once I do play this game, I could easily eat my words and decide the integration of micro-transactions completely ruined the game. But I hope it doesn’t come to that. Thankfully, but the sounds of it, numerous tweaks and updates have made the game more approachable now than it was in the beginning.

I’ve a question for anyone still playing CD. I don’t suppose there’s an option to play with the original soundtrack, as opposed to the inferior orchestral one?