I never thought that I could play a game with such an unforgettable plot on the mobile platform. It’s as if I accidentally found a very good novel in a bookstore, and I can’t extricate myself after reading it. Whether it’s eating, taking a bath or doing anything, I’m always thinking about the follow-up progress of the game.
Although it is a free-to-download class-based mobile game, its rich content is not inferior to the story-oriented Japanese stand-alone games.
This is what I have learned about “scarlet sky The most direct impression of Heaven Burns Red (hereinafter referred to as “Crimson Dye the Sky”).
“Crimson Sky” basic information
“Crimson Sky” is a turn-based role-playing game jointly developed by Japanese game development studio Wright Flyer Studios and Key. It was officially released in Japan on February 10, 2022. iOS／Android Platform operation, landing on PC in August of the same year Steamthe traditional Chinese version is expected to be launched in 2023, and pre-registration is currently underway (this article was written in January 2023).
playwrightAji JunResponsible for the main line script and music production (representative works: “AIR”, “CLANNAD”, etc.); illustrator yuugen is responsible for the main visual design (representative works: “Alchemy Workshop Series”, “Azur Lane”, etc.); singer-songwriter yanaginagi is responsible for the songs in the play Singing (representative songs: <春书き>,
Among them, the playwright Maeda Zhun, who is known as the tear-jerking demon king, participated in the game script creation again after 15 years, which caused a wave of topics before the game was released. The game award, the most popular game award and the best script department award, the results can be said to be obvious to all.
Excellent script to play even if you stay up all night
The script of this work can be said to be the most eye-catching strength, which is really rare in free games.
The main axis of the story is a group portrait drama formed by the fate of girls. When the earth was on the verge of extinction due to the invasion of the unknown alien life form “star cancer body”, scientists discovered the weapon “Seraphim” that can effectively attack the “star cancer body”. A small number of human beings who can control the “Seraphim” formed the “Seraphim Army”, and bravely fought against the enemy for the only remaining humans.
The Chinese version of the spiritual slogan “Remembering Deeply and Deeply Grieving”, I think it is very well written.
“Reminiscence and deep sorrow” is a bit difficult to understand at first glance, and it may be realized after actually experiencing this work. The Japanese version of the slogan is more straightforward: “Mogami の, 切なさを.” The vernacular translation is “the best sadness”. As a fan of the Key Club, I have more or less M attributes. I know that playing these games will make me cry, but I am still willing to enter the pit. This is the portrayal of “Crimson Sky”.
Just to be honest, the game was kind of hard for me to get into at first.
Since the protagonist Mao Sen Yuege is set to be a free-wheeling rock singer, the lines and script are naturally full of strong light novel complaints. All kinds of exaggerated jokes and funny bursts are a bit embarrassing to read. However, as the game progresses and the background stories of each character are gradually brought out, the script becomes interesting.
The plot of survival in the last days is easy to deceive players into tears with the theme of life and death, but this work pays more attention to “motivation” than spilling blood with life. This is the opportunity for me to change the script: no gimmicks and funny daily life , It’s just a means to cover up the pain.
Avoid thunderstorms, please forgive me for not being able to describe the content of the script specifically. But some embarrassing secondary role performances, as the plot progressed to reveal the past of the girls, I realized that the exaggerated performances were just a kind of cloak to allow myself to survive in such an apocalypse.
Knowing that this is all a sensational trick by the screenwriter, he will still be tricked into crying a few tears. This is the tear-jerking magic that screenwriter Ma Zhizhun is best at.
By the way, the current story is based on female troops (there are also male troops, but they didn’t appear during my play), and the lily’s friendship atmosphere is quite strong and full of fragrance. The main storyline also has full voice, no slack.
Balance between plot and game system
After all, “Crimson Sky” is an RPG game. Of course, it can’t read the plot from the beginning to the end like the text adventure game that Key Club is good at. The fun of the system will naturally determine whether the game can be played for a long time.
I think the balance between the plot and the game system of this work is quite good. Just like eating a buffet, eating sweet and salty food is always irresistible.
The main story chapters in the game progress in units of days. Because it is a military school facility, every day is divided into time zones such as morning, daytime class, afternoon class, and night free action, and then interspersed with plots and battles according to the main script configuration. Basically, it takes about 5 days to play in the game. It can be completed in ~15 minutes, and the breakpoint is very clear, which is very suitable for the rhythm of mobile games.
Coincidentally, this work still inherits some genes of text adventure games. Since it is a girl group drama, of course each character has an independent plot, but certain conditions must be met before in-depth communication with these girls, such as advancing the progress of the main story or reaching a certain level of personality traits, etc.
Each character is very unique. Reading these exchange stories can not only better understand their past and characteristics, but also get rewards such as fragments for breakthroughs and a large amount of quartz (the currency used to draw cards). Exchange stories are said to be the most important side game. Not too much.
In addition, the game also provides many additional systems for play, such as experience material levels, maze exploration, and the most common limited-time activities of operating mobile games. When I am tired of running the plot, I can have the opportunity to change my taste and do some miscellaneous chores-trust me, this is a very important way to adjust my mood (looking at the main line of stomach pain).
Fast-paced turn-based combat
Turn-based and fast-paced are originally in conflict with each other, but the battles in this game are surprisingly smooth and not dragging its feet.
The combat system is common in Japanese RPGs, using tricks to beat enemies until they break their shields and then take them away in waves. There are seven occupations for the character, namely:
·BREAKER: A profession that specializes in enemy DP (defense point)
ATTACKER: Specializes in the occupation of the enemy’s HP
· DEBUFFER: Good at giving enemies negative status
· BUFFER: Possess many skills that strengthen our abilities
BLASTER: especially easy to accumulate damage multiplier
DEFENDER: Attract the enemy’s attention and protect teammates
·HEALER: The most important recovery job to maintain the team’s endurance
A team can consist of a maximum of six characters, and the occupations are basically evenly distributed. According to the situation, the skills are used in order to break the shield, multiply the rate, and then cut the blood. Most of the levels can be successfully overcome.
Thanks to the rapid accumulation of energy, character skills can be activated almost every round, so as long as you master the information of both the enemy and the enemy, make a strategy, and sort the order of skill usage, a wave of battles can be resolved in less than a few minutes. The character mods and combat mirrors are well done. While watching the heroic fighting posture of the girls, while enjoying the sense of accomplishment of defeating the enemy with tricks, it is easy for people to stop playing.
In addition, the automatic combat system in the game is quite clever. Although it is still not as good as manual exercises, as long as the team is adjusted properly, even the boss battle can be automatically pushed, which is a great boon for modern busy people.
Another thing I must mention about the battles is that the interludes to the climaxes of the story (such as the boss fight) are really good.
As you can imagine, at the critical moment of either your death or the extinction of mankind, you find that the BOSS has a second form. Just when you are desperate, the BGM genre suddenly changes, and yanaginagi’s VOCAL rushes out in one breath. The feeling of passion is really thumbs up.
game’s downside
“Crimson Sky” brings me a lot of joy, but there are some things I still hope it can improve.
I think the biggest flaw lies in the difficulty of the game, or the card draw system. A large part of the main story of the core fun of this work is linked to the combat system. If you can’t fight the battle, you can’t advance the main story.
The battle is very particular about the richness of the team. If you encounter attributes that are incompatible and do not draw a key attribute character, you will be very sad. Except for the basic team members at the beginning, almost all characters must be obtained through the card drawing system. The lack of formal channels to obtain free replacement characters is the main reason for getting stuck.
According to my feeling after playing, as long as the timing is right, every character can become a key combat force. And because the auxiliary system is quite rich, character cultivation is not difficult, but some levels will indeed become extremely difficult due to the lack of one or two exclusive characters, which is a bit discouraging.
I still want to remind you, because what I experienced is the test version, not the official version. There is only one kind of card pool, and the resources are not very rich. Maybe this will not be a problem after the game is officially launched.
In addition, there is another shortcoming that may be fatal to old mobile phones: because it is full voice and animation, the game requires a huge amount of capacity. The version I am currently playing has exceeded 9.1 GB, plus the future The update may consume more capacity.
Summarize
“Crimson Sky” can win the best Android mobile game in 2022 in Japan, and I think it really deserves its name. It has an excellent script, a very exquisite visual presentation, good music, and a combat system that is quite fun to play. It can be said that it has all the advantages in one.
In addition, the richness of the content is not a problem. The full voice of the main storyline, the 3D modules of all the characters on the scene, the elaborate cutscenes, and the absolutely perfect traditional Chinese localization translation, it can be seen that this work is indeed interesting. prepared.
Although it still has the risk of not being able to draw characters in the card-drawing mobile game, the free content alone is comparable to many high-quality stand-alone games. Players who like Japanese light novels really recommend trying it out. will suffer.
If you are a player who loves tear-jerking masterpieces such as “AIR” and “CLANNAD”, you should not miss it.
