Crystal Rift Review: The dungeon of Meh

Developed by: Psytec Games Ltd

Published by: Psytec Games Ltd

Release Date: 11/30/16 (out now)

Available on: PS4, PC, Mac, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive 

Do you have a game that you played as a kid that when you think about today you can’t help but smile? That you will instantly buy when you find it on Steam or GOG? That you miss playing and wish there were more games like it on the market for you to play and reminisce about? That feeling, that nostalgia, is exactly what Psytec Games’ retro dungeon crawler, Crystal Rift, tries to capitalize on, to mixed success.

Crystal Rift is a throwback to the FPS games of yesteryear, like the original DOOM or Wolfenstien, with a slight upgrade in graphics. And I mean slight. Everything is very blocky and retro looking, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The developers were clearly going for an old school creepy vibe and for the most part they succeeded. The only time the graphics really become a factor is when there are trap doors on the floor that you need to close and they are the next step away. When you are that close there really isn’t enough of a distinction visually so you can easily fall in and lose a life if you don’t see it coming. A simple color change would have been enough to alleviate this, or, you know, the ability to look down, which without a VR I can’t do.

One of the totted points of Crystal Rift is its VR support. From the looks of the trailer when using VR you can look around smoothly in all directions but based on the movement mechanics of the game, I don’t know if it would truly improve the game much to do so. Also I’m not sure why Psytec Games decided to limit the camera when not using the VR. You can only turn the camera 90 degrees left or 90 degrees right at a time. You can’t look up and you can’t look down. It gets frustrating and causes the gameplay to suffer.

Gameplay wise, Crystal Rift is clunky. Movement is very limited. You can move left, right, forward and back. This limited movement and the lack of camera control leads you to accidently dying, a lot, and making combat underwhelming at best. As the AI is equally as limited, combat boils down to: step forward, slash enemy, step back, wait for enemy to attack, repeat. There are ranged attacks that will depend on which sword you have equipped but then it becomes: charged range attack, fire range attack, switch to close range strategy listed previously. It becomes tedious and downright boring pretty quickly. Luckily it’s not a combat heavy game, you spend most of your time exploring the levels and solving puzzles.

Each level of Crystal Rift is its own puzzle with slightly different themes and different obstacles to cross to get to the next level. Most puzzles involve a locked door and trying to figure out how to open it. Some of the puzzles can be fun and challenging others almost seem pointless. There were a few times where you come across a door that requires a key, so you go off to find the key only to come to find out it was a right turn away. This does little more than pad the length of the level and honestly suck the fun out of the game. Other puzzles and obstacles do a decent job of creating tension, leaving you feeling relived when you pass them and pushing you with death when you don’t. These are the puzzles that make the game. These challenges suck you in and keep you playing a little longer. These moments really highlight Psytec Games’ decision to limit the mobility of the player. I only wish there were more of them as they really help bring you into the game.

Immersion in Crystal Rift comes not from the graphics or story but from the tension created by some of the puzzles and the music. I honestly feel that the music is the best part of the game. It’s simple but effective in conveying the lonely emptiness of the dungeon and then switching to a faster pace that can only make you think, “Dear God, what is around that corner?” Most of the time however this excitement created by the music is let down by the actual game. When you turn that corner you find an enemy that the forward, slash, back shuffle takes out in little time. Or you find a puzzle that is less than challenging. It becomes a little disappointing. It really does feel like the game could have been more.

One of the totted points of Crystal Rift is its VR support. From the looks of the trailer when using VR you can look around smoothly in all directions but based on the movement mechanics of the game, I don’t know if it would truly improve the game much to do so. Also I’m not sure why Psytec Games decided to limit the camera when not using the VR.

All and all it Crystal Rift on the PS4 falls flat. The old school look and feel starts off cool but quickly loses its charm as the player movement and camera control makes dying easy and progression slow. Puzzles in Crystal Rift range from challenging to completely pointless. There are plenty of puzzles that leave you excited to complete and others that could be taken out and you would never have noticed their lack. The music is the best part of the experience, it draws you in and keeps you moving, even when the rest of the game lets you down. There may be some attraction for the old school PC gamers out their but for us console neophytes this is one that can be skipped, especially at a price point of $12 USD. Maybe pick it up if you see it on sale for around $5, elsewise I’d recommend saving you money.