Crimson Sea

"A pretty dang good game that got mixed press"

Crimson Sea (Kurenai no Umi in Japan) is one of Koei’s best games released on the Xbox. The game is essentially a version of Koei’s Dynasty Warriors series that’s in space. But there is much more to it than that. As this game has a lot more depth to it, rather than a mindless beat-um-up. The game was released in the middle of December 2002 in Japan, and the game was released in America very shortly after, about 8 days. Much to mine (and Koei’s) dismay, not many people have been able (or will) play the game because for some reason Koei decided to make only one print run for this game so, as a result it’s rather rare, because the advertisement was lacking in the states?

Maybe it was also due to the fact the game didn’t live up to the hype it received? In Japan, the game was the lucky recipient of TV commercials, 2 page print ads, and the Famitsu Platinum Award, which is a rather high honor. Whatever the case is, the game is worth hunting down, even though it didn’t live up to the hype of most people.

The game is about a guy named Sho, a young man whose trying to earn a living as a private detective. Accompanied by his sidekick, Yangqin, the two get a task from a mysterious and a very exotic woman who hires them to retrieve an item in the underground tunnels of Grarve in the wake of an incident that has been decimating the planet of Theophilus. A lot of interesting characters will join your party and their survival is essential for completing some of the 24 missions you will undertake. The story picks up very greatly, and the characters are very likable.

About the game being Dynasty Warriors in Space, that’s pretty dead on, not only does the game play like it, but also a lot of the artwork smacks strongly from ancient china. Along with there being good artwork, the game has some very pretty graphics. The characters are extremely, painstakingly detailed, the backgrounds are decent as well, and the lighting effects are rather pretty, and the frame rate is smooth. I’ve heard some complaints about the camera, but I never noticed any problems with it. The game’s music and sound effects are average, it’s worth pointing out that the voice acting stinks, but it grows on you as it slowly fits with the characters.

The game play is your average third person action game. All you do is run around and kill enemies that get in your way. There is a good selection of puzzles, and the missions are rather varied. One mission you are to collect a specific number of waveforms, another mission you are to escort the president, another mission you are to protect you friend Yangqin as he is repairing your ship. With all of this variation in missions, it wouldn’t be shocking if the game were difficult at times. Well, it is. There is a hidden G-Squad mode that is unlocked if you die a specific number of times in any mission. That helps make the game easier, but not by much. With out the G-squad mode, the game is harder than a bastard file (i.e. very tough)

All in all, the game is over 10 hours the first time you play, and there is quite a bit to unlock also. Since Koei never shipped a large number of this game it’s rather hard to find, and rather pricey in some areas. You may actually find a copy still hanging around at your local game store. Still, if you can’t find it, wait till next spring as Koei is supposedly bring the game over to the PlayStation 2 in Japan, and the PlayStation 2 release is also slated for a release in the states.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/29/03, Updated 07/29/03