Sometimes it hits just right. I’m not saying it’s gonna be for everyone, but for the ones I’m talking about – you know who you are – CROSS BLITZ IS A CRITICAL HIT. From the aesthetic to the gameplay, I was thoroughly charmed by this game and I foresee playing it for hours and hours to come.
In fact I made a video on Cross Blitz campaign mode, and a video on Cross Blitz Roguelike Mode back to backbecause I was so impressed by it! These videos and this post are like a “review lite” first impressions thing – but I’ve played enough to know this:
I didn’t know I was waiting for Cross Blitz, until I played it.
Ok, so what is Cross Blitz Exactly?
I would describe it primarily as a CARD GAME straight up. Very similar to Hearthstone or Magic The Gathering, versus something like Slay the Spire which is a “CARD BATTLER”, I suppose. You have minions, spells, mana which goes up every turn… It’s a digital card game first and foremost!
Better yet, it comes with BOTH A ROGUELIKE AND A CAMPAIGN MODE. So if you’re looking to sink your teeth into some ultra value… Both halves are absolutely packed to the brim with content.
For me at least, personally, it has an extremely polished high production value feel. Yes, the art style might not be for everyone but I love this high fidelity pixel art reminiscent of the pinnacle of SNES days. Aside from that, there are cutscenes, humor, tons of animations… the game just oozes with character.
But anyway let’s talk about the modes..
Cross Blitz Campaign Mode – Is it good?
Not only is it good, but it’s packed with content. There are THREE characters right now (more incoming) EACH with THEIR OWN MULTI-CHAPTER campaign. Relaxed playing should take about 7 hours for each campaign if you wanna enjoy it. Could be more or less of course. That’s around 21 hours of campaign alone!
But wait, theres more… Each character has multiple playstyles. For example, In my first try in Violet’s Campaign, I went for a spell slinging type of deck. In the run I plan to record, I’m going for a “groupie” build. So the campaign in itself is very replayable if you want to explore more strategies! I can see each character having at least 3 major deck types you can run with.
As you progress in the campaign you evolve in many ways. You buy cards, craft cards, get relics (passive buffs just like STS relics), even level up – choosing from 5 skill trees (which primarily give you powerful cards related to a certain strategy). There are optional battles, treasures, and decisions abound!
Ultimately, if Cross Blitz ONLY HAD THE CAMPAIGN, I would fully recommend it still! But that’s the great part – It’s not just the campaign mode…
How about Cross Blitz Roguelike Deck Builder Mode?
Yes, there’s more! The roguelike half of Cross Blitz is equally packed to the brim with fun and content! The mechanics between the two are obviously almost identical, but the gameplay loop is of course one we know and love for fans of the genre.
First off, THERE’S A TON OF CONTENT. Try to wrap your head around this. Each map has three zones. Each zone has unique bosses and encounters. Each zone has bounties (used to unlock stuff which appear in future runs – more on this later). Each zone has a hard mode. Each zone has unique “mask” modifiers to change your run. And there are I think 9 zones in the game right now!?
There is of course meta progression! Each Character (there are multiple you can unlock), has levels which unlock starting relics and more starting cards. They each have a main faction which determines the bulk of where your cards can come from, as well as traits determining how you interact with in-game events!
As far as roguelike card games and deck builders go – this one is truly top tier. I can think of no other card game I’m more excited to play right now. Think about it. Each run can really change – the map you’re in, the character you choose, the difficulty, modifiers… It’s a roguelike wrapped into a roguelikes worth of content!!!
Not sold on Cross Blitz yet? You SHOULD BE!
What else can you ask for? I legit picked this up IMMEDIATELY after an hour or so from it’s recent free weekend for many reasons. The primary one? Man, I just had so much fun. Just basic good old fun. Second, I was really impressed with the whole package. The art, the sound, the feel of the game are so polished its not even funny. I’m surprised such a game flew under my radar for so long.
It just felt criminal to me to NOT buy the game and support these amazing developers after trying it out. So I hope to bring more eyes to Cross Blitz, because It’s a game I’ll be playing a lot in the near future. It might not last forever – but I can almost guarantee you’ll have fun with your time in it!
Check out our…
BRG Brothers Play – Cross Blitz Campaign Mode [Video]
BRG Brothers Play – Cross Blitz Roguelike Mode [Video]
