Crimson Tears
Encyclopedia
is a cel-shaded
2004
sci-fi beat 'em up
game developed by Spike
and Dream Factory
for the PlayStation 2
. The game is set in Tokyo
in the year 2049 and revolves around three characters whose home has been destroyed. As seen on the game's front cover, this trio seems human
; however, they are actually bio-engineered weapons developed by a company named A.R.M.A. called "mutanoids". A notable feature of Crimson Tears is that the levels are generated on the fly using templates, as opposed to a predefined game worlds that are the same every time.
The game plays similarly to many dungeon crawl
ers except that the combat is in real-time. Unlike in most sixth generation
games, the levels are completely flat.
The game has a score of 63% at Metacritic
. While critics praised the game's cel-shaded graphics and anime
cutscene
s, they criticized the game's repetitive nature.
Cel-shaded animation
Cel-shaded animation is a type of non-photorealistic rendering designed to make computer graphics appear to be hand-drawn. Cel-shading is often used to mimic the style of a comic book or cartoon. It is a somewhat recent addition to computer graphics, most commonly turning up in video games...
2004
2004 in video gaming
-Events:*January 20 — Wireds Vaporware Awards gives its first "Lifetime Achievement Award" to recurring winner Duke Nukem Forever.*March 4 — Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts 7th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts Peter Molyneux into the AIAS Hall of Fame*March 22-26 — Game...
sci-fi beat 'em up
Beat 'em up
Beat 'em up is a video game genre featuring melee combat between the protagonist and a large number of underpowered antagonists. These games typically take place in urban settings and feature crime-fighting and revenge-based plots, though some games may employ historical or fantasy themes...
game developed by Spike
Spike (company)
is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. Most of the staff were part of Human Entertainment. Human's Fire Pro Wrestling series is owned by Spike.-Games developed:*Crimson Tears*Dangan Ronpa: Kibou no Gakuen to Zetsubou no Koukousei...
and Dream Factory
Dream Factory (game developer)
DreamFactory Ltd. is a Japanese video game developer founded in 1995 and based out of Tokyo. They are best known for the Tobal fighting game series and the high-profile PlayStation 2 launch title The Bouncer, both developed under Square Co...
for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
. The game is set in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
in the year 2049 and revolves around three characters whose home has been destroyed. As seen on the game's front cover, this trio seems human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
; however, they are actually bio-engineered weapons developed by a company named A.R.M.A. called "mutanoids". A notable feature of Crimson Tears is that the levels are generated on the fly using templates, as opposed to a predefined game worlds that are the same every time.
The game plays similarly to many dungeon crawl
Dungeon crawl
A dungeon crawl is a type of scenario in fantasy role-playing games in which heroes navigate a labyrinthine environment, battling various monsters, and looting any treasure they may find...
ers except that the combat is in real-time. Unlike in most sixth generation
History of video game consoles (sixth generation)
The sixth-generation era refers to the computer and video games, video game consoles, and video game handhelds available at the turn of the 21st century. Platforms of the sixth generation include the Sega Dreamcast, Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Microsoft Xbox...
games, the levels are completely flat.
The game has a score of 63% at Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. While critics praised the game's cel-shaded graphics and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
cutscene
Cutscene
A cutscene is a sequence in a video game over which the player has no or only limited control, breaking up the gameplay and used to advance the plot, strengthen the main character's development, introduces enemy characters, and provide background information, atmosphere, dialogue, and clues...
s, they criticized the game's repetitive nature.