Iron Crypticle
Review

Iron Crypticle (2017) is an action adventure game where you shoot your way through dungeons with up to four friends. You play by moving with one stick while shooting with the other and work through floors of enemies. It stands out for blending the arcade shooting of Smash TV and Robotron with the hierarchical item collection of Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands. If those references don't mean anything to you, think of it as a bombastic shooting game with over the top collectibles.

Cryptonia's princess and her related treasures have been abducted. As the kings guard it's up to you and three friends to plunge into the ancient crypts on a rescue mission. Play combines twin-stick shooting with role-play upgrades: Speed, Damage, Fire Rate and Weapon Duration can all be improved in shops or by careful chaining food pickups. This, along with the range of weapons, magical scrolls and items make each run feel unique.

You progress through a series of rooms. You choose your direction from the crypt. This is important to select rooms with particular advantages and disadvantages. Once you die you go back to the start to attempt another run.

The result is a game that harks back to arcade games like Gauntlet and the other mentioned above. But it does this with its own modern spin. Perhaps the biggest achievement is that this combination of ideas works together to create a compelling experience.

Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Iron Crypticle 12 months ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 5 months ago.