I can't even read what the first one is, so that can wait a while longer. The Walking Dead I'm well aware of, having seen but not played it. That too can wait, leaving just Chroma Squad and Skullgirls.
Now I remember buying Skullgirls, or a bundle that included Skullgirls, or through some other method which results in me not actually knowing how I got Skullgirls into my Steam library, and I remember getting it because I knew it was a 2D fighter with stylised characters. I'm no pro when it comes to fighting games, but the premise was interesting enough to warrant a look.
Chroma Squad, on the other hand, is an unknown title, but when I found out it's about a bunch of stuntmen forming their own TV series along the lines of Power Rangers, my inner child - who watched Power Rangers and wanted to become a stuntman (not because of Power Rangers, mind) - immediately hit the install button and got prepared.
Chroma Squad is a tactical RPG, much like Tactics Ogre and Final Fantasy Tactics - the kind of games I wish I had more patience for. You control a bunch of stuntmen as they fight their way through minions before coming together to kick the evil boss' backside, and the only thing that matters is how good it looks to the audience.
At the start of the game, you are given a fair bit of control over how detailed you want it all to be - casual, where the stats don't really matter, up to a more hardcore, nitty-gritty approach. I wanted to see some stats matter to see what the game was all about, and after a tutorial stage to set the story up, the game was ready to begin proper, where it turned into a management sim, too.
Just look at all these bits and bobs. Customisable characters, modifiable catchphrases, upgradable studio components... I should have stuck it in casual mode.
When you get into actually filming an episode of your new show, the director (which is presumably yourself, but apparently not) gives you some targets to reach for a better show. It might be to have characters not lose too much health, to fight enemies in a certain order, to perform certain moves and so on. So long as you hit those targets, you're good to fight how you please.
Each character has an allotted amount of movement, usually resulting in them being able to take two actions, such as moving twice, moving and attacking, or moving and standing ready for teamwork to take place.
Teamwork moves have you place a character in a spot in order to make use of them with another character. You can run up to someone and bounce off them for a greater range of movement, or you can attack an enemy adjacent to them so that you attack at the same time.
Eventually, when you Chromatize into the superhero versions of yourselves, you'll want to position your squad around an enemy, put them all into a teamwork stance and then attack as a single unit.
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| Chromatize! |
The director, and the audience, can be a little picky about what they want to see, but on the whole, smashing minions into rolls of duct tape is quite satisfying. There are a load of skills and special moves that characters can do too, which I mostly forgot about, but unleashing a load of bullets on unsuspecting opponents is a surprising route for these characters to take, I must say.
My first show was a success, I think, but Chroma Squad was a little bit of a case of too much, too soon, especially when the management elements were thrust upon me. The fighting I can get used to - it's turn-based, it's not like you're in a hurry - but the management might end up getting in the way.
I like how many options it gives you, but it's clear from the start that this story is going to go where the developers want to take you; you're just colouring in the shapes it presents. It's not the best writing out there, a bit cliched, but I suppose it needs to be to sell the idea of these stuntmen abandoning their jobs to go it on their own.
I've really done a rubbish job of explaining this game, and it deserves better. I don't know how long Chroma Squad is, but I'll stick with it for a little while at least. Some bits I don't care so much about, but eventually there's a nice arena to fight in, and that's lovely.
If you like pixel art and tactical RPGs and Power Ranger parodies, then Chroma Squad is exactly the kind of game you need to be playing. Otherwise, it stands out but perhaps doesn't take home to acclaim. But who needs acclaim when you're having fun? I hope these guys are having fun.