It’s time to try Björn and Jennifer Pankratz’s (former Piranha Bytes) game Cralon from their newly established studio, Pithead Studio. Cralon is a first-person dungeon crawler that is clearly inspired by the classic title Ultima Underworld. After finishing the short demo, the exploration and atmosphere sure are there. However, the combat will require some serious polishing, as it felt clunky and not very satisfying. But mood is one of the fundamentals to get right for a game like this—so, I’m glad they nailed this important aspect in the demo.
Dungeon Crawling
In Cralon, you play as Cralon, the one guy set out to stop a mythological creature from terrorizing a village. However, when in pursuit of the evil monster, Cralon and the beast from hell fall into an open wound in the ground—and from here on, you take the wheel. It seems this is not your regular old cave; it’s a massive underground network filled with all kinds of secrets and beasts.
Now, what I really like here is how the story is told like an old fable, something you read as a child. What makes this even more so is that the voice acting is in German, which suits this tale incredibly well. I hope they keep it as it is, as it adds a lot to the atmosphere.
It seems darkness and sanity will play a huge role, as darkness and visions of beasts will lower it, while light restores it. What kind of effect this will have, we will have to wait and see, but it gives me slight Lovecraftian vibes. The atmosphere overall felt nice, and some parts unsettling—especially when creeping around in the darkness. Yet, I must point out that the presentation feels a tad slapdash, but this is probably an early alpha version of the game. One thing that must get fixed is the combat, since as it’s extremely poor for a game in first-person view. They need to get this aspect right if they want any kind of success. It actually has me surprised that they were willing to present it in this state.
Overall, though, the demo gave me positive feelings, so Cralon is certainly a game to keep an eye on. Especially if you are a fan of dungeon crawlers. The visuals are good, in particular the lighting, which felt very moody, and I also enjoyed that your person exists in this world as a 3D object, meaning that you can see your own legs and body. Nice touch! Try out the demo here.
Thanks for reading.
– Thomas
Tom's Gaming Vault 