Cryptark

Roguelike shooter with the ability to create a strategy. This game is not for everyone and personally I don't think I will ever be able to finish it given the difficulty. It was given to me as a gift and I was happy to try it, but of my own free will I would never have bought it. My rating is 6/10 the price is really too high.

This game requires an accurate controller to be fully enjoyed, which is probably part of the reason it was so under-appreciated.
There's a bunch of punishing mechanics that aren't always intuitive, you must approach Cryptark with an open mind and be ready to learn.
Similarly to Cortex Command, it feels like an incredible idea that only had the budget to realize a small piece of its total potential.
However, all of this doesn't mean that the game feels unfinished, quite the opposite.
Cryptark is one of the most complete-feeling indie games ever (even if it took a while to get there).
You'll find yourself trying to beat the timer and do all of the optional objectives at the same time while making your loadout as bare-bones as you think is possible (all 3 things serve the same purpose, maximizing post-mission profit). The more you learn about the several types of ships(levels) the better you'll get at predicting these factors. This little game of dare was interesting enough to keep me playing.
Weapons reward mastery and are satisfying to use (very punchy, sometimes literally).
Both the enemies and the environment often break down into pieces that float around which adds to the feeling of chaos in big fights.
The selection of gear, mechs, weapons, play-styles and abilities could make any other game on the market blush. It's not just spam either, plenty of cool and exotic concepts in there that you rarely see in most action games.
Also the visual style, atmosphere and music do a great job of tying everything together.
If you thought 2D games can't compete with 3D action games, think again.

Simple style and good music. Fighting is fun. There is some challenge here too. It is good game!

Explore abandoned spaceships in Cryptark, a thrilling adventure where you must battle a mob of enemies!
Armed with powerful weapons and equipment, you conquer the mysteries of abandoned alien ships. It's a thrilling combination of explosive shooter and roguelike.
Cryptark has variety. Customize your gear to fit your play style. From melee weapons to rocket launchers, there's a variety of weapons to choose from
But what's the real challenge? Each playthrough of the game is unique. The game constantly throws up twists and turns, keeping you sweaty and engaged.
Speaking of challenges, Cryptark adds economic management mechanics. Spend your money wisely - mission success may depend on it. After all, before each mission we have a limited budget for weapons and equipment. If you don't like such mechanics, there is always the Outcast mode, which will allow you to focus solely on destroying hordes of enemies. It's a great way to relax and wreak havoc!
Cryptark may not be a groundbreaking game, but who needs revolution when there is so much fun to be had? Trust me, you'll love it!

This is a really enjoyable roguelike space game, reminded me of Heat Signature a little bit. The gameplay loop is rather simple: you need to enter the spaceship and destroy its core to complete a mission. As difficulty increases, so does the randomly generated spaceships' size and complexity - more and more systems are added that sometimes create quite a puzzle to solve, namely which systems to take out in which order and which route to take.
There is a decent variety of weapons and enemies, and two main game modes: Campaign (with a time/money pressure for each mission) and Rogue (no time and money, but your weapon loadout, ammo and health persist through each mission). There is also a Coop Campaign mode, but since I didn't play it, I'm not sure what it's worth. Rogue Excavation is just a single and somewhat quick mission that most likely serves as the game plot wrap up.
Took me a little more than 10 hours to 100% this one and to be honest, I can't say that the learning curve is THAT bad (saw plenty of "OMG this game is so hard" comments and reviews). The shield is probably the first thing you'll need to be aware of (save your HP), then energy weapons (endless ammo, but need recharging), then melee weapons (deal with anything but larger targets), then everything else.
However, either accidentally or on purpose, the dev team made the second mecha suit unlockable just for 2 artifacts - Rook - broken in the worst way possible. So if you are looking for a challenge, make sure to skip it and pick another mecha suit first. If you just want to complete missions and pew pew everything, Rook is the way to go. Its built-in special ability makes you completely invulnerable to anything; elite units, mines, nuclear explosions, swarms, alarm lasers, literally anything can be tanked straight with your face. You can't move or shoot while shielded, yes, but that's hardly an issue with a bit of timing: shoot - shield - shoot - shield - move - shoot, and so on.
Can easily recommend Cryptark for a certain number of evenings. Also, the OST is sick - try googling this: d1-3B Rigilkent z8-8q!

Journey Into Deep Space
CRYPTARK is a rogue-like shooter in which we choose one of the mechs where each mech has a slightly different set of weapons and our goal is to destroy the core. Of course, the core is protected by different enemies, as well as different protection systems, so we have to carefully work out our plan to destroy it.
There are three modes to choose from in the game, of which to play the next one we have to pass the previous one. We start with the Campaign, where we first choose one of the levels and then select the equipment we have to pay for. The next mode is Hunter mode where we can't choose equipment and we collect weapons on the map, but the goal is the same. The last mode is Cryptark Excavations and it's such a summary of the game with new enemies, but unfortunately only one level although randomly generated.
The levels are randomly generated. Nevertheless, after a few completed levels they simply get boring and monotonous. To the rescue come artifacts, which we collect only if we complete a given objective, such as not destroying one of the defense systems. This introduces some difficulty to the game and is an interesting diversification. On top of that, for artifacts we can unlock new mechs.
Graphically it is good, all explosions, shooting effects look nice. In general, we don't have too many graphical options to choose from, but I think that for this type of game they are sufficient.
Sound-wise, I have no complaints either. The music and sound effects match the climate of the game. There is even dubbing included, although there is not much opportunity to listen to it in the game.
Summary
CRYPTARK is a good game, although with a few flaws such as the lack of feeling that we are progressing. Other than that, it is a title that I played quite pleasantly and do not regret the hours spent. Pricing is also good, the game is often on discount. Achievements are quite simple.
✔️Large selection of weapons and additional equipment
✔️The environment is not just visual, but we can interact with it
✔️Graphic and sound effects
❌It does not feel like we are progressing with the levels
❌Sometimes poor visibility when we aim and there is a lot going on on the screen
❌Varied, but similar-looking levels
Time of completion: Depends on the level of difficulty, I think about 10-15
Rating: 6.5/10
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Please note that this is only my evaluation and opinion of the game. If you do not agree with it or think that the game deserves a higher or lower rating, please leave a comment and I will be happy to respond.

Well, after they fixed the achievements, I finally decided to try to finish this game.
All I can say is that some artifacts provide you with some interesting challenges. Definitely interesting gameplay too although it could be just a bit longer.. Also endgame is a bit annoying to deal with but I guess that just how it goes.
Overall pretty great. Also Weevil is one of the best Suit in-game.