Escape from Cronos X

I played this game from start to the last level (didn't finish yet) without any issues. Smooth framerates, loading times and fun combat. My rig has AMD Ryzen 5 3600 + RX480 8GB playing on ultra-wide (works perfect).
Positive:
- Fun combat
- Beautiful levels
- Many settings to adjust camera and game-features
- Decent RPG elements (and a lot to figure out how to use/do - the game hints thread was a great help to get going)
- Fully voiced dialogues, that really surprised me considering the price.
Negative
- The dialogues could be better, but who really listen to dialogues anyway
- The game seems a bit short, but compared to the price it’s okay
- Lacking a user manual or strategy guide
- Some issues with falling when flying and hitting objects, could be intentional though.

You have very similar experience with a first person game even though it's is top down. This makes it very original and unique as the graphics and layout will keep you visual involved all the time. As with all games if the graphics are satisfying and the levels diverse it is big winner with every player. The controls are great if you like learning smthing new. Also having to use both sticks to control makes forget its 2D because using both sticks reminds you of first person non fixed camera. Overall a great game highly recommend especially for classic rpg fans. Great price also.

Look. It was $3 on sale, and when its not its $8. As a reminder, I measure a game based on the number of hours I spend playing the game. If I can get $1 per hour then its a Top Tier game. So, kinda hard not to reach even 0.50$ an hour.
Anyway, the good:
Music - excellent. Wide variety and all ... futuristic? I loved it.
Voice Acting - Really good. The voice quality and acting quality left nothing to desire.
Art - Its .. unique. It feels like it was made in some old-ass engine, but its fine for a top-down shooter.
Controls - This is the first thing I noticed out of the gate. its wierd and i expect it will be difficult for a lot of players. You can press C to cycle through various modes, i think 4, at will and youll eventually land on one you like and are familiar with.
Gameplay - So.. there is a certain linearity to it which I dont like. The map is basically a series of pathways and in some cases, if you have the right jet pack you can short cut here and there. I picked the shadow class and ran around with a small army of robots that I started off with following me, then figured out I could put them on hunt and follow them instead. There is crafting but I didnt do any of it except interface with the various tables at least once. I did apply upgrades to the Jetpack and my gun but its super simple and straight forward. Loot is odd.. some things you just need to touch, other things you get near and then have to press T to loot. A lot of the time I felt like i had no clue what i was doing, what my skills or weapons were doing etc. I did have access to a stealth via TAB, but wasnt sure what its purpose was, though it did save me from dying once. Levels are standard RPG fare.. with attribute points that you apply to various categories. Each level appears to unlock a new skill for the class you picked at the start of the game.
Story - not bad, not great. I did actually take the time to listen to it instead of skipping which is encouraged by the typing out of the story text as its narrated to you. Its your standard crash landed gotta survive and escape fare. The only people I saw were ones trying to kill me but I suspect from dialog that there are friendly settlements somewhere.
At $8 i figure your getting 4 hours of gameplay (im guessing here) which gives it a C grade. At $3 your getting an A grade game.
Thats my two cents. I could refund the game if I felt like it, but im choosing not to because I want to support the effort and it cost me very little.

ESCAPE FROM CRONOS X is a little rough around the edges, however those edges are being smoothed out by REQUESTLOGIC. From what I have played I found my self wanting to know more about this alien planet. Most of the text/info is spoken as well as typed out for you to read. ( If you like reading that is, personally I get my book on audio LOL ) The best part about this game is the responsiveness of the developer when you find a bug or a problem in the game. ( Not saying that, that is the BEST part of the GAME PLAY, but it is very nice to see a dev almost literally say " how high" when you say JUMP
( JUMP being that there is a problem that only the dev can fix ). The game play is smooth and as for the aiming, I have played a few top down / twin stick games that use the AIMING mechanic that this game uses ( Tho I do not understand why it is a thing in a top down. But it is. ) anyways the AIMING is smooth with a controller and < mouse ( naturally ) > and does come into play more noticeably when you start fighting FLYING enemy's.
So all in all, this is a fun and enjoyable game to have in your game library. I would give the game a solid 5 out of 10 ( No game has ever been given any thing higher then an 8 out of 10 from me )
P.S - This is my second review for this game. ( I think I deleted the 1st one ) My 1st review was not flattering at all for this game, but because an due to the hard work put in by < REQUESTLOGIC > ( and his crew if there is one ) I Felt that I needed to give this game another go over so to say. I am glad that I did and more so that the dev/devs fixed the problems the game had when I made my 1st review. I have High hopes of future enjoyment from this game as I play.

Very buggy and unpolished. Game should still be in Early Access. I want the devs to keep working on it, so I wont discourage people from funding it by hurting the rating and down voting it, but if I am being honest, I do not recommend for the price in its current state. It should be maybe $2.99 till they finish it. If it was $2.99 I bet at least three times as many people would buy it and try it out, and some might start a following because the game has some good stuff going on...but lots of problems.
For one, controller implementation is nonsensical. Instead of just being a fun twin stick shooter, your aim reticle moves like a mouse cursor all over the place instead of just being a circular motion, and the further away it is, the slower you turn. I think they are trying to go for something original with this mechanic, but it sucks, its dumb and there is no point to it. Just make it a classic twin stick shooter like Dead Nation. If you feel invested in the mechanic, create a menu option called "legacy aiming" or something, or make an option for standard right stick aiming.
Movement is plodding...no dash move, just a roll dodge which is good, but on the wrong button. I havent seen a melee attack yet, maybe there is one later...doubt it. NEEDS a melee attack for close range. Maybe a kick since your hands are full with a huge gun, and boots can have damage stats.
Enemies suddenly just stand around for no apparent reason.
You slide up and down inclines in a weird broken way.
Sound effects are too loud and some are really annoying sounding and sound bad or low fi.
As for what is good about it? Well, decent general aesthetic and the graphics and lighting look good. Weapons feel decent. Enemy models are cool looking and gory. Lots of gore. But when you die, there is no death animation at all, the game just fades to Game Over screen while you are still moving and shooting... So bad. So unfinished. Be charitable...Give them your money and take a chance. See if they make it worth it later on... Its like investing $10 in a stock only worth $2 in the hopes that maybe one day it will be worth $10...totally wise investment...but its not really about the money. Its about the possibility that you get to see the game grow and develop like a blossoming young woman, who becomes famous when her sex tape with a WWE wrestler leaks and goes viral...