Overview – developed and published by Alloy Mushroom, Super Alloy Crush is a fast paced 2D action brawler, with roguelike elements that are inspired by classic action games. Play as Kelly and Muu, who are on a mission to obtain the ultimate cosmic treasure: planet AE-38, while also encountering deadly enemies and alien forces. This title is available exclusively on Steam in Early Access, with a link to the game at the bottom of this review.
Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank JF Games PR for providing the copy of Super Alloy Crush that was used for this piece. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.
Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story. Please note that this game is in early access, so I will only be discussing the experience that I had while playing the game.
Story – Welcome to the ranger, an interplanetary ship that houses the crew of explorers in search of the treasure planet AE-38. Two of the crew members are Cosmic Hunters, fighters who take on the hostile forces they encounter during their travels. They are Muu (Unit-02), a robot girl who uses powerful close combat arts to eliminate foes and Kelly, a human that wears a power suit and uses an arsenal of weapons like his trusty blaster.
Gameplay – Super Alloy Crush is a side scrolling action game, that offers players the option between brawling or run ‘n’ gun style combat. When starting the game, the player will be able to select between Muu and Kelly, with the choice of character determining the style of play. Muu is a close quarters fighter with deadly claws, while Kelly uses a variety of ranged attacks. Both characters offer a unique and distinct action style for players to engage with.
The adventure is broken down into missions, where players are deployed into the battlefield. Each of the missions has the player move through each area, fighting the enemy forces that appear in intense battles. The mission locations are segmented, with screens that will scroll horizontally and vertically. As the player navigates these areas, there will be some platforming required, which will make use of a triple jump and dash to cross gaps.
In the different zones, there will be enemies that appear to get in the way of the player. The enemy forces consist of infantry and artillery, with enemies that will attack on the ground and in the air. To combat these foes, the player will be able to use a range of basic attacks. Muu has a standing attack combo, alongside a crouch, launch and aerial strike. Kelly is more simplified, with the ability to shoot in all four directions with his blaster, attacking at a longer range.
The core attacks are versatile and can easily dispatch of the majority of enemies, making it easy to get into the action. However, as the player makes their way through the game, their toolkit will expand, introducing special attack skills. Both characters can unlock a variety of skills, with up to four being equipped at once. To use these skill arts, the player will need to hit the skill button, while standing still or using a direction, unleashing a powerful attack.
All of the skills use up varying amounts of SP, which is generated by attacking enemies or by collecting gems. It is possible to chain multiple skill Arts together, leading to destructive chains that will devastate foes. This makes their use a tactical choice at times, as the player can be pushed into a corner if they are surrounded with no SP. While these special attacks are strong, they aren’t the most powerful tools in the Cosmic Hunter arsenal.
The ultimate power that Cosmic Hunters wield are their Overdrive attacks, the most devastating power that can be unleashed upon the hostile forces. These super special powers have their own requirements, requiring EP power to use them in battle. To charge up the EP mater, players will need to destroy enemies or pick up purple crystals. Once it is activated, a cut in of the character will appear on screen, followed by the attack.
The last part of the Cosmic Hunter loadout are the support allies, who can be called into battle with the push of a button. These supporters offer a variety of buffs for the player, including a burst of healing or a quick charge of SP to use Arts in a pinch. The supporters have a limited number of uses, which adds more strategy to the combat in missions. At the start of the game, there is a small number of support units, but more can be unlocked during play.
During exploration of the different areas, the player will be locked into battle with a set of enemies. Many of these battles will be part of the natural progression of the mission, however, some of them will be much more challenging. In the missions, it is possible for powered-up enemies to appear, posing a deadly risk to the player as they will hit much harder than others. Once all enemies are defeated, the path to progress or leave will open.
At the end of each mission, the player will encounter a powerful boss that must be defeated. These combatants are very strong, with their own attacks and gimmicks that make them unique. During a boss battle, the player will need to deplete two shield bars and a final energy bar. As the player damages their opponent a stun meter will charge up, shown as a silver outline around their energy bar. When this is filled, the boss will be temporarily unable to act.
But be advised that it can be foolish to try and rush down the bosses, as they have their own unique power attacks that can devastate the player. This is shown as a purple power bar, filling up during the battle and being unleashed with a special animation. The bosses will also have phases to their attack patterns, with increasingly destructive attacks the closer they get to defeat. If the player defeats the boss, a box will appear containing treasures to collect.
At any point during a mission, if the player is defeated, they will be able to use readiness points to revive. The recovery costs will vary during missions and play, bringing the player back into the fight at a cost. If the player has enough points to cover the cost, all health will be restored, but if the player is short, a reduced amount is recovered. But if there are no points left, the player will get a game over, needing to start over or retry from a checkpoint.
Throughout the missions, players will be able to collect coins from enemies, as well as destroying boxes and parts of the environment. These coins are added to a bank, with the total shown at the end of a mission. Players will also get a score for the mission upon completion, with points awarded for defeating enemies, bosses and more. Once the results screen has finished, the player will return to the ship, which serves as their base of operations.
Between missions, the player will be able to explore the ship and interact with the different residents. Some of the crew members will offer the players enhancement services, which use the coins earned during missions. The most important of these is the chip system, where players slot power chips of varying shapes onto a grid. There are limited open spaces on the grid, but more can be opened in exchange for coins.
There is also a trainer, who will teach new skills and arts to Muu and Kelly. By trading coins, the player will be able to unlock new arts, skills and abilities, which can be used in the missions. There are four slots for Arts and a movement skill, which can be reassigned before deploying for a mission. Players will also be able to unlock additional special Overdrive attacks, which have special conditions that need to be met to be able to equip them.
Players can also buy new drop ships and upgrade their existing ones, increasing the number of support units and recovery points that can be used. The new ships and upgrades will be added as the game progresses, adding more depth to the gameplay. All of the skills improvements, customisation and upgrades will cost more and more coins with each purchase. This is where replaying missions, and special bonus modes come into play.
Within the ship, there is the transfer zone where missions are deployed from. This is managed by Flora, who will brief the player on the mission before they set off. From the deployment menu, players can replay missions that have already been cleared, improving scores and gaining more resources. New game modes will also unlock during play, with the endless Battle Rush and Ultimate Challenge, which will test the skills of the player.
The last thing to discuss is the Multiplayer mode, which can be accessed from the main menu. In multiplayer mode, two players can take on the challenges together, working in tandem to clear the missions. Both players share the ship recovery points, as well as the support units that can be used. This makes communication and teamwork important to success, as these limited resources can add tension to the missions and boss battles.
Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to cover the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.
Controls – the controls for this title offer both Keyboard and Controller support, giving players the choice of input that is best for them. All of the inputs for actions are laid out in an easy to use way, which feels responsive and reactive during play. The action flows well, with no issues in terms of lag or delay, which makes the combat feel smooth. There is also the option for Steam Input, which gives players the ability to use a range of controllers for play.
Difficulty – there is an escalating difficulty curve to this adventure, with the missions increasing in challenge the deeper the player gets into the game. The challenges of the game will get tougher, with more powerful enemies and deadly bosses that appear. Luckily, there are frequent checkpoints in each mission. To make the tougher challenges more manageable, players can grind out coins to upgrade chips, replaying stages to unlock more power-ups.
Presentation – the visual style for this release has a retro feel to it, with spritework and environments that are reminiscent of 16/32-bit games. With anime style elements to the character pointraits and stills, which feel like they are straight out of the 90s. Players can also apply CRT filters, emulating the look of classic screens during play. The sound is very good, with chiptune music that really rounds out the overall presentation.
Final Thoughts – I very much enjoy side scrolling action games, like Mega Man, Metal Slug and Shinobi. So this game really caught my eye, as it has so many elements of what makes the genre so much fun. The story is done well, with classic Sci-fi and anime tropes that successfully blend together. Then there is the action, which is snappy and responsive during play, making it a lot of fun to play as either of the characters.
Both of the character styles offer a unique experience, which does feel like it is two games in one, which further adds to the value on offer. There is also a lot of content on offer, with plenty of story content and challenges that extend the game further. I am happy to recommend this to fans of side scrolling action, or those looking for a something a little different. It is a little rough around the edges, but that isn’t uncommon with games that are in active development.
In the end, I am unable to give Super Alloy Crush a score, as it is in still in Early Access development. This is a fun side scrolling action game, offering a gameplay experience that feels like it is more than the sum of its inspirations, with the two character playstyles feeling distinct from each other, alongside a good amount of content and game depth. If you want to check it out for yourself, a link to the game will be below.
Link to Steam version (HERE)
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