“Old school meets new school” seems to be a phrase that can describe a lot of great games these days. And while it’s too early to know if we can really call Crystal Catacombs great, it’s certainly a title with a lot of promise.
“Old school meets new school” seems to be a phrase that can describe a lot of great games these days. And while it’s too early to know if we can really call Crystal Catacombs great, it’s certainly a title with a lot of promise.
Crystal Catacombs is a pixel-art driven platformer that the developers are hoping to bring to the PC, with possible ports to Mac, iOS, Xbix Live and the PlayStation Network under consideration. Focussing heavily on exploration, the game is promising roguelike elements, tons of items, equipment, and spells, and even randomly generated dungeons. That’s right – thanks to random level layouts, enemy, and item selection, no two levels will ever be alike!
The designer also mentions that “gameplay mechanics and visual style of Crystal Catacombs are both greatly inspired by classic games such as Super Metroid and Castlevania.” It’s something that fans of both series will no doubt recognize from the trailer, and if you’re a fan of that style of play, you’ll no doubt agree that it’s been a little too long since a quality Metroidvania-style game has seen release.
Sounds great, right? Well here’s the problem – the game is only about 20% done. The game’s designer, Maxwell Jensen, is a lonely fella right now. He needs to hire some folks to help out if Crystal Catacombs is ever going to see its way to completion. That’s why he’s started this Kickstarter campaign. Jensen is hoping to hire one or two programmers, a second artist, a chiptune musician, and more – but he can’t do it without your help.
For just a $5 donation, you’ll receive a copy of the game when it’s released – a price that Jensen assures us will be lower than the price of the game at launch. Donation levels go up from there, with a $25 donation netting you an NES-style instruction manual and MP3 copy of the soundtrack, $75 having you “pixelized” into the game, and a hefty $500 turning you into an in-game statue that will be worshiped by the people of Celestica.
Project Name:Crystal Catacombs
Platforms:PC, possibly Mac, iOS, PSN, XBLA
Funding Needed:$11,000
Funding Acquired (as of this writing):$2,608
Days Left:7
Kickstarter Picks is a series on Gamezebo that profiles Kickstarter projects in the world of video games. We’re doing this in the hopes of calling attention to interesting projects in need of funding, so please, if a game looks like something you’d want to play, don’t hesitate to lend it your support!
