Crusader: No Remorse Longplay (PC) [Mission 01]
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Developed by Origin Systems and published by Electronic Arts in 1995
Foreword: As this game is much bigger than any other retro game I've played, I'll be splitting the video into multiple parts (roughly one mission per video to keep the uploads manageable) and will continue to record alongside the other normal videos.
The game is set in a dystopian future where the world is governed by the World Economic Consortium (WEC), a multinational coalition of corporations ruling with an iron fist.
You are a Silencer, one of the most elite combat troops within the ranks of the WEC and previously enforced the corporation's will without question. However, a recent betrayal has opened your eyes to the WEC's true nature and you have defected to the guerilla Resistance. It is up to you to fight to free the innocent from oppression, but it won't be easy; you will be facing battalions of WEC troops and armoured battle mechs as you undertake various missions for the Resistance.
Based on a modified version of the engine developed for Ultima VIII: Pagan, Crusader: No Remorse was released in 1995 and caused quite a stir. I remember being really excited when I saw magazine previews for this and I wasn't disappointed.
The game really showcased what the PC platform was capable of, boasting fantastic SVGA graphics, digitally sampled music and great gameplay. Games like Crusader felt like huge Hollywood blockbusters compared to the what was available on the waning 16-bit consoles at the time; this is why I became a PC gamer.
The game uses high resolution pre-rendered sprites rather than polygon models. This enabled the developers to create ultra-detailed characters with much less performance overhead of 3D polygon models; true 3D wouldn't become mainstream until the introduction of accelerator boards, such as the 3DFX Voodoo.
One of the most memorable features of the game was that the majority of the scenery could be destroyed. Stacks of barrels, cooling tanks and even cardboard boxes explode in huge fireballs when shot. There's nothing more satisfying than walking away from a fire-fight leaving nothing but devastation in your wake.
As with most Origin games, there is plenty of emphasis on story to back up the action. The game features some funky, full motion video with live actors who convey some decent performances; this is a far cry from Resident Evil's, "Jill Sandwich"...
For me, however, the music by Straylight Productions is probably the best thing about the game. Until this point, most PC game music used MIDI where the quality varied dramatically based on your soundcard. Instead of MIDI, Crusader makes use of a proprietary audio engine to play back MOD music so that fantastic audio could be achieved on relatively cheap hardware; you didn't need a wavetable card or a Gravis Ultrasound to hear Crusader at it's best.
Playing it again today, it still holds up pretty well. The one major complaint I have is the control scheme, which is far too clunky for a game that requires agility. The tile-based engine makes manoeuvring around the environment tricky, particularly when trying to jump over obstacles or avoid explosive projectiles. This isn't so much of a problem when you're playing purely for the fun of it where you can quick-save and quick-load as much as you like, but becomes a real nuisance when trying to record the game for a longplay; nobody wants to watch a video of me quick-loading every couple of minutes when I get blown to pieces!
Despite the flaws, Crusader remains one of my favourite games of all time and comes highly recommended to anyone that likes action games. The game has been re-released at http://www.gog.com and is definitely worth a purchase.
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