Spotlight: Crimson Alliance Vengeance Map Pack
We liked Crimson Alliance; it brought out Diablo-esque gameplay and married it with tactical combat, AI that required a level of skill to defeat and a short but fun campaign. Some gamers felt that the game was too short, it lacked the punch for the hardcore crowd and needed to be longer and somewhat harder.
Welcome to the Vengeance Map Pack, for 240 Microsoft Points the whole thing is a no-brainer. This is a must-have expansion for Crimson Alliance because at the price point in these days of pay-through-the-nose DLC from other publishers and developers - the map pack offers a fair chunk of content and new stuff for your game.
You get 4 new levels that are part of the campaign; they don't involve the Soul Siren. They do involve a new foe, which we won't spoil however. The initial foray into this brand new area feels similar to the very first area of Byzan, oh how long ago that seems now...don't be fooled however. Certain Affinity has been listening to the cries of the hardcore dungeon crawler, and they have significantly ramped up the difficulty for the map pack's new levels.
Take the level that has lava in it, that forces you to move forwards lest you meet an end engulfed in slow-moving fire-laden death. By adding this kind of element to the mix Certain Affinity has changed things up quite substantially, then there's the enemy mobs which have more frequent respawns and are far more dangerous now. There's new equipment as well as some new weapons, there's a higher level of tactics required when it comes to managing your character's health.
You'll regret accidentally smashing jars as you traverse the new campaign levels, for an answer to the new quest, more loot and even more gold. These new enemy waves will punish you hard and you'll find yourself starting over at the nearest checkpoint even on normal difficulty quite a lot. This is the kind of challenge that the hardcore crowd talked about and Certain Affinity hopes that they're satisfied (I guess they might be, but knowing hardcore gamers - even Dark Souls is too easy for them).
There is also another addition to the Vengeance Map Pack and that's the new Challenge Room. It's called A Fistful of Coins and basically has you face off against ever increasing waves of random enemies. You can gamble all the loot against another round or you can walk away with what you have so far. This is a great way to earn some much-needed cash for that brand new weapon in the shop, or that sweet suit of armour you've been saving for.
The next level will always pay out a little more, but the random challenge might be too much for you. That's the beauty of the map though, it's this whole: gamble a fortune to win a fortune kind of play and provides the most longevity of the whole pack. It's probably the star of the show to be honest more-so than the additional campaign levels.
The additional levels will probably last you a few hours, depending on your playstyle but when you throw the whole lot together, for the low price that CA are asking. It's as we said before, a total steal if you have the game. Get this pack; it's one we recommend that you don't miss!
240msp is all it will cost you for more Byzan action, and that's a value you can't ignore!