Danger Crew Review

 By Logan Manfredi on PC

Overview
        Danger Crew is precisely the type of game I had in mind when I started this website. A passionate work of art that clearly encapsulates the developers love for games. Every moment in the game has a tremendous amount of care put into it, and it shows. I wanted more of it as soon as I was done. Danger Crew is a turn-based RPG set in the fast-paced world of computer programming. The developers have no problem poking fun at themselves and other devs, and the result is a hilarious experience full of witty one-liners and a vibrant environment worth exploring. 

As far as RPG elements go the story and combat stood out the most to me.  Combat feels great and is extremely polished. There is a multitude of attacks and abilities that take the form of "Scripts" each with their own name and effect that relate back to the "development" theme. The story, while somewhat short, is jam-packed with content. Side quests flow effortlessly into the main narrative and offer a more in-depth look into the characters and game world. Every NPC has something to say, and most provide helpful information for completing quests. The map is full of places to explore and items that can significantly change the course of combat. The level design has a flow to it that encourages the player to see what happens next. I could easily see players tackling Danger Crew in one or a few long gaming sessions.

The details
        Players will create their own character at the start of the game and have eight different appearances to choose from. Each is quite different from the rest and allows for players to pick an avatar that feels like them.

As the new guy at the job, it's your goal to prove yourself to your coworkers by completing tasks around the office. These tasks can range from finding items scattered in the building, to participating in hack battles. Hack battles are how Danger Crew handles combat. When two developers in the game decide to do battle, they will whip out their laptops and get to coding. Attacks and abilities take the form of "Scripts" and items such as Battery packs, and Password resets replace the standard potions or antidotes found in most RPGs. These small changes work together with the theme of the game to create a level of immersion I wasn't expecting in a 2d game. The art style reminded me of a Pokémon game crossed with Funko pop, and I loved it. While Danger Crew is more retro graphically speaking the animations and level design are clean and as modern as can be. The music, complete with accompanying battle sounds reminded me of the golden days of Gameboy Advanced. The sounds are simple enough to convey what's going on without being so basic they drive you insane like some other retro-styled games. By the 4th or 5th battle, I started humming the victory music every time it was played, and I really want it as my ringtone now.   

That good music.

My favorite thing
        My favorite thing about the game is the depth of combat. Numerous different Scripts, upgrades, and items flow together and add levels to the gameplay. At first, I was able to dispatch of enemies quickly, but as my character grew more powerful, so did the NPC's. The pacing is perfect, the rate at which difficulty increases allows the player to learn as much as possible before they meet a challenge. This creates a super rewarding feeling later in the game and a level of difficulty that I enjoyed. After some time, players will be joined by companions they can also create and customize. The addition of teammates in combat busts the game wide open. Battles go from 1v1 to 3v3, and the enemies take a significant step up in terms of difficulty. There is a wide range of status effects in the game, such as "Lagged out," "Deadline," or "Hacked" each with the ability to drastically change the course of a battle. My favorite being Deadline because it gives the affected player an extra turn in combat. I would use the ability on a player who could also use Deadline and be able to have my whole team taking two turns by the second round of combat.

 I'll admit when I first figured this out, I felt unstoppable. That was until I ran into an enemy with the ability "Scope Stab," a Script that does critical damage to players affected by Deadline. That's when I saw just how detailed the combat is. To complete the game, I needed more than just that one combination of abilities. Boss fights pushed the combat even further and showed just how in-depth battles could be. With each new boss came the exciting challenge of finding a new build of abilities that will succeed. 

Puzzle elements help to fill out the game world

In the end
        Danger crew is fun, the combat feels great, and the story and characters are as charming as can be. The campaign will probably take you less than 10 hours to complete, and honestly, the only thing I'd change with the game is the length. The combat is designed with such depth and care that I could easily see it having more endgame content in the future. In fact, Danger Crew has already been updated with more battles. These updates feature such bosses as the Hacker King and even a showdown with the developers themselves. The passion of the developers is present everywhere in the game, and I know I'll be coming back to play Danger Crew again with each new update. If you have ever studied web development, the game will make you laugh out loud, and for me personally, I found the game incredibly inspiring. On sale on Steam until the 5th of August, there is no reason to skip this game. Any fan of classic RPG's will love it, and Danger Crew is the perfect weekend game to finish in a couple longer gaming sessions.

 I give Danger Crew 4.5 out of 5 Snails!