Crimson Capes turns Dark Souls into an old-school fantasy

The pulp Soulslike you might have been looking for

Crimson Capes begins with a kid searching for a plant at a doctor's request. Leaving the village, they meet a somber man wearing a crimson cape that covers part of his face. They talk, and the kid explains their mission. The point of view shifts and the man concludes that the doctor, who's actually a necromancer, is not making a healing medicine at all: she’s to fight her executioner. This is Crimson Capes, a 2D Soulslike game that, unlike its peers, focuses on creating an enthralling old-school fantasy.

Developed by Poor Locke and recently released for Windows PC, Crimson Capes is reminiscent of a time when classic fantasy settings dominated the pages of pulp magazines like Weird Tales in the first half of the 20th century. You play as Milon, the Tempest, who has vowed to protect the kingdom of Avrom against witches, alongside with the other members of the Crimson Capes. Apart from his magical cape and a two-handed sword, Milon has only his courage and sense of duty to help him fulfill his mission.

To say that Crimson Capes is only a 2D adaptation of the Dark Souls formula is to undersell the game. It certainly draws heavily from FromSoftware's signature game design. Each strike in a fight counts, and even the most ordinary bandit can take you down with a few hits of their axe. You can either parry or escape enemies' attacks by dodging to the other side at the right moment. You have a limited number of healing items and, yes, you can replenish them by resting on a bed of blue flowers — and by doing so, enemies respawn. At least you don't lose the currency you earned from killing enemies when you die!

Poor Locke's thoughtful additions and tweaks make Crimson Desert feel different from other Soulslike games. First, Milon doesn't level up, so you can't make him overpowered with a window-length health bar. All upgrades come from items you equip. When it comes to combat, the studio prioritized a realistic approach instead of power fantasy. The only weapon you have at the beginning of the game is a regular two-handed sword — and you won't drop more by killing enemies. This is a weapon whose physicality is often trivialized in other medieval fantasy games, but in Crimson Capes, you can feel how much fighting with that sword demands from a person.

Any movement made with the sword is represented by a slow, heavy animation. Moreover, the playstyle replicates real-world techniques, from thrusts to feints. It's a dance where all participants are waiting to see who commits first. The movements are slow, but meaningful since any wrong decision can cost you dearly.

The grounded combat helps make the world of Crimson Capes feel fantastical. The studio took inspiration from old pulp fantasy tales, creating a place where bandits are as cruel and dangerous as demons — and all they need is a knife or a bow to make you think twice before engaging in battle. Witches may be the Crimson Cape’s sworn enemies, but they are regular women living in small shacks within dark woods. It's curious, but their simple design makes them look more threatening. They don't need to summon a legion of spirits or fire volleys of magical laser missiles to threaten you. In Crimson Capes, they send flocks of ravens after you and command deadly immortal skeletons to pursue their target.

Just like the antagonists, the rest of the game's world can feel fairly normal, which makes the fantasy elements stand out. As in old sword-and-sorcery stories, magic in Crimson Capes inspires both fascination and fear. Part of the reason why magic — and other fantastical elements — is so appealing in these stores is that it is rarely explained. In one of Robert E. Howard's stories, author of Conan the Barbarian, Conan discovers a mysterious tower in a city. He invades it, searching for promised treasures, only to encounter a humanoid creature with an elephant head. You finish reading the short story with no idea what that creature is or what powers it possesses — much like the necromancer you fight in the first part of Crimson Capes.

This contrast is even more effective because of the game's minimalistic hand-drawn art style. The classic castle designs and the vines connecting the levels visually evoke old illustrated books, where rough sketches were enough to spark the imagination.

Crimson Capes is a Soulslike with a clear sense of its own identity. Its sword-and-sorcery world and slow, straightforward gameplay might not be for everyone, but it's a delight to experience this old-school adventure. Crimson Capes doesn't push the Soulslike to new heights, but it proves the genre's elasticity and shows the value of playing the right notes and setting the proper tone.