Recent reviews by Keebz

Initially I gave this game a negative review because I was disappointed with how poorly it was optimized for Steam Deck. I am happy to see it receive an update when I had long since assumed that support was done for this title. They updated the whole trilogy, in fact. Better late than never and a good move from the developers. Hope they'll do it for their other games too.

Game is nostalgic and fun. This is a work created by many passionate people and they've done a great job.

Performance could use a couple more patches, as certain areas can be a bit chuggy. But that aside, it's a near perfect game with so much to explore and discover. If you play it, I bet you'll feel that same sense of awe and wonder you had when reading the books long ago. You know, back during a simpler time when people got along better and didn't get so hung up over differences in opinion.

Now, can we get a sequel with Quidditch and multiplayer please? Other wizarding schools?

Underrated gem. I have a lot more hours in this across multiple platforms but I continue to come back to this one when I'm looking for a non-shooter PVP game to play. There isn't really anything else like it.

Fun, short rhythm game. It gets better as the mechanics start to make more sense. At first I was a bit confused. The “back” button on a controller instantly restarts the level btw. Helpful tip to know.

The music seemed weird and quirky initially, but it grew on me when I learned how it can sound much better as you maintain your streak and that sweet electric guitar comes in.

If you liked Bit Trip Runner, this game is by those devs and provides similar enjoyment. If you like earning 100% achievements in such games, know that one of them in particular is near impossible for average humans. I want to go for 100% but also…I don’t hate myself that much.

Less of a review, mostly just first impressions...but this game is really fun. Why hasn't someone thought of making a third person Smash Bros. until now?

Game is great. More of this please. I daresay it is my favorite co-op shooter in a long, long time. My Steam hours are inaccurate. I had it free on Epic, but bought it on Steam because I liked it so much.I am not certain how the experience would be as a solo player, but I can say the game is a blast with the right friend. I've beaten it and I'm about to replay it. I absolutely loved the gameplay, the atmosphere, the graphics. It didn't overstay its welcome (I think it was somewhere around 10-13 hours?) but has replay value. Looking forward to trying the DLC.

Honestly, some reviews say "souls game with guns." I am so glad it's not that. Nothing against souls games, but I don't think it is an accurate depiction. Aside from the "bonfire" mechanics, it feels more like a Gears of War game with more RPG elements. Very enjoyable in 2 player co op. I'm about to try it in 3 player co-op so we'll see if that holds true.

Now that I've had the chance to play more, I can say that, for me, this game is something special. It takes a good 3-4 hours to start showing that, however. New systems keep opening up, and it becomes more and more fun as they do. Don't give up on it too early. If you like Final Fantasy and/or Stardew Valley, there is a good chance you'll appreciate what is offered here. It's also a very pretty game. I keep taking screenshots. That said, I do have a few minor gripes. See my original review below for those.

----ORIGINAL REVIEW----
Well, despite having basically zero graphics options, the game runs well and looks good. But come on Square! You did this with FF7 remake too! Providing options is essential in PC gaming for game preservation and allowing the game to run well on various configurations.

No mouse support in menus other than clicking the button to accept/cancel things. In actual gameplay, thankfully, the camera is controlled by the mouse and it actually feels good to play on mouse and keyboard. No ultrawide support, unfortunately. Music is beautiful. Voice acting would have been nice...there is none here. No way to skip cutscenes. Despite these relatively minor gripes the game does seem fun. Runs well on Steam Deck. Easy 60fps with 3-4 hours of battery.

**Major stutter issues on Steam Deck by default. Here is the workaround for now.**

Usually the Proton versions of native Linux games work better in my experience. However this is not true for CrossCode.

Perhaps some people that aren't sensitive to stutter will not recognize it, but I guarantee it's there. Turn on the frame time graph overlay in the Steam Deck's quick access menu and you'll see what I am talking about. Spikes all over the place especially when moving to a new room.

You can force the game to run the Linux version by going into the game's properties in Steam and selecting the Compatibility tab, and then forcing it to use "Steam Linux Runtime" (scroll down). It will then download an update, which will swap out any Windows-specific files with Linux ones.

**HOWEVER** this isn't all you need to do.

You need to be in Desktop mode when you do this. Then, in the properties for the game click Local Files --> Browse. Double click on CrossCode to launch the game. This is the Linux executable.

If you don't click on this file and just try to launch through Steam, the game simply will not boot.

Anyways, try this in Desktop mode and you'll see what I mean - the game is perfectly smooth once you've switched to the Linux build.

Hopefully this can be fixed. It's really unfortunate. But until then, here is a workaround for Steam Deck users.

Edit: A user named Scrumplex has actually created a tool that will allow the native Linux version to work in gaming mode, and cloud saves work too! Grab it here and follow the instructions.

https://github.com/Scrumplex/Steam-Play-None

You just need to extract this file to this directory:

/home/deck/.local/share/Steam/compatibilitytools.d/

Then you can see a new option called "None" in the Compatibility tab of the game's Steam properties, when you go to force a specific compatibility tool. Note that achievements will not work with this method, but the game will be smooth. And apparently temporarily switching back to the Proton version will unlock any achievements you have earned.

Fun little co-op hack n' slash game. There are abilities to upgrade, new items to obtain. Scratches a bit of that Diablo itch. Limited resolution options on PC unfortunately. Seems to work great on Steam Deck though.

The reason I haven't played Spider-Man before now is because it didn't make sense for me to drop $500+ on another console. As I've grown up, I've gotten tired of games being tied to specific hardware. I already own a capable PC and I'm personally not a fan of the walled garden ecosystems that consoles provide. So I'm SUPER glad Sony is embracing PC, and especially Steam. It is great to see them accepting that people want access to their awesome games on systems other than actual PlayStation hardware. Interestingly, from the good will they're generating through doing this I'm already way more likely to ever want to buy a PS5 than I would have been prior to this (especially if they figure out things like cross save/cross buy/cross play etc).

Steam Deck support on launch was also a nice surprise.

Sony, keep doing this and I'll keep buying your games. That simple. Also...bring Uncharted 1-3 to PC before Uncharted 4! Everyone wants that!

Final words, this time about the actual game and the port itself: In short, I can already tell I'm in for an AMAZING experience. Sony are extremely lucky to have acquired Nixxes. They make the best PC ports out there, and there is no exception for this game. Insomniac seems to have made a masterpiece--the story, graphics, music, gameplay etc. are all top notch and it's immediately apparent. Can't wait to swing back in. Also, if you're listening Sony, give us Gravity Rush, Bloodborne, etc. on PC too!