For PC players looking for a compelling freebie to add to their collection, Epic Games Store is offering the fantastic rogue-lite Crying Suns for nothing. It will be free until January 14th so there still is plenty of time to see its gorgeous pixelated art and well-rounded story firsthand if you have some time to spare.
In Crying Suns, you’re put in the role of a space commander that comes across a mysterious empire. The story elements really shine bright and give you a reason to progress further to find out more secrets about the empire’s history.
You’ll enjoy a procedurally generated universe with over 300 possible story events. That gives this game plenty of ways to play out depending on your progression and choices.
The story is lengthy, but because it’s broken up into six chapters, there are plenty of opportunities to take breaks and get yourself focused on what’s up ahead. There’s also a fast forward option if you do want to skip around to certain parts.
In addition to the gripping story, Crying Suns also makes use a frantic combat system that will throw a lot at you at once. After each playthrough, you’ll start picking up on the subtle details that make all the difference in coming out on top against other well-powered battleships and fleets.
This rogue-lite was inspired by FTL (Faster Than Light), but according to many players, it doesn’t quite match the elements that made FTL so popular. Still, Crying Suns is a good game definitely worth checking out if you enjoy rogue-lites with competent combat and a story that will take you on quite the journey.
The storytelling is probably where this game shines brightest. You can tell the developers at Alt Shift wanted to dig deep into building a fantastic universe filled with twists and turns that keep you guessing. Based on player reactions, they’ve mastered this aspect.
They don’t leave anything up to your imagination. Instead, they give you concrete plot points that you’ll get behind early on in the game. Sure, gameplay and strategy could be a bit better, but for a free rogue-lite, you certainly could do a lot worse.
You’ll just have to temper your expectations a bit if you’ve played FTL and came out of it really liking its designs and directions. Alt Shift did their best with the systems and resources they had available.
