Crying Suns....

Getting back into the swing of things over the last day or two was better than last time.

My latest trip through the last cluster was relatively uneventful. Surprisingly so. Thankfully I've seen some positive interactions, luck with scrap/fuel and it's been one of the better runs to reach the end overall. I'm presuming that patches, game mechanic tweaks, have all made the difference. Subtly differences for the better on top of some of the larger changes and additions(ship cores and the advanced tactics patch/update in general!).

So yea that end system/node with it's three phase fight while still a massive pain in the posterior; Ended well this time round. Thankfully the last of the three in a row fight was less harsh than I remembered. Maybe I was just lucky.

The end brings with it a mountain of text to leave no facet of explanation and story uncovered. That's a good thing. Text I'll skip 'if' I return. Your given a choice at the end.... a choice of options that each have an achievement.... I'm in n no rush to get back and redo them one after another just for the achi. As for the story..... Hmmmmmm.

Completing the game adds chapter selections up front, so there's more replayability on top of the replayability it had in spades. I may not be back immediately to the game but it'll get played again.

Getting this done allows me to strike another off the list of ongoing games to 'complete'. All for fun now, by choice! 

I've completed it. I've read the story-line and chosen my ending(potential spoilers below - just more thoughts).

No major spoilers but.... 

Kaliban is such a dick! A passionate, selfish, disloyal DICK! 

Cool, calculating, unemotional my buttcheeks! 

My poor crew.... disposable to the end... What does that make my character really!! Statistical anomaly!? Plaything of the Omni's!? Choice that isn't really a choice. speaking of which.

Fuppin ascension Omni's are likewise dicks! Ascended my áss. Superior leetist a**holes! No wonder the suns are crying!!!!!!!! 

Lot of Matrix vibes going on in the endings re the machines(Omni's). Vindictive a**holes even if they wont' admit it and reason otherwise.

I'm not unhappy with the ending, I'd have been happier if I'd not have gotten so much more new information as well..... These things happen. If I'd not have gotten all the new info I'd be asking even more questions.

Yea I'll be back for more once I gloss over some of the story in my memory with thinking about the fun gameplay.

Kaliban.... 

Kaliban........

........................you dick!

Crying Suns....

It's been a while but I've been plugging away at Crying Suns the last few days. I'm left feeling like I may have left the game for too long to get back to. Getting back to it now feels like a learning curve. A slight learning curve but a learning curve non the less. I'm running on instinct and it feels like I'm missing a trick or two.

Last time I was in game I was getting defeated on the last boss section of the game. This time round I'm barely making it past system 2 never mind 3 before I even see the end...... RNG and bad luck are making me regret getting back into it this weekend. Time to step away again.....

Crying Suns....

I've been enjoying a lot more Crying Suns over the last week and bigtime this last weekend. Lots more progress made. So without too much spoilage I'll waffle on....

The merest sniff of a cryopod and I'm there. Two of my newest additions are my favourites so far.

My progress has been swift, fun and filled with both luck and pain.

That pain is mainly in the form of of being unlucky. Like getting blown up just as I get a 'boss' battleship to the very last 10% health of a first time encounter fight that would have been 'the end'(of the game). Even more unlucky to never get that close again.

Despite some walls of text, the story is good and imho gets better as your journey evolves. Some may say it's a little predictable at times, but that's not me. I've enjoyed the journey, the story and the ending I've seen so far. Even if it's taken a 'few' tries.

I've endured done the last run a few times and settled on the original Excelsior ship or The Void as the best for the final phase.

With the end run, luck, even bad luck seems to be turning into a frustrating grind for me. The end isn't just a boss fight it's the 3 region run plus the boss 'fight';Which is an extended boss battle(and then some). So it's a compounding problem. If you fail it then your specialist clone is in a growing state and unavailable. You could have the ideal setup/upgrades, then with the roll of the dice on your journey you get completely messed up.

Yet if there were a 'save point' post run pre boss it wouldn't 'feel' like a rogue-lite tactical game.

At this point, for me, it's time to step away from the game for a little bit; Then get back to it again once I've recharged my interest in the challenge...

I love this game and not to end on a downer here's some of the things that make the game great.
Ship explosions. Ship explosions after a victory are still a thrill to watch. The burning wreck as it slides out of view.... Add in the music and you get a combination of greatness(Part of what sold the games demo to me). The overall visuals and music really set the scene, make the games universe come alive. The game may have randomness to it's gameplay, it's what makes it great. Take the good with the bad chances. 

Crying Suns....

Progress in Crying Suns is still ongoing for me. Slowly but surely. There's a good bit to be unlocked. Not that I'm planning to unlock it all, but progress and unlocks are fairly seamless. Even for a casual mess-about player like me. The next system you jump into might have a cryopod on a successful ground mission that unlocks an officer you always use from then on(or never use again).

My last run saw me rescue 3 cryopods in 2 systems! I'd never had 5 officers before!

It's the combination of chance (good and bad) that builds up to bring you into and out of situations. Help a ship with the last of your scrap and your reward is that it was a scam; Which leads you to the next system hunting for scrap; Or another ship in need that you don't help but might have rewarded a great weapon. But I have to say I've been enjoying the journeys of easier levels than the harsh RNG of anything extreme.

A Casual Carebear

Crying Suns....

Crying Suns game mechanics give as much an emotional feel as the audio and visuals. Those mechanics allow for a wide range of choice and chance. Chance is always a roll of the dice but the choices are very much the players. Upgrades allow you to choose your own game style stamp on interactions(pew pew). Choosing officers in a bad situation, even if they're not suited to a role still gives you a fighting chance. Choice or chance, chance or choice(*). In the end a player reaches critical mass. Some cascades of failure can't be mitigated by any choice or chance; But it's fun to try. Damn, I love this game!

Crying Suns....

I've been having so much fun playing Crying Suns I'm only getting around to this post now. The game imho is a joy. I love the graphics, sound, music and gameplay styles. This game has been such a surprise to me. I've no idea how I didn't hear about it. A very pleasant surprise.

I got to record the latter part of my time in the demo, completing the first sector. Full of mishaps, mistakes and risky choices, great fun.

A Casual Carebear

I took a break after that first sector and bought the game. No regrets. During that break I mentioned the game to a good friend, he checked the demo for a few minutes and bought the game quicker then I made a cup of tea and chatted on the phone. If the game clicks with you it clicks. Nice to see a game with a Demo(Steam  /  GoG)!

Two of my favourite things in the game are perfect in combination. A defeated starsship breaking up and the music track 'Idaho Clone 486'. I savour that time in the gameplay.

The music overall is just like the game, epic. This is a game I'm going to be spending a lot of time in.

Crying Suns....

Crying suns caught my attention for it's trailer, art style and tag line of being a more intense FTL. What really sealed the deal for me(not that I've bought it yet) is that it has a playable demo. Which I've been enjoying. 

Humble Bundle

SplatterCatGaming did a good intro playthrough for the game.

SplatterCatGaming