Cross of the Dutchman Review (PC)

History has provided a great deal of inspiration to many different video games over the years. Most of the times, major conflicts have formed the basis of games in the strategy or shooter genre, but there have been smaller experiences inspired by less known historical events.

The new Cross of the Dutchman from Dutch developer Triangle Studios is such an example. The isometric brawler focuses on the legend of Pier Donia, who withstood, by himself and with the help of other villagers, the Saxon invasion that ravaged the region of Frisia in the early 1500s.

Throwing in a great visual style, not to mention some other interesting RPG-like mechanics, and Cross of the Dutchman seems like an innovative experience.

Does the game manage to honor the legend of Pier Donia or should it be lost in the history books? Let's find out.

Story

When it comes to universal history, everyone knows about major conflicts like the world wars or medieval events like the crusades and other events. However, I'm pretty sure that most countries can relate to the story of Pier Donia and even have such an example of a common man standing up against organized armies.

The game follows Donia's legend quite closely, starting with the farmer tending to his field. Unfortunately, Saxon soldiers start rummaging through the countryside and soon start wreaking havoc in the neighboring villages. Pier, in order to protect his family but also his acquaintances, starts a guerrilla war against the Saxon army.

At first, it's just him and his brutish strength against the soldiers, but soon enough more villagers join the action. The adventures and the conflicts grow in intensity, so you're in for a very fun history lesson, even if you have no previous knowledge about Dutch medieval events.

The writing and the dialog are also quite good and manage to keep things lighthearted, despite the pretty violent conflict.

Battle against armies in Cross of the Dutchman

Gameplay

In terms of gameplay, Cross of the Dutchman keeps things pretty simple. The experience is a brawler one, coupled with an isometric point of view on the whole action. At first, Pier takes on the soldiers using his fists, but soon enough, he begins to use weapons and other such things.

You don't just pummel your foes using the regular attack, however, as Pier also has access to a charged attack governed by his stamina bar. At first, this is just a powerful uppercut, but by finding gold in chests throughout the countryside, you can acquire other moves, such as pirouettes that deal area-of-effect damage.

Combat in general is simple but pretty fun, and while things are relatively tough at first, when Pier goes up against groups of soldiers, everything gets fairly easier once more allies join the fight. Your comrades are quite capable in combat, especially Pier's nephew, so you won't feel like you're playing a nanny to their own group.

The only downside refers to the moments where you're forced to sneak around and remain concealed while infiltrating certain zones. These situations don't feel all that well as hiding from enemies is a bit too simple. Things get a bit hairy when lots of enemies swarm you, as clicking around doesn’t feel that responsive and Pier's attacks don't land where they should.

Cross of the Dutchman also has a few role-playing aspects, as you can augment your health or stamina by visiting merchants from the different villages in the zone. Moving around is also pretty good but you do have to keep pressing down the mouse button to ensure that Pier continues his journey. This can get a bit tiring, but the pretty common fights ensure that your clicking finger gets a workout.

Enemies start out relatively simple, with regular Saxon footsoldiers, but soon enough, you'll go up against armored foes that can withstand a lot of punishment, but also archers that can pick at your health from afar.

The environments are pretty varied and going through them doesn't pose that many problems. The only issue relates to the design of the map and mini-map. It's quite hard to spot what areas you can go through and what represents inaccessible zones, like cliffs or fences. The game also opens up or shuts down various paths, depending on the situation, so you might have to backtrack or roam around to find the correct direction.

Fight with allies in Cross of the Dutchman

Visuals and sound

In terms of visuals, Cross of the Dutchman sports a gorgeous cartoonish style that not only makes the experience more appealing but also minimizes the general violence of the gameplay. Animations are also pretty good and keep things fluid enough. The character design also stands out and manages to look good during regular gameplay but also during conversations.

The soundtrack is pretty good, managing to complement the action and set the tone through its medieval mood. The audio effects are also decent, although they do become repetitive during extended play sessions.

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The Good

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Conclusion