Crimson Shroud is such a simple game that it makes you want to make a game. There is no animation (besides your table-top like pieces falling over), but the story/dialogue adds more life to the characters than other games with an abundance of animation (even a solid game like Fire Emblem Awakening leaves you feeling cold in comparison). This is also the reason why it’s deceiving, even if you were to emulate the mechanics exactly, you would be no closer to making a good game.
It’s no surprise; Yasumi Matsuno has created perhaps some of the best written games ever. Tactics Ogre has a darkness and intensity that buries it in a depth few other games I’ve ever played can begin to compete with (Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne perhaps). While Vagrant Story is an aesthetic marvel on all levels. Crimson Shroud isn’t as stellar in any of these ways, but it’s staying with me in the best kind of way.
