Info about Cross Impact:

Official game description:
Mort the Chicken - OUT NOW!!!
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About the Game
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Overview
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**Cross Impact** is an **Early Access** platform fighter designed to celebrate the indie game community. **It is still under development and subject to changes and improvements based on community feedback.** Experience intense battles like never before with up to 8-player simultaneous multiplayer, whether you choose to play locally or online with rollback netcode! With a unique roster featuring 12 fully playable characters from different indie franchises, 15 detailed stages, and over 30 music tracks (including remixes and returning favorites), Cross Impact is a platform fighter like no other.
Features
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*   **Unique Roster:** Play as 12 fully playable characters from different indie franchises, each with their own moveset, playstyle, and personality.
*   **Detailed Stages:** Battle it out in 15 carefully crafted stages, each with its own layouts, platforms, and visual flair.
*   **Epic Soundtrack:** Enjoy over 30 music tracks, featuring remixes and returning favorites from your favorite indie games.
*   **8-Player Multiplayer:** Duke it out with up to 8 simultaneous players locally or online with Rollback Netcode.
*   **Assist:** Call the help of an additional character help you out during the battle.
*   **Voice Acting:** Listen to voice actors bring the characters to life with their unique voices and expressions.
*   **Team Battles:** Form teams with friends and fight against others in thrilling team battles, with each player bringing their own strengths and strategies.
*   **Training Mode:** Use the fully-fledged training mode with lots of tools for labbing and hone your skills to become a true master of Cross Impact.
Characters
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Introducing **Ortheo**, the fearless protagonist from the game Ortheo (2022), as a playable character in Cross Impact! With an All-Rounder playstyle, Ortheo is a mid-weight fighter ready to take on any challenge. His home stage is the bustling Carloon Harbor, a location that perfectly showcases his adventurous spirit.
Introducing **Pal**, the villainous mastermind from LUMbA: REDUX (2022), as a playable character in Cross Impact! With a rushdown/stage control playstyle and a lightweight class, Pal wields a hammer with the finesse of a swordie. Pal's home stage is My World, a location that represents his strong connection to his home dimension. Pal can summon Lumba as a special move, providing backup firepower and leading to further stage control.
Introducing **Alex**, the enigmatic fighter from YIIK: A Post-Modern RPG (2019), as a playable character in Cross Impact! With a mix-ups/stage control playstyle and a light weight class, Alex plays like no other. In battle, Alex wields a unique set of moves and attacks, drawing inspiration from the surreal and otherworldly world of YIIK. His home stage is Frankton, a location that holds many secrets and memories for him.
Introducing **Toree**, the chirpy protagonist from Toree 3D (2021), as a playable character in Cross Impact! With a Glass Cannon playstyle, Toree is a lightweight fighter who can dish out massive damage but can also be taken down quickly. Toree's home stage is the bustling city of Neo Osaka, where busses and trucks pass by.
Introducing **Jacket**, the infamous assassin from Hotline Miami (2012), as a playable character in Cross Impact! With a brawler playstyle, Jacket is a mid-weight fighter who can throw his weapons with deadly precision. Jacket's home stage is The Metro, which is where his first mission takes place.
Introducing **Stardrop**, the bouncy hero from Indie Pogo (2018), as a playable character in Cross Impact! With a unique playstyle, Stardrop is always jumping and can charge aerials and parkour to compensate. Their home stage is Colosseum, where the character selection screen in Indie Pogo takes place.
Introducing **Cowboy**, the western swordsman from Your Only Move Is HUSTLE (2022), as a playable character in Cross Impact! Our first traditional sword-wielder, with fast moves. Utilize their explosive bullets & the sword's long range. Cowboy's home stage is Hustle Highway, where the fights from Your Only Move Is Hustle take place.
Introducing **V1**, the dead-cold killing machine from ULTRAKILL (2020), as a playable character in Cross Impact! V1 has a style meter, can cancel moves, and has a powerful jab. V1's home stage is Layer Two.
Introducing **Fark**, the high-speed, electric robot from Spark the Electric Jester (2017)! Fark brings his lightning-fast reflexes and devastating combos to the battle in Cross Impact, capable of dashing around opponents and delivering powerful strikes with his electrified blade. Fark’s home stage is Flower Mountain City.
Introducing **NAIR Block**, the nonsensical enigma from NAIR (2021), as a playable character in Cross Impact! NAIR Block is… well, ihard to describe. It defies logic, physics, and reason in every way. With a unique chaotic playstyle, NAIR Block thrives on unpredictability, making it a perfect choice for players who love keeping their opponents—and themselves—on their toes.
Introducing **Jackie**, the overworked intern from Going Under (2020), as a playable character in Cross Impact! Jackie’s relentless hustle shines through in her high-speed mix-up playstyle. As a lightweight fighter, Jackie utilizes her arsenal of office-themed weapons—including staplers, monitors, and even... cactie?—to deliver fast and relentless attacks. Jackie’s home stage is Styxcoin, a chaotic, neon-lit crypto dungeon.
Introducing **Mort the Chicken**, the unlikely hero from Mort the Chicken (2000), as a playable character in Cross Impact! Mort clucks his way into the roster with a quirky mid-weight playstyle that combines agility, humor, and barnyard flair. He can also peck, flutter, and headbutt opponents, utilizing the same offbeat energy that made him a cult classic.

Release date: Dec 29, 2023

Categories: Platform Fighter, Local Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer, Character Customization, Early Access, Indie, Action, Fighting Game

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 50; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The game on Steam Deck has several notable issues, including technical problems such as lag and controller support bugs, UI issues like an extra hand on the menu, and gameplay issues related to map design. These issues collectively impact the user experience and require attention to improve the overall quality of the game on this platform.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $10.00
  - Reasoning: The reviews indicate that the base game price of $10 is considered fair and good value for money. One review explicitly states that the game was worth it at $10, and another mentions that DLC pricing of 3-5 dollars in a 10 dollar game is overpriced, implying the base game is reasonably priced. Additionally, the positive remarks about the game's potential and fun factor support the notion that the community finds the $10 price point fair.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: 0.3h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence suggests that players spend a significant amount of time engaging with various modes and characters. One player mentions beating the arcade mode with all characters and trying other modes, indicating a substantial time investment. Another player mentions spending most of their time experimenting with character movesets and mechanics. However, specific hour metrics are not explicitly mentioned, making it challenging to extract precise playtime values. The mention of completing tasks in 15 minutes suggests short session lengths for some activities.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game has significant onboarding issues with its tutorial and controls, making it difficult for players to enjoy early on. Fun is unlocked when playing with friends.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: Playing with friends
  - Time to anchor: 0h 30m
  - Friction: Broken tutorial; Unclear controls; Clunky fighting mechanics; Lack of clear instructions
  - Unlock drivers: Playing with friends
  - Conditions: Playing with friends; Local multiplayer
- Player Archetypes:
  - Casual Platform Fighter Fan (buy)
    - Motivation: Enjoyment of casual and fun gameplay.
    - Playstyle: Casual, enjoys the game for its simplicity and fun factor.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: casual player; platform fighter fan
    - Reference games: Super Smash Bros
  - Veteran Platform Fighter (buy)
    - Motivation: Appreciation for the depth and variety of gameplay modes.
    - Playstyle: Experienced, enjoys both online and single-player modes, with a focus on combo-centric gameplay.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: veteran; platform fighter enthusiast
    - Reference games: Super Smash Bros
  - IP and Unique Feature Enthusiast (sale)
    - Motivation: Interest in unique IPs and gameplay features.
    - Playstyle: Enjoys unique characters and gameplay mechanics, often comparing to other indie platform fighters.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: IP fan; unique feature enthusiast
    - Reference games: Hotline Miami; Super Smash Bros


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Diverse and solid roster (weight 0.81): The character roster is praised for being decent, varied, and solid, featuring interesting indie characters.
- Enjoyable and fun gameplay (weight 0.81): Many players find the gameplay experience very fun and enjoyable, both online and offline.
- Frequent and responsive updates (weight 0.79): The development team is recognized for providing frequent updates and being responsive to player feedback.
- Game has great potential (weight 0.5): Players believe the game has significant potential and is promising, especially with future updates.
- Inclusion of specific characters (weight 0.47): Players appreciate the inclusion of specific characters like Jumbo Josh and other unique character choices.
- Good music and sound (weight 0.39): The music in the game is noted for being nice, pretty good, and catchy.
- Multiple game modes (weight 0.33): The game offers multiple modes, including a full training mode and other single-player and local play options.
- Passionate development team (weight 0.2): The development team is noted for being dedicated, passionate, and responsive to community feedback.
- Customizable controls (weight 0.18): Players appreciate the ability to customize controls and map buttons to their preference.
- Great pixel art (weight 0.18): The pixel art in the game is praised for being good and amazing.
- Supports 8-player matches (weight 0.18): The game supports 8-player local multiplayer matches, providing a unique and enjoyable experience.
- Great stage design (weight 0.17): The stage design is praised for being great and offering a good variety.

Common complaints:
- General dissatisfaction with game quality (weight 0.71): There is a significant amount of feedback indicating that players find the game poorly designed, boring, and not fun to play.
- Tutorial issues reported (weight 0.63): Multiple players have reported that the tutorial is either broken, incomplete, or poorly designed, making it difficult for new players to learn the game mechanics.
- Animation problems (weight 0.62): The game suffers from stiff, clunky, and janky animations, which detract from the overall experience and fluidity of gameplay.
- Game feels rough and unpolished (weight 0.61): Players have noted that the game feels rough around the edges, with many aspects needing refinement and polishing.
- Poor gameplay experience (weight 0.54): Many players have expressed that the game feels bad to play, with uninspired and clunky gameplay mechanics.
- Hitbox and timing issues (weight 0.41): Inconsistent and poorly designed hitboxes, along with bad timing, have been frequently mentioned as major issues.
- Game crashes and stability (weight 0.36): Frequent crashes, particularly when saving controls or during general gameplay, have been a significant issue for many players.
- Control and input issues (weight 0.35): Players have reported problems with controls, including input delay and difficulties with rebinding controls.
- Slow and clunky gameplay (weight 0.34): The gameplay has been described as slow and clunky, with high hitstun contributing to a less enjoyable experience.
- AI and balance problems (weight 0.34): The AI has been criticized for being unbalanced and poorly designed, particularly in sports mode.
- Criticism of moves and movement (weight 0.28): Players have criticized the moves and overall movement in the game as feeling uninspired and poorly executed.
- Audio design flaws (weight 0.27): The audio design and mixing have been noted as poor, contributing to a less enjoyable gaming experience.
- Game not recommended (weight 0.2): Many players have stated that they do not recommend the game in its current state due to the various issues mentioned.
- Arcade mode lacks engagement (weight 0.2): The arcade mode has been described as dull and lackluster, failing to keep players engaged over time.
- Controller support issues (weight 0.2): There have been reports of bugged controller support, particularly with assists not functioning correctly.
- Developer feedback handling (weight 0.18): Players have noted that the development team is poor at handling criticism and feedback.

Gameplay feedback:
- Diverse character roster (weight 0.96): The game features a wide range of characters with unique abilities and mechanics, including indie game references and experimental characters.
- Control and settings issues (weight 0.62): Players report problems with controls, including bad binds, control menu issues, and the need to remap controls frequently.
- Local and online modes (weight 0.6): The game offers various modes including local multiplayer and online play, though online matchmaking requires Discord.
- Hitbox and animation issues (weight 0.48): Players have noted inconsistent hitboxes and poor visual clarity in animations, affecting gameplay.
- High hitstun and combat mechanics (weight 0.47): The game features high hitstun and various combat mechanics, though some players find the combat stiff or unsatisfying.
- Lack of proper tutorials (weight 0.43): The tutorial is either absent, poorly designed, or lacks sufficient explanation, making it difficult for new players to understand the game mechanics.
- Platform fighter genre (weight 0.34): The game is described as a platform fighter similar to Smash, with dynamic combat and various gameplay modes.
- Workshop and modding tools (weight 0.26): The workshop support and modding tools are mentioned, though there are reports of the workshop not working properly.
- Stage and assist variety (weight 0.26): The game includes a variety of stages and assists, with themes and mechanics that add to the gameplay experience.
- Unique gameplay modes (weight 0.26): The game features unique modes like Volleyball Mode and Pogo mode, adding variety to the gameplay experience.
- Character balancing issues (weight 0.2): There are reports of poor character balancing, with some characters feeling gimmicky or unplayable.
- Early access and small dev team (weight 0.18): The game is in early access and developed by a small team, which may contribute to some of the issues and lack of content.
- Poor online play experience (weight 0.12): Players report a poor online play experience, including issues with matchmaking and overall gameplay.
- Lack of single player content (weight 0.12): Players note a lack of single player content, which may limit the game's appeal to those who prefer solo play.

Performance notes:
- Optimization and performance issues (weight 0.44): The game has various optimization issues, including lag spikes, input delay, and texture-related performance problems. These issues affect the overall smoothness and enjoyment of the game.
- Game crashes frequently (weight 0.23): The game experiences frequent crashes, which significantly disrupts the gameplay experience.
- Server connectivity problems (weight 0.13): Players report that the game's servers often do not work, leading to difficulties in accessing online features and multiplayer modes.
- Lag issues on Steam Deck (weight 0.12): The Steam Deck version of the game suffers from lag issues, which can hinder the gaming experience on this platform.
- Shader caching improves performance (weight 0.1): Players have noted that shader caching can improve the game's performance, suggesting a potential solution to some of the optimization issues.

Recommendations:
- Consider other similar games (weight 0.39): Some players suggest trying out other similar games like Rivals of Aether or Fraymakers as alternatives.
- Worth playing and supporting (weight 0.38): Many players find the game worth playing and supporting due to its enjoyable experience and potential.
- Recommended for fighting game fans (weight 0.3): The game is recommended for fans of Smash Bros. or similar platform fighters, offering a familiar experience.
- Developers expected to improve (weight 0.2): Players expect the developers to fix existing problems and continue improving the game.
- Recommended for adventure and puzzle lovers (weight 0.12): This game is suggested for those who enjoy adventure action with puzzle elements, providing a unique blend of genres.
- Add joystick tap jump toggle (weight 0.11): Players request an option to toggle joystick tap jump for better control customization.
- Game has minor issues (weight 0.11): While the game is generally good, it has a few issues that players have noted.
- Add option to change CPU to human players (weight 0.1): An option to change CPU players into human players is desired for more flexible gameplay.
- Add player icon customization (weight 0.1): Players want the ability to customize the position of the player icon on the screen.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Disappointment (weight 0.17): Players feel let down by the game's unresponsiveness, lack of updates, and poor design choices. The game's current state, including a lack of players and unbalanced features, contributes to a negative overall experience.
- Frustration (weight 0.15): Players are frustrated with the game's control and UI issues, as well as problems with the tutorial and online mode. The difficulty in understanding controls and poor gameplay mechanics add to this frustration.
- Excited (weight 0.11): Players are excited about the potential for new characters and updates. The enjoyment of crossovers and character creation also contributes to this excitement.
- Hopeful (weight 0.11): Players believe in the game's potential and are looking forward to future updates. They feel that the game is improving and that developers will address current issues.
- Excitement (weight 0.08): Players are enjoying the game and its innovative gameplay, such as the mention of Jumbo Josh. They are also excited about the potential for the game to improve and become a top indie platformer.
- Anger (weight 0.08): Players are angry due to poor gameplay experience and lack of developer response. Criticism of game design and developer behavior also contribute to this anger.
- Disappointed (weight 0.05): Players are disappointed with the game's arcade and online mode issues. Poor gameplay feel and server issues add to this disappointment.
- Frustrated (weight 0.05): Players are frustrated with connection issues and the game's current clunkiness. Despite these issues, some players still find the game fun.
- Hopefulness (weight 0.03): Players are hopeful about future updates and improvements. They believe in the game's potential and future enhancements.
- Amused (weight 0.03): Players are amused by the thought of unique character combinations and specific characters fighting.
- Anticipation (weight 0.02): Players are looking forward to a more polished product.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.02): Players are satisfied with the engaging story and interesting mechanics.
- Hope (weight 0.02): Players have hope for the game's potential to improve.
- Critical (weight 0.02): Players are critical of character and map design issues.
- Happy (weight 0.02): Players are happy enjoying playing as specific characters, such as Kory the chimke.
- Angry (weight 0.02): Players are angry due to poor gameplay mechanics and controls.
- Interest (weight 0.02): Players are interested in unique character and stage combinations.
- Mixed feelings (weight 0.02): Players have mixed feelings due to positive aspects balanced by significant issues.
- Satisfied (weight 0.02): Players are satisfied with their enjoyment of the game and are looking forward to upcoming DLC characters.
- Supportive (weight 0.02): Players are supportive and recommend buying the game to support its development.}