Crusaders Of Space 2 Help.
In Crusaders of Space 2 (COS2), the player controls a ship that moves along the bottom of the screen shooting aliens that swoop into view. The gameplay is reminiscent of Space Invaders and Galaga, with a number of contemporary innovations tossed in.
One improvement is the ability to fire a limited number of missiles at enemies. As the player shoots down invaders using the left mouse button, aliens sometimes drop a bonus item, one of which contains missiles that can be fired using the right mouse button. The player can use these to destroy the powerful stationary turrets interspersed throughout some stages or stockpile them for the boss battles at the end of each the game's five episodes.
Two additional bonuses contain health and armor boosts. Unlike space shooters in which a single hit brings death, COS2 gives players a fighting chance in the form of health and armor points. These diminish each time an alien's bullet hits the player's ship. Bonus drops replenish these all-important reserves.
An invader might also drop one of three temporary weapon boosts. The Fire boost increases the power of player's primary bullets. The Freeze boost stops an enemy in its tracks and shuts down its weapons, giving the player time to eliminate the alien without having to dodge its bullets. The Toxic boost poisons its target for a short time, allowing the player to hit an alien with a few shots and leave it to die.
COS2 also allows the player to improve his or her ship between levels using upgrade points earned during combat. Points can be spent on ship augmentations, such as increased firepower, or on gameplay enhancements, such as more powerful bonuses. Since the player can reclaim points spent on one improvement and apply them elsewhere, he or she can try out various strategies for beating different parts of the game.
There's plenty of room for testing different strategies, too, as COS2 includes 120 levels spread across five episodes. Each episode takes place at a unique location and ends with a boss battle. Between episodes, hand-drawn cut scenes tell a story of love and revenge amongst the stars, compelling would-be space jockeys to keep playing through to the surprise ending.
Though COS2 has its roots in classic arcade action, the developers made full use of modern computer hardware to create an exciting audio-visual experience. The graphical improvements since the first Crusaders of Space game and its Open Range follow-up are numerous, including rich animation, detailed 3D backdrops and stunning explosions. There's also extra detail on the various ships available to the player -- and upgrades produce even more. (Purchase the mega-bullet upgrade, for example, and the added guns appear on your ship.) Users with good audio equipment will appreciate the deep, rumbling explosions in COS2 and enjoy the game's exceptional sound effects.
By mixing modern gameplay innovations with a classic formula, COS2 proves that everything old is new again. It also demonstrates how the classics are just as compelling and addictive today as when the pioneers of video gaming first gave them form.
Publisher:
Alawar Entertainment.
EMail: [email protected]