Kromaia

Kromaia has a stylized look, which can be a bit clumsy. The graphical quality also seems very soft, because the images aren't that crisp. Plus, the overarching story is a bit flimsy but serves as a suitable vehicle for the arcade action of the game. But what it lacks in those categories, it more than makes up for in the imaginative universe, quick pacing, and the fact that players need to figure out puzzles on maps with a huge amount of interactive and destructible objects. Although the game ducks beneath the covers of a third-person space shooter, the developers did a rather good job at creating something that looks fresh, even if it has familiar controls.

In addition to the main quest, Kromaia offers a couple of other options for gamers. There's a score attack, wherein players are timed and try to accumulate the best score possible (playing on levels similar to the main game's theme-driven content). There's also the ability to mod the game's XML files, which can be intriguing, but it's not for the casual gamer; players can actually affect ship hull looks, size, weapons, and engines, among other things. Bosses and levels also can be modified within the game. Getting to the appropriate files can be a bit tricky. This isn't an "on the fly" in-game type of thing; players have to locate the Steam Apps folder that holds the game, then go into the XML folder and open the files of the element they want to modify. Again, this isn't something a casual gamer should attempt without making sure anything he or she modifies can be undone if it creates ghastly changes to the game. For those who do understand XML programmable language (and the difference between using a 1 or a 2), this lets you add a lot of life to the game. Overall, Kromaia is a bit of an old-school arcade shooter combined with a new look. For fans of the genre, it's worth the look.