Flynn: Son of Crimson is an excellent indie specimen of what makes action platformers great. The refreshing combat system and beautiful yet increasingly complex level design will remind you of what you loved the most from your childhood platforming classics. Aside from Flynn's unfortunately short length, I am quite excited to see more from Studio Thunderhorse, as they created a fantastic game. And they let me pet a gigantic dog.
I love dogs, but I am sadly allergic (making my dream of owning a gigantic fluffy canine one that might never come to fruition). I recently followed a Twitter account whose sole purpose is to tell me if “I can pet the dog” in a game (or fox, if you’re playing Ghost of Tsushima); I use this Twitter account as a way to decide if I should pick up a game with a gigantic pupper in its splash art. Yes, dear reader, I learned that you can pet the dog in Flynn: Son of Crimson. Before you ask: The rest of the game is fantastic. But you can pet the dog, and that’s why you should get this game. Petting the dog is very important.
Studio Thunderhorse has created a beautiful and fun 2D action platforming masterpiece in the form of Flynn: Son of Crimson. You play as Flynn, an orphan child with a gigantic pup for a partner, whose task is to discover Flynn’s origins and harness crimson energy to save the world of Rosantica from a Scourge. It is your job to make your way through unique levels, swap weapons, and utilize several types of elemental magic.
Flynn is best described as an action-platformer, although it pays homage to the level designs of classic Kirby games, animations from Sonic the Hedgehog, to abilities and boss battles from the Mega Man series. Flynn (mostly) takes some of the best gameplay elements from these series and puts them into a short but sweet platformer that will make you sad to see the end credits.
The general gameplay of Flynn involves you selecting a level from the overworld that looks similar to that of Super Mario World. The level title on the overworld will literally tell you if there are “multiple exits” when you’re hovering over a level, so you can prepare yourself to either blaze through the level or to take your time and look for hidden secrets. Most of the 20 levels have hidden secrets (that can be exchanged for currency), but the game does not force you to seek them out nor lead you miles off the beaten path.
Flynn’s controls and gameplay feel very similar to Mega Man and Hollow Knight: You can swap weapons and magical abilities (once you unlock them, of course) as you play through each level. Each weapon has its unique benefits and properly balanced. For example, the sword is relatively fast and deals a moderate amount of damage, whereas the axe is slow but deals heavy damage. Some enemies can only be defeated with a specific weapon, but in no way does Flynn force you to utilize one weapon over others, meaning you can expect to have freedom as you make your way through Rosantica.
Aside from weapons, Flynn can also utilize different forms of magical energy that are unlocked as you play through the game. Each form of magic can be used to defeat enemies and navigate through platforming sections. For instance, in the mountain levels, I had to freeze pillars of water as part of the level objectives, but I could also use my ice abilities to freeze enemies in their tracks so I could follow up with combo attacks. I was pleased to find that each magical form was unique and played a critical role in some levels, but I still had the freedom to swap abilities as necessary. I also enjoyed how the DualSense’s lights changed depending on which magic I was currently using.
Flynn’s skill-leveling system is quite well designed and encourages the player to build Flynn how they want. Skills are leveled up by spending crimson shards (red diamonds that are earned by defeating enemies, destroying red crystals, and completing levels). When the skill-tree is made available to the player, only the sword and healing skills are available. As you complete levels, the skill tree gradually opens up and gives you more decisions as to how you want to build Flynn. Unlocking these skills is refreshing and opens up more playstyles other than mashing the square button.
In terms of level design, I can confidently say that each level is unique and a joy to play. Platforming games can sometimes introduce new platforming elements, like wall jumping or puzzle solving, in infrequent spurts or all at once; Flynn introduces you to new level mechanics on a slow but steady basis. Another issue among platforming titles is the “level realism” factor, which can be used as a lever to increase difficulty as the game goes on. Luckily, the levels in Flynn throw no such curveballs at you. Snowy levels and ice cubes will not be annoyingly slippery and momentum-based. The often-dreaded underwater gameplay will not be convoluted nor entirely reliant on oxygen management in secluded parts of the level (although swimming underwater requires you to get some oxygen). Even “losing” in a level will only have you restart the current part of the level rather than from the very beginning or an arbitrary checkpoint.
The pixel art of Flynn is beautiful and shockingly defined. While some static storyboard-esque cutscenes lack detail and text, the amount of emotion and content that are packed into them tell just as much story as the text-based dialogue. The NPC characters are defined and have unique details, and seeing them move as you interact with them makes the game feel alive. The levels are beautiful, too. I was pleasantly surprised to see so much detail put into the levels, the magical abilities, and the world of Rosantica.
Flynn’s original soundtrack is nothing short of delightful. Jacob Lincke’s music features novel combinations of woodwind instruments, drums, and what I think was a modified piano. Some of the music was eerily catchy, too. I was quite pleased with the atmosphere created by the SFX and OST, and I’m sure that you will, too.
I will not go as far as to say that Flynn is 2021’s game of the year, nor anywhere near the realm of reinventing the platformer wheel. My biggest (and only) fault with Flynn is its length: it’s short–quite short. I was able to finish over 75% of the game in a little more than four hours. If you’re wanting a short but sweet indie platformer, then look no further than Flynn. Otherwise, I am sure that the end credits will hit you like a ton of bricks, and you’ll definitely be wanting more. If you do not own a PS5, worry not: It is available on PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC, too!
Flynn: Son of Crimson is an excellent indie specimen of what makes action platformers great. The refreshing combat system and beautiful yet increasingly complex level design will remind you of what you loved the most from your childhood platforming classics. Aside from Flynn’s unfortunately short length, I am quite excited to see more from Studio Thunderhorse, as they created a fantastic game. And they let me pet a gigantic dog.
