Crusader: No Regret
| Company type | Video game developer |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Fate | Defunct |
| Successor | Electronic Arts (parent company) |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Crusader: No Regret |
| Parent | Electronic Arts |
Crusader: No Regret is an isometric action title created by Origin Systems and released by Electronic Arts in 1996. Serving as a loose follow-up to 1995's Crusader: No Remorse, it is often viewed by critics and its director more as a standalone expansion rather than a full sequel, offering fresh levels, adversaries, and armaments while retaining the core gameplay mechanics.
Taking place shortly after the events of No Remorse, No Regret centers on the Silencer, a supersoldier turned rebel fighter, within a dystopian setting set in the 22nd century.
Gameplay
The gameplay remains largely consistent with that of Crusader: No Remorse, where players guide the Silencer through diverse missions, utilizing teleportation pads for rapid movement across areas.
This installment adds new weaponry and introduces unique death animations such as freezing and melting effects. Differing from its predecessor, the Silencer now has the ability to carry an unlimited number of firearms. Additionally, non-player characters no longer possess money due to the elimination of friendly merchants on the Moon.
Combat takes on a greater focus; obstacles that were previously avoidable or solvable with items now generally demand direct confrontation and forceful resolution.
Plot
Set 46 hours following the conclusion of No Remorse, the Silencer is saved by a WEC freighter traveling to the Moon and subsequently contacts the local Resistance group. The Moon functions both as a mining facility and prison for political prisoners extracting Di-Corellium, a vital radioactive mineral that powers Earth's energy grid. With approximately half of known supplies located on the Moon, Chairman Draygan manages operations amidst ongoing Resistance sabotage.
Over ten missions, players work to disrupt WEC activities, culminating in a showdown against Draygan piloting a mech suit. The destruction of WEC’s lunar headquarters allows the Resistance to seize control over mining operations, laying groundwork for continued conflict. Compared to No Remorse, the storyline is more concise and streamlined.
Development
Both titles utilize an upgraded version of the Ultima VIII: Pagan isometric engine enhanced with full SVGA visuals. The audio system employs a proprietary Asylum Sound System that uses MOD files rather than General MIDI, ensuring superior sound quality without requiring expensive hardware. Each mission features original compositions by Andrew Sega and Dan Grandpre from the now-defunct Straylight Productions. No Regret further improved audio fidelity by incorporating higher-quality 16-bit samples.
The Crusader franchise incorporates full motion video (FMV) sequences featuring live actors during cutscenes to drive narrative progression, typically presented as one-sided dialogues since the player character remains silent. Both No Remorse and No Regret included extensive in-game materials such as propaganda posters and manuals to deepen player immersion.
Development of No Regret occurred under tight scheduling constraints, limiting director Tony Zurovec’s ability to realize all intended enhancements, which contributed to his view of it not being a true sequel. Originally named No Quarter, Origin’s management considered branding it as Crusader II: No Regret, but Zurovec preferred dropping the numeral. A multiplayer expansion titled Crusader: No Survivors was planned but ultimately cancelled.
Although Jorg Newman, who produced Saturn and PlayStation versions of Crusader: No Remorse, mentioned plans for console adaptations of No Regret in 1997, these versions never materialized.
Release
In 2011, an emulated edition of the game was launched for both Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X via GOG.com.
Additionally, the title became accessible on Electronic Arts' Origin platform, where it was made available at no cost in 2014 as part of the Origin On the House initiative.
Reception
Crusader: No Regret garnered mostly favorable critiques. Major Mike from GamePro commended its enhanced visuals, polished gameplay mechanics, and intensified action, granting it a 4.5 out of 5 for graphics and perfect scores of 5.0 in sound quality, controls, and entertainment value. GameSpot emphasized the game's intricate graphical details, while PC Gamer welcomed the inclusion of controller compatibility. Reviewers also pointed out that the difficulty level rose compared to the original title, due to smarter enemy AI and more complex puzzles and traps.
Some critics expressed reservations about the FMV-centric narrative and considered the game more akin to an expansion pack rather than a full-fledged sequel. Nevertheless, No Regret received a nomination for Computer Games Strategy Plus's 1996 action game of the year award, although it was ultimately surpassed by Syndicate Wars.
External links
- Articles with short description
- 1996 video games
- DOS games
- MacOS games
- Games commercially released with DOSBox
- Warren Spector games
- Origin Systems games
- Realtime Associates games
- Science fiction video games
- Single-player video games
- Video games developed in the United States
- Video games scored by Andrew Sega
- Video games scored by Dan Gardopée
- Video games set in the 22nd century
- Video games with isometric graphics
- Windows games