Flynn: Son of Crimson is a Kickstarter-funded indie game that is now finally in the hands of the expectant backers and platformer-lovers alike. While it has received some polarizing responses based on the initial promises of the Kickstarter campaign, it’s safe to say that the game is, at the very least, fun to play. This reception hasn't been concretely linked to anything in particular, but it's likely that this game fell prey to a bit too much developer ambition, like other indie games before it.
Throughout the game, protagonist Flynn has 3 different Crimson weapons he unlocks. He also possesses three elemental magics, and some other unconnected abilities. So, for players just starting out, let's take a look at all the magic and weapons and see which is the best of the best.
Crimson Weapons
First and foremost, all the weapons in Flynn: Son of Crimson were obviously designed with different purposes in mind. The Crimson Sword is clearly meant to be the all-rounder, with the Crimson Axe as the heavy-but-slow option. Finally, the Crimson Claws fill the role of the speedy, aerial-oriented choice. Apparently, there were two other options that didn't quite make the cut for the full release, but they might be coming later.
Crimson Axe: More Powerful, But Is It Worth It?
The Crimson Axe is the second weapon unlocked throughout Flynn’s journey to stop the Scourge, and it’s a shame that this came in last place. A specific subset of players tends to gravitate towards heavier weapons, loving the idea of trading safety/speed for pure, raw damage. And, while that is true for the Crimson Axe, the tradeoff this time around just isn’t worth it.
Yes, the axe does more damage than the sword by default. Yet, with how often enemies attack, Flynn barely has enough time to get a single hit out before having to dodge roll, let alone the entire combo. It feels a bit like the developers hadn't fully fine-tuned the weapon's usage in-game, a trend players have noticed in other points of the game as well.
Crimson Sword: Dependable, But A Bit Boring
Just as intended, the Crimson Sword is the bread-and-butter weapon choice of this game. It’s relatively fast, has decent range, and all of its moves that use Crimson Charges are useful, especially the Heavy Breaker.
When players get deep enough into the Skill Tree to unlock the two weapon damage buffs, the sword starts to feel more like an actual sword, rather than a stick Flynn has to repeatedly bludgeon his enemies with. That said, the lack of air versatility and flair for the sword means that it doesn't quite make it as the "best" weapon option.
Crimson Claws: Raw Speed Always Wins
It does make sense that as the final weapon unlocked, the Crimson Claws would be the best. Modeled after Dex herself, the Crimson Claws are the speediest melee option for Flynn, making them the most useful. Ask anyone who plays combat-oriented Metroidvanias (AKA Metroid: Dread) or fast-paced roguelikes (such as Hades or even Ghostrunner) regularly, and they’ll most likely say that faster weapons trump slower ones every time.
More often than not, the faster weapons that have “low” damage don’t actually feel like their damage output is low due to the frequency at which they can hit. If the Claws can kill an enemy faster than the Crimson Axe, and in less time, why even use the axe at all? Additionally, the Crimson Claws have an air combo, something that neither of the other two options has. Lastly, their Crimson Meter abilities are extra useful, especially the Plummet Follow-Up and Plummet Finisher abilities that turn Flynn in a spinning mass of damage, entirely invulnerable for the full animation.
Crimson & Elemental Magic
Moving on to magic, this game has a pretty simplified Magic System and an even more simplistic way of granting it unto Flynn. The player has their standard Crimson Magic, which then unlocks additional elemental magic when fully charged, such as ice, electricity, and fire. Each element is used for certain platforming puzzle solving, as well as raw damage against enemies.
The Default Crimson Magic
It seems obvious that the default magic would be the worst. This type of magic is what always comes out when Flynn fires an uncharged shot, and it does a relatively small amount of damage to enemies per shot.
But, the charged variation does a lot more damage, and fills a substantial amount of the enemy “Stun” meter as well. And, because Flynn can hold a charge shot while performing other actions, players should keep it constantly charged and ready to fire.
Flame Magic: Good For Puzzles & Not Much Else
Flame Magic in Flynn: Son of Crimson is just kind of bad. Frankly, it’s mostly used for lighting torches in intentionally dark stages, and that’s more annoying than it is enjoyable. As for its innate ability, Flame Magic+ has the power to slowly trickle away at both an enemy’s HP and their Stun Meter.
But, getting a good “flow” of movement while running through is half the fun of platformers. By that logic, there aren’t many players who want to stand around and wait for an enemy to burn into a stunned state before approaching them.
Frost Magic: Useful, But Not Powerful
Frost Magic is the first one unlocked in Flynn’s story, and it's more of utility-bsed magic than a pure-power one. When hit with Frost Magic, enemies are frozen in place for a decent amount of time. Then, once hit, the ice entrapping them breaks, and the enemy goes back to normal. It’s great Magic to use while walking towards an enemy to set Flynn up for an easy melee combo.
Additionally, when upgraded via the top section of the Skill Tree, Frost Magic+ now pierces through enemies, freezing them all in a line. While this may not seem great for the first 30-40% of the game where enemies appear one by one, it only becomes more useful over time.
Electric Magic: The Best Of Both Worlds
Last up is Electric Magic, the element that’s likely the most annoying to see enemies using since it causes them to damage Flynn on touch. While Frost Magic is used to freeze platforms and Flame Magic is used for lighting torches, Electric Magic is used for taking the green-ish electricity buff off of enemies.
Outside of serving that purpose, the default Electric Magic seems pretty weak. But, once upgraded to Electric Magic+, it becomes so much more useful. The minor amount of delayed damage it did is now exponentially increased, and the lightning that “strikes” foes after being hit by this stuns them for a half-second as well. Additionally, Electric Magic+ chains from enemy to enemy, so, during the second half of the game where enemies start to appear in groups, it really shows its true power.
Honorable Mention: Dex The Doggo Mount
Lastly, there’s Dex, Flynn’s mythical magical giant dog. Flynn’s main purpose for the first major chunk of the game's story is to help Dex recover from her power being stolen. Once that’s done, Flynn can then summon Dex at Guardian Posts sprinkled around specific levels to ride her like a war-mount.
It didn’t make sense to put Dex into the Weapon Rankings, considering she's more of a vehicle than a weapon. However, she deserves to be included at least in some way, shape, or form.