Review: Crystal Caves
At a Glance
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How to Save and Pause:Each episode has its own set of ten save slots for you to use. However, you must save your game manually, and you can only do that on the episode's hub level. If you want to pause the game, open the game's menu by pressing ESC. Time needed per session:Give yourself at least fifteen minutes per session. That's enough time to clear a few stages or simply try a few of them over again.
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Does this game pose issues for Christian players?
 | No - this is a great game for Christians While there is some blood (surprisingly enough), this is an otherwise tame and family friendly game. |
Screenshots
Game Overview
Crystal Caves is an old puzzle platformer that hails from the early days of DOS - a detail that is immediately apparent from its limited color palette and PC speaker based sound effects. Despite these limitations, it's more polished than many other DOS games of its era.
Like other shareware games released for DOS, this game is broken down into multiple episodes. The first misadventure, Trouble with Twibbles, can be played and shared freely, while the other two episodes need to be purchased somewhere, like Steam or GOG. Steam's copy also comes with DOSbox already configured to use your controller, which is a very useful tweak in my opinion.
Now, the game's story is very simple: Mylo Steamwitz, a bold (and very broke) adventurer keeps coming up with hairbrained schemes to get rich quick. In order to fund these ventures, he flies to the planet Altair in the Millennium Kiwi, and enters its dangerous caves of Altar where he hopes to collect as many precious crystals as he can. Once he's exhausted the supply in an area, the episode ends and the player gets to watch the aftermath of Mylo's current attempt at making money the easy way.
Regardless of which adventure you're playing, you'll always start at the episode's "main level". This area acts as a hub that leads to all of the actual levels - all you need to do is walk over to a door and Mylo will automatically enter it.
Within each level, you'll need to guide Mylo around until every crystal is collected. The tricky part is that these stages use switches, doors, elevators, and even powerups in such a way that you're forced to take a specific path through the level. Choosing to go in the wrong direction can leave Mylo trapped or render other parts of the stage unreachable. As an aside, this is why I called this a puzzle game - it's not enough to just run around and shoot your way through the game; you need to figure out the correct strategy in order to complete a level.
Overall, this is a fun little entry in Apogee's catalog, and it still has its charms. Also, since the first episode is free, you can always try it before buying the full game. Just remember that you'll need to configure your Dosbox installation on your own in order to run it.
Like other shareware games released for DOS, this game is broken down into multiple episodes. The first misadventure, Trouble with Twibbles, can be played and shared freely, while the other two episodes need to be purchased somewhere, like Steam or GOG. Steam's copy also comes with DOSbox already configured to use your controller, which is a very useful tweak in my opinion.
Now, the game's story is very simple: Mylo Steamwitz, a bold (and very broke) adventurer keeps coming up with hairbrained schemes to get rich quick. In order to fund these ventures, he flies to the planet Altair in the Millennium Kiwi, and enters its dangerous caves of Altar where he hopes to collect as many precious crystals as he can. Once he's exhausted the supply in an area, the episode ends and the player gets to watch the aftermath of Mylo's current attempt at making money the easy way.
Regardless of which adventure you're playing, you'll always start at the episode's "main level". This area acts as a hub that leads to all of the actual levels - all you need to do is walk over to a door and Mylo will automatically enter it.
Within each level, you'll need to guide Mylo around until every crystal is collected. The tricky part is that these stages use switches, doors, elevators, and even powerups in such a way that you're forced to take a specific path through the level. Choosing to go in the wrong direction can leave Mylo trapped or render other parts of the stage unreachable. As an aside, this is why I called this a puzzle game - it's not enough to just run around and shoot your way through the game; you need to figure out the correct strategy in order to complete a level.
Overall, this is a fun little entry in Apogee's catalog, and it still has its charms. Also, since the first episode is free, you can always try it before buying the full game. Just remember that you'll need to configure your Dosbox installation on your own in order to run it.
Points of Interest
Lots of different problems
Each level is entirely unique, but there are several special conditions that keep things interesting. Some levels have rocks falling from the ceiling, others need you to find a light switch, and more than a few take place in low gravity. Even the decorations can be dangerous, so stay alert!
Everything is part of the puzzle
Many levels can only be solved by using specific powerups at the right time and in the right way. Sometimes these are locked behind doors or blocked off by something else, but that's not always the case.
Spike in difficulty
The levels in the first episode are fairly easy compared to the levels in the second and third episode - be prepared for some tricky situations in the full game.
Trap in Episode 3
There's a problem with the third episode's hub level. Mylo can't climb out of the area in the upper left, so you're forced to tackle those levels last. If you make the mistake of saving your game while in this section, you'll have to restart the entire episode from the beginning. There is an unofficial patch for this, but it's up to you if you want to install it.
Concerns and Issues
Blood, surprisingly enough
When Mylo kills an enemy with his rocket gun, the enemy bursts into a few bones that dift in space for a moment before vanishing. There are several red pixels on these bones, making them look bloody. Blood (or rust) can also be found on hooks that hang from some ceilings.
This seems out of place with the game's otherwise cartoonish atmosphere.
This seems out of place with the game's otherwise cartoonish atmosphere.
The many deaths of Mylo
Mylo can only take three hits before he collapses and the player needs to restart the level. Most of the ways he can get hurt are obvious - he can touch a monster, get hit by a falling rock, falling into toxic goo, or by touching poisonous mushrooms.
But the more shocking way he can die is actually under the player's control: if you accidentally shoot one of the air generators, the void of space will abruptly consume the area, causing Mylo to pop like a balloon!
But the more shocking way he can die is actually under the player's control: if you accidentally shoot one of the air generators, the void of space will abruptly consume the area, causing Mylo to pop like a balloon!