Flynn: Son of Crimson is ideal for someone who is looking for a blend of The Legend of Zelda, Shovel Knight, and Dragon Ball Z. While this combination may sound odd, developer Humble Games found a way to balance the three and produce something that is beautifully designed, surprisingly intricate, and forgiving. Flynn: Son of Crimson falls short in a few areas - namely its story delivery and an annoying area cleansing mechanic - but the overall experience is so engrossing that these faults fade into the background.
Flynn: Son of Crimson tells the story of the titular character, Flynn, as he fights to keep the island of Rosantica safe from the Scourge, much like his parents did long before. Flynn comes from the Crimson bloodline, which imbues him with special attacks, abilities, weapons, and a companion named Dex who is the land's Guardian Spirit. The world of Rosantica is stunning and the lore is rich, but the delivery of the narrative is weak, as it relentlessly reminds the player of Flynn's bloodline and how everyone knows and respects him and his late parents.
The combat is surprisingly deep, however, and Flynn's progression in power feels both natural and rewarding. Flynn uses multiple unique weapons and abilities that are effective against enemies and the environment. The Crimson Sword is fast and agile, while the Crimson Axe can stagger enemies and break through crystal barriers. To complement his weapons, Flynn can also cast elemental magic like Lightning in order to stun enemies, but when used on naturally electric enemies, it will create a current that flows between all of them for greater damage. The real star is Flynn's Crimson power, which essentially makes Flynn go Super Saiyan when used because it allows him to inflict a ton of damage at very high speeds, all while surrounded with deep red energy and lightning.
Traversal is pretty straightforward, but the level design encourages players to think creatively. For example, distances between platforms can be a little too far to comfortably jump to since Flynn has no double jump or dash, but he does have a dodge roll. This led to experimenting with rolling and then jumping just before the roll ends, only to find out that it's an intended mechanic later on. Players don't need to be told everything and if they choose not to talk to non-essential NPCs, they won't be told about these more nuanced mechanics, but the game itself encourages players to make these discoveries on their own.
Flynn: Son of Crimson does have to two distinct issues that aren't dealbreakers, but they are annoying. The first is the Scourge mechanic, in which Flynn is prevented from going to a new area until he goes back to a previous one to cleanse it. It feels wholly unnecessary and it instantly kills the player's momentum. The second issue revolves around the game's bosses, which feel really out of place and completely disconnected from Flynn. The battles themselves are incredibly interesting and challenging, but they have no presence in the larger world, so it feels a bit confusing as to why Flynn has to fight them in the first place. Rozia is the only exception because she is Flynn's dark counterpart and develops a relationship with him over their multiple encounters.
There are some fun nods to its inspirations, such as having an area puzzle that mirrors the Ocarina of Time's Lost Woods puzzle; it even has a race and city called "Neptyn" that look a lot like the Zora and an un-frozen Zora's Domain respectively. While these references are clear, both in its design and gameplay, Flynn: Son of Crimson has a very defined sense of identity and has many unique features that set it apart from its inspirations. Flynn: Son of Crimson is absolutely worth checking out as every second spent in its beautifully designed world is one well spent.
Flynn: Son of Crimson is out now and available on Nintendo Switch, PC/Mac, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Screen Rant was provided with a Switch code for the purpose of this review.