Crime Buster is one of the very first games to take full advantage of the then new script support for OpenBOR, and it shows. You won’t find any BOR clone syndrome around here. Now able to add their own logic, creators could build any game-play feature imaginable, and fill blanks that previous offerings sorely missed. That is, IF they were willing to take up the challenge. Creator Bloodbane was just such an individual.
Chief among those previously missing facets is a true grappling system. Crime Buster ameliorates that issue with vengeance, adding tons of strategic and painful looking slams for a visceral experience not seen since Streets of Rage 2. Each character is a completely unique play experience with their own set of special moves, traits, and passive abilities. Kula’s ice attacks have true freeze effects. Ralf really does show opponents how they break backs in Argentina. Athena’s psychic abilities are on display in all their glory, and Bao bounces around like the living super ball toy he is. As an extra little touch, the game primarily plays right to left. It's a little disorienting at first, but a refreshing change. On that subject, stages have a nice variety overall, with bits of interactivity here and there to keep things interesting.
Sadly, the entire experience is wreaked by absolutely ludicrous difficulty. Bloodbane states he took great care crafting tough AI, and he wasn’t kidding. There’s a fair share of mindless thugs, but many enemies sport sophisticated patterns and fight intelligently. This would be a great thing on its own, except the creator elected to couple it with an overdose of amateur cheapness. Mainly common enemies have ridiculous statistical advantages, being able to off you in just a hit or two. The game also way overuses gimmick enemies like nearly untouchable fliers or bikers and it’s not ashamed to flood the screen with both. Combine that with the out for blood AI, and what you get is more chore than challenge.
Despite all the game-play additions I mentioned earlier, there’s an unshakable feeling the player characters are afterthoughts. Everything you do seems rather pedestrian compared to the opposition. This isn’t a group of elite fighters taking on overwhelming odds. It’s just a few randos in way over their heads. The story doesn’t help. Players are a detachment of deputized vigilantes (I can’t quite tell) obsessed with making “arrests”, and they really suck at it. The only one with any brains at all is Maxima, and that isn’t saying much. Basically, you wander around with no real agency getting yourself beat up a lot.
I really can’t emphasize the feeling of general futility enough. It single-handedly ruins what should have been a groundbreaking module. I feel terrible giving a low rating. There’s a great game from a talented creator hidden in here, but you never get the opportunity to enjoy it.
