Rebeccah Bassell, Analog Addiction. "Ultimately, my feelings about Cross of the Dutchman are centered around not only how I feel about the sub-par mechanics, but how I feel in general about the usage and touting of a game being “historically based.”
The compromise is often made in what a game is trying to do with its own “historically based” nature. It ultimately depends on how the game developers position themselves in relation to the study of history. Usually, this dichotomy arises: “Do I want to make this game historically-based in order to teach them the facts, dates, and events of this time?” or “Do I want to make this game historically based in order to explore the larger factors for why these events occurred, and potentially put players in that same decision making process?”"
COG writes - This historical brawler may have some decent artwork and a semi-factual story, but sluggish combat and awkward stealth sections will leave you wondering what the point was in the first place.
Historical events are great for a storyline, but it doesn't really matter if your game can't keep up... Great review!
Pretty much. Cool idea, just sounds like it needed more polish to get everything to feel "right".
Diggy at GameSpew writes: "Based on a true story, Cross of the Dutchman is a historical action-adventure game recently released on PC via Steam, Humble and other distribution platforms. While the gameplay mechanics may not be looking to cause a revolution, the charm of this little game comes from its creative exploration of the life of a Frisian folk hero."
Hey Poor Player's Francis DiPersio writes - "Triangle Studios’ Cross of the Dutchman is an interesting beast. This isometric brawler tells the origins story of Frisian rebel fighter and folk hero Pier Gerlofs Donia. Later known as Grutte Pier (Big Pier), the once humble farmer traded his pitchfork for a hulking two-meter sword to kick off a bloody and successful guerrilla campaign against the Black Band, an occupying regiment in the service of George, Duke of Saxony in the mid 16th century. While the mythology behind Cross of the Dutchman‘s protagonist makes brilliant fodder for a hack-and-slash title, the game’s repetitive nature and truncated campaign keep the title from achieving the mythic heights of its inspiration."
