The dark skies peppered by occasional rain and bulging with overall gloomy demeanor does wonders to crush any lightness of being. On the ground, armored killers wielding heavy metal blades attack with the quickness but well aimed gun blasts knock them for a loop. Acrobatic warriors also spin and somersault at you with dazzling efficacy and boss monsters vogue then prance around with horrific swagger. The action improves upon the first two Crimsons by cloning everything that made House of the Dead 2 great. A seamless storyline intertwines with the action to hold viewer interest and draw players in. The fast camera swivels to intended targets and pans to possible routes, keeping the pace lively. During boss encounters, the view stays dead on your quarry and focuses in and out to give an idea of how close to death you are. Brisk game-play (that is actually playable) and haunting visuals rescue this one from another shelling by reviewers.