Double Cross Review – Slinging through the multiverse

The Nintendo Switch isn’t exactly hurting for 2D platformers right now. Even so, Double Cross, developed by Canadian studio 13AM Games, adds just enough personality with its inter-dimensional setting and colourful cast of characters to make it stand out. It doesn’t quite reach its full potential, and there are certainly avenues for improvement. That said, Double Cross is still a lot of fun.

The main character of Double Cross is Agent Zahra Sinclair. She works for RIFT, a Men In Black-style organisation that maintains peace and order in the multiverse. Right at the start of the game, RIFT is attacked by a mysterious masked figure called Suspect X. Someone in the organisation helped Suspect X infiltrate, so Zahra has to travel to three different parallel Earths to acquire clues, uncover Suspect X’s plan and unmask the mole in RIFT. 

Each different Earth is split into 4 separate stages, each with their own different gimmicks.  They have some fun themes, like the Mad Max-wasteland world populated by dinosaurs, or the futuristic Blade Runner world run by robots. In each level, Zahra must jump across platforms, solve simple puzzles, and punch enemies. However, her signature ability is the Proton Slinger, a sort of grappling hook that can be used to launch Zahra from grappling points, as well as grabbing and throwing objects.

The level of difficulty is just right, giving some moderately difficult platforming challenges without feeling frustrating. Falling into a pit or losing all of Zahra’s health just puts you back at the nearest checkpoint, which are plentiful.

In addition, each level contains a certain number of Upgradium, which are items which level up Zahra’s abilities. The player can slot in and out up to three different upgrades, such as giving her a shield, making her heavy attacks stronger, or eliminating the damage from falling into a pit. It adds a small layer of customisation so that players can prepare Zahra for different types of encounters, and the upgrades can be swapped out at any checkpoint.

Giving some enemies weak points, or incorporating the Proton Slinger in more ways to damage enemies, could have given the combat more flavour. Even adding enemies that are weak only to certain moves, like in Guacamelee 2!, may have made the combat a bit more thoughtful. However, the fighting aspect wasn’t as exciting or engaging as the platforming was.

There are fun little background stories that advance in RIFT, such as the tentacle monster who wants to become an agent, or the sentient pineapple undercover agent who is trying to prevent his girlfriend from being deported. None of the characters are all that deep, and the story overall has the tone of a Saturday morning cartoon, but it was enough to make me care for them and want them to succeed.

That said, I found the investigation element to be rather half-baked. The game is called Double Cross, and yet the player has little agency regarding uncovering the traitor within RIFT. As you acquire clues which provide alibis for various RIFT agents, it steadily whittles down the list of suspects, and yet the player isn’t offered a chance to make any of those deductive tasks themselves.

I was looking forward to having to make judgments based on the information the player acquires in Zahra’s Case Files, yet the game railroads that portion of the game so that the investigation happens entirely within cut-scenes. I felt like the double crossing narrative aspect added a sense of tension, but it could have been more extensive.

Overall, the game isn’t that long; a playthrough will take you about 6-8 hours, depending if you go back and hunt for all the Upgradium. However, for the type of fun, bite-sized experience it is going for, it doesn’t overstay its welcome.