After trying a promising demo, Super Alloy Crush is now available in early access. We’ve previewed it to see whether the initial expectations have been met.
In this article, I won’t go into detail describing Super Alloy Crush, as I already covered it extensively in a previous piece.
I’ll just say that we’re looking at a 2D action platformer with strong influences from the Mega Manseries, drawing heavily from genre classics and featuring solid pixel art. Additionally, the game incorporates roguelite elements.
What’s interesting about Super Alloy Crush is its combat system: nothing groundbreaking, but well-structured.
What I had hoped for in my previous article was a deeper layering in the character ability-building system. I also would have appreciated a higher level of challenge in certain parts of the game.
In this article, we’ll analyze what’s new in this early access version of Super Alloy Crush, starting with its content and then moving on to the combat system and the possibilities it offers.
Let’s Start with the Content
Here’s what is available in Super Alloy Crush as of April 8, 2026:
Story Mode: You can play the first 3 chapters and face 7 boss fights.
Battle Rush Mode: In this mode, you face multiple waves of enemies. At the end of each wave, you can choose from various upgrades and perks, purchasable using money earned in combat.
Ultimate Challenge: The game’s true challenge, where the wave-based mode is enhanced and made harder through build limitations and particularly tough enemies.
Story Mode is definitely the most interesting and the one I recommend starting with. It allows you to enjoy the story, get familiar with the gameplay, and unlock gadgets and upgrades.
Progression also unlocks other modes and expands their content.
Each level has a completion rating, marked by a golden star if fully completed. Some levels cannot be completed 100% at first, but progressing through the story unlocks a key chip (no spoilers!) that lets you replay those levels with the necessary ability.
Battle Rush also provides rewards usable in other modes, and vice versa, a synergy I particularly appreciated.
Character Progression and Upgrades
Super Alloy Crush finally introduces meaningful character progression. This takes place in the central Hub, where you can move across different floors that gradually become populated by various characters as you progress.
Each room offers different upgrades, alongside others like an item database, a training room to test acquired moves, and even a room with a large gacha machine. This can only be used if you find Lucky Coins, which are very rare drops during gameplay.
Progression revolves around chips and your suit. By spending money, you unlock suit slots where chips can be inserted. Each chip has passive traits and a geometric shape, meaning you must both manage and fit them together effectively.
Not all slots are unlockable: screw-shaped ones are fixed, while others marked with an exclamation point require specific conditions to be met.
These upgrades can be obtained in-game, and some can also be crafted or purchased in the Hub. This allows for solid character building, preparing you for different situations.
Moveset and Supporters
To my pleasant surprise, Super Alloy Crush handles this aspect very well.
In addition to standard attacks and a forward dash, the two playable characters have 4 special moves assignable to different inputs.
These moves come in multiple variants that must be discovered and equipped. They consume energy from a blue bar and significantly alter both gameplay and the character’s moveset.
There are 3 Ultimate abilities, though you start with only one. The others aren’t found in levels or modes but are tied to suit upgrades, unlocked by removing a certain number of suit slots.
Another interesting mechanic is the spaceship and its supporters.
Supporters are characters you rescue during gameplay who can be called in to assist the protagonist. Some drop health items, others restore energy for special or ultimate moves, and so on.
They’re very useful, but keep in mind they have limited uses, you can’t rely on them endlessly.
Supporters are tied to the spaceship that follows you throughout the game. This ally can revive you after a KO and houses your supporters.
Instead of a traditional life system, Super Alloy Crush uses a health bar and readiness points. Each death consumes points, and when they’re gone, it’s game over. These points are stored in the spaceship along with the supporters.
Gameplay changes when you can choose between different ships, each with unique characteristics. Ships can be upgraded or purchased in the Hub.
Each ship has its own capacity for supporters and its own number of readiness points.
So, your ship choice effectively determines both your playstyle and the game’s difficulty. You can adopt a more aggressive or more conservative approach, the choice is yours.
Final Thoughts and Difficulty
Super Alloy Crush is an early access title, so it wouldn’t be fair to write a full review or critique, as it’s not complete by definition.
However, based on what I’ve played so far, I feel confident recommending it.
It retains all the strengths shown in the demo and addresses many of my concerns, particularly regarding level design and character management. The mechanics are deeper and more engaging than expected, and at times genuinely surprising. Character building is satisfying and helps significantly during gameplay.
The only lingering concern is difficulty. If you’re looking for a real challenge, you might struggle to find it in Story Mode. The other two modes, especially Ultimate Challenge, offer a much more demanding experience.
That said, Story Mode does ramp up over time. There are moments that require careful play, and boss fights are well-designed, requiring you to learn enemy patterns.
A notable feature is certain enemies surrounded by a dark aura in later levels. Be very careful, they’re extremely tough and can defeat you in just two hits!
These are heavily powered-up versions of regular enemies and reminded me of the Black Phantoms from Demon’s Souls’ concept.
All things considered, Super Alloy Crush has impressed me so far and shows solid foundations. Hopefully, the developers will continue to update the game and listen to community feedback.
Preview code provided by the developers.
