But CrossCode really shines when Lea teams up with other players. Folks like Emilie, AKA Emilienator, a brawling Pentafist hailing from France. As she and Lea explore CrossWorlds, Emilie is always ready with a quip or a comment. She has a tendency to stay up too late while playing, letting the game interfere with her schoolwork, but she’s super dependable. She’s also obsessed with the laser bridges that often connect different areas of the game’s maps, which is adorable.

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Or the Hexcaster, C’tron. He’s kind of new, having joined Emilie and my guild shortly before we did. He seems nice. He’s certainly enthusiastic.

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Yeah, we’re all part of a guild. Emilie’s powerful friend Schneider invited us to join the First Scholars. We had to prove ourselves by completing the game’s first major dungeon, a lengthy, puzzle-packed underground mine filled with dangerous enemies. It took me a couple of hours (Emilie beat me through the solo dungeon), but I made it through and earned my place.

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I was glad when the dungeon was over, honestly. While I had a great time figuring out how to use Lea’s powers to unlock doors, melt pillars of ice and fire bombs across the room, the Zelda-like solo dungeons are very lonely.

CrossCode is a game to play with other people. Yes, they’re fake, but they are so nice to have around. When you’re staring at a treasure box that’s seemingly out of reach of Lea and friends’ platforming abilities, studying other players can provide clues on how to proceed. When you’re involved in a fierce battle against a horde of hedgehogs, it’s reassuring to see other people run by, ignoring your plight completely. It’s the best part of the MMMORPG experience, without any of the frustrations (arguments, Chuck Norris jokes).

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CrossCode is a pretty amazing game. So far I’ve played upwards of 15 hours, and I’ve only just completed the second of the game’s dungeons. I’ve still got three of Lea’s five different skill trees and plenty of new powers to unlock. Plus I’ve only scratched the surface of the mystery of just who Lea is and why she’s not like all of the other CrossWorlds players.

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While deep down inside I realize that CrossWorlds is just the illusion of an MMORPG, I still feel a little embarrassed when I do something stupid like die or pose for a screenshot while other players are running about.

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CrossCode is now available on Steam for PC, Linux and Mac.