Release Date: September 12, 1996 Developer: Origin Systems
Get It On: GOG
If Crusader: No Remorse was the groundbreaking cinematic debut of the Silencer, then the 1996 sequel, Crusader: No Regret, is the high-octane, “more is more” action follow-up. Picking up mere hours after the destruction of the Vigilance Platform, this sequel skips the slow-burn introductions and drops you straight into a moon-based mining colony for another round of glorious, isometric carnage.
More Than a Level Pack
While No Regret was technically developed as a standalone expansion, it feels like a refined, concentrated version of the original. The core gameplay remains intact—you are still a red-armored supersoldier navigating complex industrial environments—but everything has been tuned for speed and intensity.
- Gone are the hub-world interactions at the Resistance base. No Regret moves from one mission to the next with relentless pacing, focusing entirely on the “run-and-gun” puzzles that made the first game a cult hit.
- The Silencer has been practicing. New combat maneuvers, including forward rolls and more fluid sidestepping, make the infamous “tank controls” slightly more bearable (though still a hurdle for modern players).
The real star of No Regret is the expanded weapon list. Origin Systems clearly leaned into the “mad scientist” vibe for this outing.
- The Broiler: This microwave weapon liquefies enemies, leaving behind nothing but a steaming puddle of goo.
- The Crystallizer: A fan favorite that freezes guards into solid ice statues, allowing you to shatter them into a thousand resonating shards with a follow-up shot.
- New Gadgets: You now have access to spider mines and more sophisticated remote-controlled droids to clear rooms before you even step foot in them.
Atmosphere: Dystopia on the Moon
The shift from Earth to the Lunar Mining Cartel gives the game a cold, sterile, and even more oppressive atmosphere. The SVGA graphics are as sharp as ever, and the environmental storytelling—finding logs about the radioactive “Di-Corellium” mining—adds a layer of grit to the B-movie FMV cutscenes.
The soundtrack, once again handled by the masters of the .MOD tracker format like Andrew Sega, is a standout. It trades some of the original’s industrial grit for a more polished, high-energy techno-vibe that perfectly matches the faster gameplay.
Crusader: No Regret doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel; it just puts spikes on it and sets it on fire. It is harder, faster, and more violent than its predecessor. While the loss of the Resistance base hub makes it feel a bit less like an “RPG-lite,” the sheer quality of the level design and the satisfaction of the environmental destruction make it the definitive Crusader experience.
