CDX Heroes: The Other Recruits

Before you ask, this is what the game is literally called. Why the name was chosen is still unknown.
CDX Heroes: The Other Recruits a 3D open-world crossover action adventure game co-published by Sony Interactive Entertainment and CDX Software and released on February 16, 2021 for the PlayStation 5 and the CDX Nexus, and released on June 21 for The V2. In the game, five new CDX Heroes (Hilda, PaRappa Rappa, Maggie Pesky, Wubbzy, and Strong Bad) must use their abilities and prove themselves that they can save the world themselves, while a giant, sentient crystal wants to absorb the Earth and gain powers to become unstoppable.
Due to the inclusion of Hilda and Parappa in major roles, CDX stated that the game would be exclusive to the PS5, as Sony owns both characters. CDX will still release the game for their console.
== Gameplay ==
Much like CDX Heroes: The War Of The Worlds, you can choose any of the five playable characters and use then to either explore the city (named CDX City) and interact with the environment, or battle enemies and use your powers to defeat a group of foes in a matter of seconds.
Weapons may vary by strength, for example, weak weapons include things like broken glass, cardboard, and plastic knives, and strong weapons include things like Strong Bad's nunchuck gun, laser cannons, and, believe it or not, a human-sized breadstick.
== Plot ==
Sometime before CDX Heroes: Brawl, the CDX Heroes have detected five people that have saved their respective worlds at one point. They then send holographic messages to them by saying that they have witnessed their heroic work and are offering them to join their team. They accept their deal, and are suddenly transported into the heroes' base. As the five new heroes introduce themselves, the CDX Heroes then say that they will have to make them stay in CDX City to defend it, while they have to solve a bigger problem overseas. Unaware to them, Shadder, a giant, sentient crystal, has been listening this entire time and is planning to absorb the Earth to become more powerful.
The city's local supernatural creatures (they're friendly) start suddenly attacking a portion of the city. They suddenly stop while its revealed that they were being mind-controlled by Shadder. While trying to stop his forces, Hilda is attacked by a strange entity resembling her but is more evil and powerful. Thankfully, she defeats her evil clone, while the others question if they have any evil clones, and if they might attack them next.
The flying-spaghetti monster appears and captures everyone except Parappa, who defeats the monster by using two giant chopsticks and flinging the monster into the ocean, who gets eaten by a hybrid of a baryonyx and a crocodile, one the supernatural creatures that inhabits CDX City. Shadder sends a message to the city by saying that if the citizens fail to give up the city to him, he will destroy the Earth and absorb it's remains into his planet so that he can become powerful. Suddenly, a giant, human-sized wasp attacks the biggest buildings in the city, but gets defeated by Maggie by using a giant fly-swatter.
Shadder gets furious and sends more forces, one of them is a giant rubber ball who is defeated by Wubbzy, on accident. Shadder then sends a destructive time-travelling robot named Razor, and defeats everyone but Strong Bad, who destroys him by using his fists and his nunchuck gun. Suddenly, Shadder summons a giant six-legged robot that destroys most of the city, but is destroyed by all five heroes.
Shadder immediately loses his mind and teleports in front of the heroes to defeat them himself. He loses, but absorbs a crystal he has in his hand and turns into a towering ghost-like figure and flies into space. Although he succeeds at destroying part of the city, the heroes successfully defeat him as he crash lands onto his planet, which causes it to explode. However, our heroes realize that because they're in space, they'll crash land onto Earth and kill themselves. As they fall down to Earth, a beam of light appears and they are send to the CDX Heroes' base.
The CDX Heroes say that they witnessed the entire fight with Shadder and his forces, and that they're impressed that the could save the city while they were gone. As thanks for saving the Earth from a powerful entity, our new heroes are promoted to honorary defenders and are rewarded with powerful weapons to prevent any evil force from destroying the Earth. The city is rebuilt, and our heroes are congratulated by the citizens.
In a post-credits scene, Atom, the CDX Heroes' arch-rival, witnesses Shadder's planet blowing up and calls him an embarrassment to villains everywhere. While he says that, one of his minions begins to plan an all-out attack to become the ruler of the universe.
== Development ==
A video game based on five characters was in development around the same time CDX Heroes: Brawl was awaiting release in the United States. Although they had plans to release the game on the Nintendo Switch and the Xbox Series X, exclusivity rights with Sony prevented them from doing so. Development was nearly halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, though the game was already completed and was ready to be available for release.
== Release ==
The game was released in the United States, Japan, Canada, United Kingdom, and DoodleLand on February 16, 2021 for the PlayStation 5 and the CDX Nexus. The game will be available for release in the rest of the world later in 2021. A port for The V2 was released on June 21. Players who pre-ordered the game will get an exclusive weapon that can be used from the start.
Publishing rights depend on the region and the console it's on. Sony Interactive Entertainment, through it's PlayStation Studios label, handles publishing rights in North America and for the PlayStation 5 version of the game, while CDX Software handles publishing rights worldwide and North American rights for the CDX Nexus version of the game. The V2 port was published by 2K Games.
== Reception ==
The game has received extremely positive reviews from critics and fans of the shows the game is based on. Critics praised the gameplay, story, and character selection, as well as it's use of different weapons. The game currently has a 10/10 score on IGN.
== Trivia ==
* The game marks the first time CDX Software and Full Moon Studios have collaborated on a video game since CDX Heroes: The War Of The Worlds released in 2017.
* This is the first game in an arc that involves crystals and it's unstable powers, and will continue until around 2022.
Category:Sony Interactive Entertainment
Category:CDX Software
Category:CDX Nexus Games
Category:PlayStation 5 Games
Category:Action Adventure Games
Category:Open World Games
Category:2021
Category:Crossover Games
Category:Nexus*Cloud Games
Category:V2 Games
Category:2K Games