Castle Crashers Review

One day I was at my friends place bored yet managing to play some Xbox. As time passed we decided it was time to play a new game off Xbox Live Arcade. That is where I met “Castle Crashers”, a multiplayer, beat’m-up, side-scrolling brawler available on both Xbox Live and the Playstation Network. Instantly I was hooked.

Upon starting the game you will be treated to a familiar face of flash gaming. It turns our Newgrounds had a hand in the development in this game. That especially peaked at my curiosity. As I continued playing the game with a few friends we began to fall into a pit of addiction.

- Story –
It’s the mario-esque story. Princess is kidnapped. Up to you to save her. It’s not a particularly new or revolutionizing story but it works. What makes the story work is the cartoons and humour. The story has no spoken or written dialogue. Instead the game features a multitude of in-game cut scenes that are cartoony and charming. A small twist to the story is that 4 princesses are kidnapped instead of 1 and it is up to all 4 of you (if there are enough players) to retrieve all of them… one by one. The story is not too long and not too short. You advance through levels via an overworld selection system broken down into what are, in essence, stages. Every 2-3 levels you will face a not-too-difficult boss but are treated with memorable bosses. Although you start off in a castle, you will find yourself in fire mountains and ice villages ala Legend of Zelda. The main campaign can be completed in a matter of hours (I clocked in at around 5 or 6 with 3-4 friends). However, despite its short length it does breath a lot of life and can keep you hooked for quite some time.

- Gameplay -
Castle Crashers is a game designed for 4-player cooperative adventure. You and 3 of your friends take on the roles of 4 knights. Each knight is of a different colour and is associated with a different magic (Red-lightning, Orange-fire, Green-poison, Blue-ice). With standard RPG elements, there is a leveling up system as well as a stat tree. You can invest attribute points gained per level into strength, magic, defense, or speed. However you decide to level your character affects your ability to deal damage, use weapons, or rain lightning from the sky towards your enemies. Assisting you are a flurry of weapons (including a frozen chicken) that you can use to bash enemies skulls into the dirt. All in all it’s a fun beat’m up that is full of cartoon violence. Often you will find yourself with decapitated enemies and small trickles of blood left and right. It’s quite a funny game.

In addition to the main campaign are a few mini-games involving timing and button mashing as well as an arena where players can duke at each other with their leveled up characters, acquired weapons and magic.

If there is one thing I can say about gameplay that’s negative: Play by yourself and shame on you; the game will not be as forgiving to the amount of brawling you will have to do to progress. This is definitely a dish best served with friends.

- Presentation -
Catchy tunes and easy going melodies help keep you entertained throughout. Not much to complain about here. It’s very standard and somewhat memorable. The flash animations are well done. I did not experience a loss in frame-rate while playing the game. The main character models and designs are unique and will be remembered, however enemies tend to be bland and recycled. The bosses in this game, however, are what truly make this game great. You will find yourself facing sockpuppet dragons and angry corn. I know. These sound like weird concepts for bosses but tell that to the world of Epic Yarn. Overall, the presentation does not disappoint.

- Overall -
“Castle Crashers” is a rare gem among the many games available on Xbox Live and Playstation Network. For a $15 purchase, it’s well worth the money. There are tons of collectables so replayability isn’t an issue. The hours of fun you will have with your friends and the moments you will share from this game make it a must-buy for 4-player coop brawling games.

8.5/10.