Tweet
This Xbox Live Arcade came just came out...following in the footsteps of recent excellent games like Bionic Commando and Braid, it is very well received. IGN likes it over Braid, even.
Castle Crashers Review
There's a new posse stormin' through the kingdom
August 27, 2008 - The Behemoth surprised the gaming world in 2004 with the release of its humorous (and brutally difficult) side-scroller Alien Hominid. It's been nearly four years, but The Behemoth is back with the Xbox Live Arcade exclusive Castle Crashers. The wait was worth it. Castle Crashers takes the formula of classic side-scrolling beat-em-ups such as Streets of Rage and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and adds RPG elements to elevate it to a new level.
Castle Crashers begins ominously, with the kidnapping of the king's four hot daughters. As one of the king's most celebrated knights, you're tasked with getting the girls back safely and defeating the evil wizard who nabbed them. And that's really all the story you ever get with Castle Crashers, which is all you really need for a game of this nature. Just because the story is minimal doesn't mean it isn't enjoyable -- especially thanks to numerous gags and surprises spread throughout the many levels.
Okay, so there is a lava level and an ice level and, of course, castles to crash. But there are also unexpected events that keep the repetitive gameplay from every being a drag. Though you will level up your character, learn new combos and spells, the combat is fundamentally the same from start to finish. But the enemies, environments and circumstances change. And just at the instant Castle Crashers might start feeling tedious, something new is added to reinvigorate the gameplay. That might mean suddenly getting an animal to ride on, finding a new item that briefly Hulks-up your hero or entering a thrilling chase scene.
Combat is very simple. There's light and heavy attacks, a button for jumping and one for using items. To use magic, just hold down the trigger modifier and you can use the face buttons. It's easy to grasp and easy to master. This isn't a challenge at the level of Alien Hominid. This is a game you can beat. Even with your bad eye and sweaty thumbs. Yes, you can beat this game.
There are two issues which will likely hamper your enjoyment of combat in Castle Crashers. There are a few spots throughout the game where the environment or effects (damn you to hell, confetti) make it very difficult to see what is going on. It can get frustrating, because there's really no place for these moments of diluted visuals. This is not often a concern, but it certainly does come up.
The other issue is far more prevalent. And that's long-ranged attacks. Most enemies have some form of long-ranged attack and will use it while you are battling their friends. When you are unleashing a devastating combo on a soldier, his buddy will be at the edge of the screen launching arrows into your back and disrupting your moves. As you turn to confront him, the other character will then start shooting at your back. It's going to piss you off -- especially if you play alone. It's a credit to Castle Crashers' inventiveness and addictive elements that it won't stop you from pressing on.
Killing enemies earns you experience points, just as in real life. Leveling up not only unlocks new combos, but also gives you attribute points to spend to improve strength, magic, defense, and agility. How you spend points defines the way you approach combat in the later levels. If you have little strength but are bulked up on agility and magic, then you will have to keep your distance from enemies. Put a lot of points into strength and defense and you can create a tank. Balance is often the best option, since all attributes make a difference over the course of the adventure.
There are two other elements that affect your character's overall ratings. In true D&D fashion, the weapons of Castle Crasher have properties that positively and negatively affect stats. A mallet gives +2 to strength, but gives a -1 to agility. A giant lollipop gives +5 to agility and has no negatives (aside from the fact that you brought a lollipop to a knife fight). And there are lots of weapons to find. Each time you acquire one it is stored with the blacksmith. You won't know the stats for your weapon until you visit the blacksmith, which is a pain in the ass. If you are trekking towards a boss battle and discover a new weapon, you want to know instantly how it benefits you. It's not safe to assume a type of weapon gives certain benefits. For example, you may think a chainsaw would give you a big offensive boost, but its only bonuses are +4 to defense and the chance for critical hits, and that it looks effin' cool.
The other modifiers are animal orbs. The animal orb you select follows you around providing a specific benefit. Owlet retrieves hidden fruit from trees, Giraffer earns you bonus experience points, and Bitey Bat occasionally chomps on enemy heads. As with weapons, you won't know the properties of an animal orb until you visit an expert.
Castle Crashers can be beaten in a handful of hours, but the experience is enjoyable enough that multiple playthroughs is almost a given. There are well over a dozen characters to unlock by beating Castle Crashers multiple times. Considering how much space is available at the blacksmith and vet respectively, there are a considerable number of weapons and animal orbs to discover. Yes, this is a game with secrets which may drive you a bit nuts trying to uncover them.
Those secrets don't have to be found alone. Castle Crashers features four-player online and offline drop in-and-out co-op. You can form up in any way you please. Have four people meet on separate machines or have three friends on one Xbox 360 and find a fourth warrior online. The set-up is easy and multiplayer runs smoothly. Castle Crashers abides by the old rule of beat-em-ups -- everyone must stay on one screen. With an invisible wall limiting the distance, all four characters will pile onto the scene. It's chaotic, but things run well and it sure is a lot of fun playing with friends.
While you won't see an increase in enemies, you also won't find an increase in resources. That means you and your pals will be fighting over health potions, gold, and the affections of the princesses. In fact, you will go toe-to-toe at times for the right to kiss the damsel in distress.
There are other modes in Castle Crashers as well. There's an arena mode that acts as a survival test with endless streams of enemies coming at you. This is a decent mode, but seems a bit pointless, since you could just hop into any previously completed level and get more interesting scenery. The other mode, All You Can Quaff, is a forgettable mini-game where you alternately tap X and Y to consume mass quantities of food against three competitors. It's not worth playing more than once or twice.
Closing Comments
Castle Crashers takes the best elements of traditional side-scrolling beat-em-ups and adds lots of flair. There's some great humor here and some nice surprises that will please most. Of course, the most important thing is that it's a whole lot of fun -- especially when you play with friends. While there are some cheap moments with enemies firing at your backside, the bulk of Castle Crashers is an enjoyable ride and one every 360 owner should experience.
9/10
There's a new posse stormin' through the kingdom
August 27, 2008 - The Behemoth surprised the gaming world in 2004 with the release of its humorous (and brutally difficult) side-scroller Alien Hominid. It's been nearly four years, but The Behemoth is back with the Xbox Live Arcade exclusive Castle Crashers. The wait was worth it. Castle Crashers takes the formula of classic side-scrolling beat-em-ups such as Streets of Rage and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and adds RPG elements to elevate it to a new level.
Castle Crashers begins ominously, with the kidnapping of the king's four hot daughters. As one of the king's most celebrated knights, you're tasked with getting the girls back safely and defeating the evil wizard who nabbed them. And that's really all the story you ever get with Castle Crashers, which is all you really need for a game of this nature. Just because the story is minimal doesn't mean it isn't enjoyable -- especially thanks to numerous gags and surprises spread throughout the many levels.
Okay, so there is a lava level and an ice level and, of course, castles to crash. But there are also unexpected events that keep the repetitive gameplay from every being a drag. Though you will level up your character, learn new combos and spells, the combat is fundamentally the same from start to finish. But the enemies, environments and circumstances change. And just at the instant Castle Crashers might start feeling tedious, something new is added to reinvigorate the gameplay. That might mean suddenly getting an animal to ride on, finding a new item that briefly Hulks-up your hero or entering a thrilling chase scene.
Combat is very simple. There's light and heavy attacks, a button for jumping and one for using items. To use magic, just hold down the trigger modifier and you can use the face buttons. It's easy to grasp and easy to master. This isn't a challenge at the level of Alien Hominid. This is a game you can beat. Even with your bad eye and sweaty thumbs. Yes, you can beat this game.
There are two issues which will likely hamper your enjoyment of combat in Castle Crashers. There are a few spots throughout the game where the environment or effects (damn you to hell, confetti) make it very difficult to see what is going on. It can get frustrating, because there's really no place for these moments of diluted visuals. This is not often a concern, but it certainly does come up.
The other issue is far more prevalent. And that's long-ranged attacks. Most enemies have some form of long-ranged attack and will use it while you are battling their friends. When you are unleashing a devastating combo on a soldier, his buddy will be at the edge of the screen launching arrows into your back and disrupting your moves. As you turn to confront him, the other character will then start shooting at your back. It's going to piss you off -- especially if you play alone. It's a credit to Castle Crashers' inventiveness and addictive elements that it won't stop you from pressing on.
Killing enemies earns you experience points, just as in real life. Leveling up not only unlocks new combos, but also gives you attribute points to spend to improve strength, magic, defense, and agility. How you spend points defines the way you approach combat in the later levels. If you have little strength but are bulked up on agility and magic, then you will have to keep your distance from enemies. Put a lot of points into strength and defense and you can create a tank. Balance is often the best option, since all attributes make a difference over the course of the adventure.
There are two other elements that affect your character's overall ratings. In true D&D fashion, the weapons of Castle Crasher have properties that positively and negatively affect stats. A mallet gives +2 to strength, but gives a -1 to agility. A giant lollipop gives +5 to agility and has no negatives (aside from the fact that you brought a lollipop to a knife fight). And there are lots of weapons to find. Each time you acquire one it is stored with the blacksmith. You won't know the stats for your weapon until you visit the blacksmith, which is a pain in the ass. If you are trekking towards a boss battle and discover a new weapon, you want to know instantly how it benefits you. It's not safe to assume a type of weapon gives certain benefits. For example, you may think a chainsaw would give you a big offensive boost, but its only bonuses are +4 to defense and the chance for critical hits, and that it looks effin' cool.
The other modifiers are animal orbs. The animal orb you select follows you around providing a specific benefit. Owlet retrieves hidden fruit from trees, Giraffer earns you bonus experience points, and Bitey Bat occasionally chomps on enemy heads. As with weapons, you won't know the properties of an animal orb until you visit an expert.
Castle Crashers can be beaten in a handful of hours, but the experience is enjoyable enough that multiple playthroughs is almost a given. There are well over a dozen characters to unlock by beating Castle Crashers multiple times. Considering how much space is available at the blacksmith and vet respectively, there are a considerable number of weapons and animal orbs to discover. Yes, this is a game with secrets which may drive you a bit nuts trying to uncover them.
Those secrets don't have to be found alone. Castle Crashers features four-player online and offline drop in-and-out co-op. You can form up in any way you please. Have four people meet on separate machines or have three friends on one Xbox 360 and find a fourth warrior online. The set-up is easy and multiplayer runs smoothly. Castle Crashers abides by the old rule of beat-em-ups -- everyone must stay on one screen. With an invisible wall limiting the distance, all four characters will pile onto the scene. It's chaotic, but things run well and it sure is a lot of fun playing with friends.
While you won't see an increase in enemies, you also won't find an increase in resources. That means you and your pals will be fighting over health potions, gold, and the affections of the princesses. In fact, you will go toe-to-toe at times for the right to kiss the damsel in distress.
There are other modes in Castle Crashers as well. There's an arena mode that acts as a survival test with endless streams of enemies coming at you. This is a decent mode, but seems a bit pointless, since you could just hop into any previously completed level and get more interesting scenery. The other mode, All You Can Quaff, is a forgettable mini-game where you alternately tap X and Y to consume mass quantities of food against three competitors. It's not worth playing more than once or twice.
Closing Comments
Castle Crashers takes the best elements of traditional side-scrolling beat-em-ups and adds lots of flair. There's some great humor here and some nice surprises that will please most. Of course, the most important thing is that it's a whole lot of fun -- especially when you play with friends. While there are some cheap moments with enemies firing at your backside, the bulk of Castle Crashers is an enjoyable ride and one every 360 owner should experience.
9/10
to the achievements in this one. 
Comment