The 2-D, side scrolling hack and slash genre is one that has been in the death throes since game developers, caught up in the glitz and glamour of the third dimension, turned their focus away from their old ways. Developer The Behemoth breathes new life into the ailing genre with Castle Crashers It may have its shortcomings but they don't stop this from being one of the best original hack and slash titles in years.
Gameplay Features and Modes
Castle Crashers features three main modes, all of which supporting up to four players either online or on the same console. Two modes, Arena and "All You Can Quaff" are simple and fun mini games for up to four players online or off. Arena consists of four mini games, each revolving around the same "kill everyone" premise. All You Can Quaff is a button mashing game in which your character scarfs down plate after plate of food by mashing the X and Y buttons alternately as quickly as possible, pausing only to hit the A button for more food until one is declared the winner.
The mode you'll probably spend the most time with is the Castle Crashers mode, which can be played cooperatively online or off in its entirety. Here, you'll take on more than 40 stages full of baddies and bosses on your solo or group quest to rescue the four captured princesses and defeat a powerful evil wizard. Along the way, you'll take on a slew of enemies ranging from the quick, arrow slinging thieves to reanimated skeletons. It's also worth noting that you'll come across some great boss battles during your quest.
What makes Castle Crashers work is its combat system which is as much customizable as it is entertaining. Sure, mashing buttons until everyone is dead does work most of the time but Castle Crashers is more than that. You knight is equipped with a shield that can be used to block many attacks and when you block a melee attack, your opponent will be stunned, opening them up to a full frontal melee or magic assault. In addition, your chosen knight will level up when he gains enough experience points, granting you points that can be used to upgrade your strength, defense, magic and agility, allowing you to customize your knight to fit your playing style.
To aid you in your quest, there are a number of items that can be carried in your inventory ranging from healing potions to bombs and support items like the bow and arrow but what really takes the cake here is the inclusion of 20 animal orbs that are hidden throughout the game. These animals, once discovered, hover around you granting continuous bonuses such as stat buffs. To top it all off, there are a ton of weapons to collect, all having different stat attributes to fit differing play styles.
Multiplayer
Castle Crashers is marred with a number of connection issues that make online games extremely difficult to pull off. Four player games were next to impossible to set up with any stability, as games regularly disconnected for no good reason. To make matters worse, even for the short time the game was up and running, there were many instances of intermittent lag which caused the game to freeze for a few moments at a time before disconnecting altogether.
Amidst all of these complaints, once a game was up and running smoothly, it was a blast. Fighting alongside your buddies never gets old, even when you have to fight against them to decide who gets to kiss the rescued princesses. When buddies go down in combat, you can revive them by playing a quick CPR minigame to restore most of their health, which is a nice touch.
Audio/Visual
Castle Crashers' visual style is one that should be seen more often in games like this. The hand drawn sprites and levels pop with Dan Paladin's distinctive styling, which has evolved considerably since the early editions of Alien Hominid. The soundtrack is another area that deserves some praise, as the eclectic music blends well with the tone of the scene, creating a great atmosphere.
Conclusion
For the relatively high price of 1200 MS points, this title is worth it. This title's particular brand of dark humor is funny (even if it is a bit crude), its art style and soundtrack provide a treat for the eyes and ears and the gameplay is fun, despite its balancing issues. The unlockable Insane mode and extra characters provide even more reasons to experience the game all over again. The online issues are disappointing they do little to sully this arcade gem.
