Thoughts of a Random Gamer

Background

Developers over at The Behemoth are best known for designing the 2004 PlayStation 2 and GameCube classic, Alien Hominid.  The title was originally designed as a web-based flash game, but due to overwhelming success, the developers were lured over into the console game space.  Since its initial console release, Alien Hominid has been ported to the original Xbox, Game Boy Advanced and even the PC.

Alien Hominid’s best received and successful release came when The Behemoth released a completely remastered, high definition version of the game over Xbox LIVE Arcade.  Not only was the game a runaway success, it was widely regarded as one of the best games available on the service.  Seeing the potential for profitability via Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE Marketplace, they shifted development on their next project from the GameCube to the XBLA platform.

Originally entitled Ye Olde Side-Scroller, the game was first shown at Comic-Con 2005, but in light of the Columbine School shootings, went dark due to concerns over the violence depicted in the game.  After the buzz surrounding the school shootings faded, the development team continued in their efforts to bring the newly renamed, Castle Crashers to the Xbox LIVE Arcade.  Three years later, the game was released to the fever pitch anticipation of hardcore fans.

Does Castle Crashers live up the legacy that The Behemoth established with Alien Hominid, or will it be lost in the shadow of their past successes?

The Story

Set in the medieval time period, Castle Crashers follows the quest of 4 knights that are perpetuating the age old story of a knight in shining armor, saving the damsel in distress.  In this case, there are four damsels and to further elaborate the cliché, they are all princesses.  These four princesses are conveniently sold to four different boss characters that hide in their respective castles.  Players take the roll of one of the valiant knights, in search of fame, fortune, and princess of their very own.

Each princess has their own independent quest that needs to be completed in order to reach the culminating boss battle.  Environments in the game change drastically throughout the course of the story, ranging from riding a log down raging river rapids, to the obligatory stages set on volcano and ice worlds.  Further demonstrating the variety of the game, over twenty different enemy types will litter your travels, as they attempt to bring your quest to a halt.

Progression through the linear, two dimensional environments is not just a matter of simple button mashing because every enemy has their own unique attacks and weaknesses.   Learning these dependencies will help to streamline the progression between the mini-bosses and final quest bosses.   In an amusing twist, at the end of every boss battle, the knights fight amongst themselves for the chance to kiss the rescued princess, so be sure to have an extra potion or two on hand.

The Good

Side-scrolling brawlers were a staple of the 8 and 16-bit era that perfectly lend themselves to the artistic style featured in Castle Crashers.   The hand drawn appearance of the sprites and animations are very reminiscent of such arcade classics as Streets of Rage 2 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game, while still maintaining the polished, high definition detail that is expected in current games.  Colors and shading are combined to create a constantly morphing palate that is a feast for the eyes.

Unlike the classic brawlers referenced above, Castle Crashers adds in an RPG-like leveling system that powers up as you advance through the campaign.  New moves, more powerful attacks and numerous special items will be added to your arsenal of malice and destruction.  Each knight also has their own distinctive special attacks that can be leveled up independently from the other playable characters, further augmenting the title’s replayability.

An ideal scenario for playing this game is in coop.  The cooperative component of the game is so strong that up to four players can take part in the melee driven chaos.   It is once again reminiscent of classic four player brawlers like the previously mentioned TMNT, as well as The Simpsons Arcade Game.  When the action hits fever pitch, you will be glad to know that there are three other guys that have got your back.

The Bad

Though the art style is pleasing to the eyes, the two dimensional sprites being able to scroll up and down can lead to issues lining up an attack.  It may seem that an enemy is directly in front your sprite, but if there is the slightest misalignment, attacks will completely miss their intended target.  This problem is amplified tenfold when enemies have the ability to fly, frequently leaving you slicing at air and cursing at the screen.

Most enemies are fairly trivial and simple to dispatch, however, that is no excuse to overwhelm the player with so many enemies on screen that they can lose sight of their own sprite in the fray.  Often when nearing the conclusion of a stage, immediately before a boss battle, the screen would become littered with so many foes that button mashing seemed like the only viable solution.  Not only was this a cheap way to diminish a player’s already limited HP, but it could lead to conflict between the different coop players on your team.

Let’s make this abundantly clear: Castle Crashers is rectum punishingly difficult when playing it in single player.  If you still decide to make a go of it alone, be prepared to suffer an uncountable number of deaths at the hands of generic adversaries.  When a developer says a game is balanced for coop play, it means that you are boned if attempting by yourself.  That is not to say that the game is impossible to complete by your lonesome, just consider attaching a Wiimote strap to your controller in order to prevent from tossing it through your television in the heat of the moment.

The Ugly

It is never a good thing when a game launches with bugs, especially when the bug can result in having your entire campaign progress erased while playing in coop over Xbox LIVE.   For a game that perpetually enforces the concept of cooperative gameplay, it is a curious oxymoron to have a bug of this nature.  Adding insult to injury, the bug took almost four months to patch, which is well outside of the point of no return for downloadable games!

Achievements are another key component of Xbox games, so when you hear the coveted sound of an achievement unlocking, you experience a brief moment of bliss.  However, when the game is played in coop, with multiple gamertags logged onto the same Xbox, only the first player receives achievements for story progression.  There is nothing more exasperating than spending hours playing a game, only to have your partner receive the payoff for both of your efforts.

Conclusion

When it comes down to it, Castle Crashers is an extremely solid brawler that pushes the genre forward through the addition of an RPG-like leveling system and strong artistic direction.  The game features several hours of intensely satisfying action that is sure to scratch the retro itch of arcade aficionados, while still offering replayability that appeals to the masses.  Too bad this is not available on the PlayStation Network and WiiWare platforms, because it should be a part of every gamer’s collection.

Score: 9.0

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