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| The Entertainment Review |
| Genre: Action Developer: The Behemoth Publisher: The Behemoth |
Many players will know The Behemoth from their 2004 release of its humorous side scrolling “Alien Hominid.” Nearly four years since its release The Behemoth is back with an Xbox Live Arcade exclusive “Castle
Crashers.” This game takes the formula of classic side scrolling brawler titles, like “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and “Double Dragon,” and adds role playing game elements to elevate the game up to a whole new
level.
The game begins with the kidnapping of the king’s four daughters. As one of the king’s best knights, players are given the task of rescuing the girls and defeating the evil wizard who kidnapped them. That is the end of
the story, but that is all players need to know for a game of this type. The story is minimal, but it doesn’t mean that it isn’t enjoyable, thanks to many gags and surprises throughout the game.
Combat in the game is very simple. There are light and heavy attacks, a button for jumping and one for using items. To use magic players must hold down the trigger modifier and use the use buttons. The controls are
easy to master. This is a game that can be beaten, even for those who don’t have much gaming background.
There are two issues with the game that will hamper the enjoyment of the game. There are a few spots in the game where the environment or effects make it difficult to see what is going on. This can be frustrating
because there is no time in the game that players can afford to not see what is going on. Though it doesn’t happen often, it does happen. The other issue of the game is more apparent, long ranged attacks. Most
enemies have some form of long ranged attack and will use it. While players are attacking one enemy at close range, another is shooting from a distance. When players turn to take out the shooter, the other character
starts to shoot. This also becomes frustrating.
Killing enemies in the game earns experience points. Leveling up not only unlocks new combos to use, but it also gives players attribute points to spend to improve strength, magic, defense and agility. Balance of
these attributes is often the best option, but players can choose what to upgrade depending on their individual style. There are two other elements that affect the player’s overall ratings. The weapons in “Castle
Crashers” have properties that affect the player’s stats both negatively and positively. A mallet give +2 to strength, but give a -1 to agility, while a giant lollipop gives players +5 agility and has no negative effect. There are
a lot of weapons to find in the game to use. Each time a player finds new weapons, it is stored with the blacksmith. Players won’t know the exact stats of each weapon until they visit the blacksmith, which is a little bit of
a pain. For those that are heading towards a battle with a boss and discover a new weapon, players will want to know instantly how it will benefit them, instead of having to go back to the blacksmith to check it out. It is
not safe to assume that a certain type of weapon give a certain boost. For example, though players would assume that a chainsaw would give a big offensive boost, but its bonuses aren’t very much, but it does look
really cool in the game. There are also animal orbs to fin. The animal orb that players select will give players a specific benefit. Owlet retrieves hidden fruit, Giraffer earns bonus experience and Bitey Bat attacks
enemies. There are several others to find as well, all which players can only see their bonus when visiting the animal expert.
The game can be beaten in a few hours, but the overall experience is fun enough to play through a couple of times. There are over a dozen characters to unlock by beating the game multiple times. Considering how
much space is available at the blacksmith and the vet, there are a large number of weapons and animal orbs to find.
“Castle Crashers” features four player online and offline drop in and out cooperative mode. Players can team up in any way they want. Players can meet on separate machines or three can play on one system and find
a fourth online. Setting up multiplayer runs very smooth. The problem is that everyone must stay on the screen, with an invisible wall limiting the distance the four characters can move. It is a bit chaotic, but it is a lot of
fun to play with friends. There are other modes of play in the game as well. There is an Arena mode that is a survival type mode with endless numbers of enemies attacking. This is a decent mode, but seems a bit
pointless since players could face off against the same enemies in a more exciting level. The other mode, All You Can Quaff, is a mini game where players tap X and Y to eat large amounts of food against three
competitors. It is worth playing once, at the most.
“Castle Crashers” takes the best elements of traditional side scrolling brawlers and adds a lot of flair. There are a few great humorous elements and some nice surprises that will please most players. The most
important thing is that the game is a lot of fun, especially when playing with friends. While there are some cheap moments with enemies firing arrows at players, but the bulk of the game is very enjoyable, and every
Xbox 360 owner should try it out.
Crashers.” This game takes the formula of classic side scrolling brawler titles, like “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and “Double Dragon,” and adds role playing game elements to elevate the game up to a whole new
level.
The game begins with the kidnapping of the king’s four daughters. As one of the king’s best knights, players are given the task of rescuing the girls and defeating the evil wizard who kidnapped them. That is the end of
the story, but that is all players need to know for a game of this type. The story is minimal, but it doesn’t mean that it isn’t enjoyable, thanks to many gags and surprises throughout the game.
Combat in the game is very simple. There are light and heavy attacks, a button for jumping and one for using items. To use magic players must hold down the trigger modifier and use the use buttons. The controls are
easy to master. This is a game that can be beaten, even for those who don’t have much gaming background.
There are two issues with the game that will hamper the enjoyment of the game. There are a few spots in the game where the environment or effects make it difficult to see what is going on. This can be frustrating
because there is no time in the game that players can afford to not see what is going on. Though it doesn’t happen often, it does happen. The other issue of the game is more apparent, long ranged attacks. Most
enemies have some form of long ranged attack and will use it. While players are attacking one enemy at close range, another is shooting from a distance. When players turn to take out the shooter, the other character
starts to shoot. This also becomes frustrating.
Killing enemies in the game earns experience points. Leveling up not only unlocks new combos to use, but it also gives players attribute points to spend to improve strength, magic, defense and agility. Balance of
these attributes is often the best option, but players can choose what to upgrade depending on their individual style. There are two other elements that affect the player’s overall ratings. The weapons in “Castle
Crashers” have properties that affect the player’s stats both negatively and positively. A mallet give +2 to strength, but give a -1 to agility, while a giant lollipop gives players +5 agility and has no negative effect. There are
a lot of weapons to find in the game to use. Each time a player finds new weapons, it is stored with the blacksmith. Players won’t know the exact stats of each weapon until they visit the blacksmith, which is a little bit of
a pain. For those that are heading towards a battle with a boss and discover a new weapon, players will want to know instantly how it will benefit them, instead of having to go back to the blacksmith to check it out. It is
not safe to assume that a certain type of weapon give a certain boost. For example, though players would assume that a chainsaw would give a big offensive boost, but its bonuses aren’t very much, but it does look
really cool in the game. There are also animal orbs to fin. The animal orb that players select will give players a specific benefit. Owlet retrieves hidden fruit, Giraffer earns bonus experience and Bitey Bat attacks
enemies. There are several others to find as well, all which players can only see their bonus when visiting the animal expert.
The game can be beaten in a few hours, but the overall experience is fun enough to play through a couple of times. There are over a dozen characters to unlock by beating the game multiple times. Considering how
much space is available at the blacksmith and the vet, there are a large number of weapons and animal orbs to find.
“Castle Crashers” features four player online and offline drop in and out cooperative mode. Players can team up in any way they want. Players can meet on separate machines or three can play on one system and find
a fourth online. Setting up multiplayer runs very smooth. The problem is that everyone must stay on the screen, with an invisible wall limiting the distance the four characters can move. It is a bit chaotic, but it is a lot of
fun to play with friends. There are other modes of play in the game as well. There is an Arena mode that is a survival type mode with endless numbers of enemies attacking. This is a decent mode, but seems a bit
pointless since players could face off against the same enemies in a more exciting level. The other mode, All You Can Quaff, is a mini game where players tap X and Y to eat large amounts of food against three
competitors. It is worth playing once, at the most.
“Castle Crashers” takes the best elements of traditional side scrolling brawlers and adds a lot of flair. There are a few great humorous elements and some nice surprises that will please most players. The most
important thing is that the game is a lot of fun, especially when playing with friends. While there are some cheap moments with enemies firing arrows at players, but the bulk of the game is very enjoyable, and every
Xbox 360 owner should try it out.
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