Castle Crashers is a hand-drawn side-scrolling beat 'em up...

And it splashes plenty of humour towards you as the levels go by. In this game you play as one of the king's knights, on a quest to find his giant magic crystal and save the four princesses that have been kidnapped. It has medieval themes set in a fantasy world where you confront thieves, barbarians, demons, swamp soldiers, royal guards... even aliens. Travel solo or with friends across the world map, collect money to buy potions and items from shops, find cool swords that buff your stats in strength, magic, defense, and agility, and upgrade your character with these traits after levelling up. There are pets to be found which can do helpful things like increase xp gain, bite enemy heads, and find hidden items for you. (I am bias towards this game as it was quite fun in my childhood).

Gameplay

The gameplay is fun yet disruptive in a sense, you can pull out crazy combos against enemies, but they can knock you down and interrupt your attacks easily with a quick swing or arrow. There are light attacks and heavy attacks, where different combinations or buttons holds will allow you to perform certain moves. I use A, A, to jump around like a flying saucer out of harm's way. Magic can be specced into to do more damage and unlock unique attacks - with their own combos which can provide strategic combat options. You are given two attribute points every level up but are rewarded less after about level 20, so balance your build wisely. How could I ever forget sandwiches? Once you eat those you can become ultra buff and start pounding minions that charge your way. Certain items are required to progress, but don't worry if you fail a stage - your knight will die plenty but you can replay levels to get xp and buy health potions from the shops. One cool thing to note is that once you complete the game with a character, you can unlock a new character for another playthrough like the beekeeper. Once you save a princess you also get a kiss which is nice I guess (was definitely grossed out when I was younger).

Audio Visual

I really enjoy the diverse and fulfilling campaign. The world is large with lots of levels, environments, sprinkled with hidden sections, random moments, companions supporting you, and iconic boss fights which is great. This game is quite charming as it has the character of old web games like flash games, and has roots in the website Newgrounds. The music is heroic and also punchy, giving each area a distinct theme. The game is immersive with events occurring in the battlefield and also the background. Sometimes it is hard attacking enemies as you have to line up your 2D character in a certain area to register hits, but small shadows under the characters help judge the position. I enjoy the slapstick humour which makes the story light hearted. There is a variety of magic used by characters and their factions which keeps combat fresh. Arenas are scattered throughout the map which rewards character unlocks upon completion.

Pros

• Great campaign
• Lots of replay value
• Several game modes

Cons

• Arenas are hard
• 2D combat sometimes tough
• Beach ball minigame is horrible :(

Conclusion

Castle Crashers is one of those golden games where people of all ages can enjoy it. I score it 9/10.

Information

• Release date: 2008
• Developer: The Behemoth
• Platforms: PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch