Crasher of Castles

Castle Crashers was released on Xbox Live Arcade this week. I knew little about the game other than that there was a buzz on the various gaming sites/forums I visit, and that it was make by the people who did Alien Hominid (didn't care for it.) Apparently the game has been delayed several times, much to the chagrin of The Internet. Release day finally came, and I got to see what all of the fuss was about. I downloaded the demo and promptly purchased the game.


So far it's good but not great. It's a beat-em up, reminiscent of River City Ransom (including some obvious nods to the NES classic.) I can say that 2-player co-op is fun, and I'm looking forward to playing with 3 friends on Xbox Live. The game definitely does not take itself too seriously, and while the poop and fart humor isn't exactly my taste, it's light-hearted and fun. The game is at its best when it doesn't deviate too far from the classic beat 'em up with your pals gameplay. So far, the low points have been a short racing stage, a stage where you're fighting while being carried upstream, and an escape-before-the-timer-is-up level.


Still, the game is pretty fun and challenging without being overwhelming. My experience thusfar is that a strong melee character is far more powerful than a magic-oriented character (you assign skill points when you gain levels) but at higher levels it may be the other way around. All I know is that it's fun, not earth-shattering, but I'd say worth the $15 price tag. I'll make a spirited effort to post a full review here soon.