Xbox LIVE's Summer of Arcade has reached its end and it does so in style as this week gamers can pick up the excellent Castle Crashers. The Behemoth, the studio behind side scroller Alien Hominid, are scrolling yet again...with sexy results. Don't let the $15 price tag scare you, this game has a ton of content and is a blast to play with friends, making it one of the best values on XBLA.
In Castle Crashers gamers play as a knight on a mission to rescue a king's four daughters. The gameplay is straightforward, hack and slash your way through various evil doers with a little bit of magic thrown in. The control scheme is equally simple, with gamers able to pick up a controller and master it quickly. While this sounds like a recipe for a dull game, CC always seems to change things up at the right time, making things more interesting the farther you go. Players gradually level up, improve their skills, find new weapons, make new animal allies and earn money to buy weapons and other items. But just when you get used to a certain type of enemy or get tired of the style of a level, CC will change the setting, give you a new combo, or throw in a number of other curveballs to keep the game fresh. Your character may get stronger, but the game always manages to keep up so it's always a challenge.
While Castle Crashers is enjoyable as a single-player game, playing cooperatively with a group of friends is even better. CC plays like the unholy love child of Gauntlet and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the game's oddball sense of humor (animals defecating themselves, henchmen dressed like the Cobra Kai on Halloween, Terminator references) is best shared with a group of like minded gamers.
Some players will find the simple hack/slash/magic formula a bit repetitive and at the moment CC is experiencing some online issues which takes some of the luster off of its otherwise excellent multi-player feature. But Castle Crashers is such an excellent all-around game, you owe it to yourself to jump in sword swinging.
Pros: Great to play with friends, solid game presentation, difficulty is just right
Cons: Gameplay can get repetitive, online issues are frustrating
Sound: 4.0
Controls: 4.25
Graphics: 4.0
Fun Factor: 4.5
Editor's Choice
The Info: Platform: XBLA, Publisher: The Behemoth, Developer: The Behemoth, ESRB: T, Players: 1-4, Price: 1200 MS Points ($15)
