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Pardon the dust! This page includes some jargon that hasn't been added to the site's glossary yet. I'll be around to fix this later, but sorry for the inconvenience in the meantime. |
Review: Castle Crashers
At a Glance
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How to Save and Pause:Each playable character acts as their own save slot, though unlocked content (such as weapons and animal friends) is generally shared among them all. Beyond this, your progress is saved at specific "checkpoint" levels, which can be somewhat inconvenient. To pause a single player game, just bring up the game's menu by pressing ESC. Time needed per session:Levels can be fairly long and they typically blend into each other, so give yourself at least half and hour or more per session.
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Does this game pose issues for Christian players?
 | Some players may have concerns Although this game does contain a moderate amount of violence and cartoonish gore, its frequent use of rude or crude humor may be a bigger issue. |
Screenshots
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/castle_crashers_0.jpg)
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/castle_crashers_1.jpg)
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/castle_crashers_2.jpg)
Game Overview
Even though this game is slightly over a decade old, it's still one of the best beat 'em ups that was ever released for the PC. Of course, one of the main reasons for its prolonged popularity lies in the fact that you can bring three of your friends along for the adventure! But that said, there's nothing wrong with playing through this title on your own!
Like the arcade games that inspired this game, the story is kept simple to keep it from getting in the way of the gameplay. It all began one day as the players were rockin' out during a grand feast held by the King. Everything was going well, until an injured guard burst into the banquet hall and collapsed. Bandits, led by a mysterious evil wizard, were attacking the castle!
Without hesitation, the King rallied his men (including your characters) and our heroes charged into the fray. But alas, they were slightly too late - the wizard had stolen a powerful artifact, the bandits had kidnapped the princesses, and all that the heroes could do was to follow their trail.
Gameplay wise, this is a very by the book beat 'em up. Each playable character possesses a weak and strong basic attack that can be linked together to form combos. You'll want to master this system, as a combo can allow you to score a number of blows before your opponents can retaliate. Each character also has their own unique magical ability, which must be charged up before use. Additional abilities, such as the bow, are used from your inventory.
There's also an RPG-like stat system in play. Whenever you defeat an enemy or complete a section, that character will earn some experience points. Earning enough of these will increase their level, making them eligible to purchase permanent stat boosts. Since a character's stats directly affect how they control in game, it's best to spend your skill points on the stats you use the most. There are only four stats to choose from, and their functions are quite intuitive, so I don't need to explain them in detail here.
You'll also occasionally discover new weapons to wield and new animal friends to partner with as you progress in your journey. Weapons change your stats while they are equipped, which can help you round out your character's abilities. Note that these changes are not always positive: many of the weapons that greatly increase your damage output also decrease your speed and magical powers. This also tends to work the other way (ie, they trade damage for magic), so be sure the weapons you're using compliment your build and playstyle.
As for the animal friends, they are floating ball-shaped creatures that provide additional benefits while they are partnered with a character. For example, some make it easier to move through specific terrain, while others help you find hidden items. By the way, if you ever lose your animal partner or preferred weapon, you can always return home and visit the stables or blacksmith to pick them up again for free.
But, there is a blemish on this otherwise perfect gem: it features a fair amount of crude humor, including a running gag about a deer with very explosive diarrhea. If this doesn't bother you, then you'll probably enjoy playing through this game.
Like the arcade games that inspired this game, the story is kept simple to keep it from getting in the way of the gameplay. It all began one day as the players were rockin' out during a grand feast held by the King. Everything was going well, until an injured guard burst into the banquet hall and collapsed. Bandits, led by a mysterious evil wizard, were attacking the castle!
Without hesitation, the King rallied his men (including your characters) and our heroes charged into the fray. But alas, they were slightly too late - the wizard had stolen a powerful artifact, the bandits had kidnapped the princesses, and all that the heroes could do was to follow their trail.
Gameplay wise, this is a very by the book beat 'em up. Each playable character possesses a weak and strong basic attack that can be linked together to form combos. You'll want to master this system, as a combo can allow you to score a number of blows before your opponents can retaliate. Each character also has their own unique magical ability, which must be charged up before use. Additional abilities, such as the bow, are used from your inventory.
There's also an RPG-like stat system in play. Whenever you defeat an enemy or complete a section, that character will earn some experience points. Earning enough of these will increase their level, making them eligible to purchase permanent stat boosts. Since a character's stats directly affect how they control in game, it's best to spend your skill points on the stats you use the most. There are only four stats to choose from, and their functions are quite intuitive, so I don't need to explain them in detail here.
You'll also occasionally discover new weapons to wield and new animal friends to partner with as you progress in your journey. Weapons change your stats while they are equipped, which can help you round out your character's abilities. Note that these changes are not always positive: many of the weapons that greatly increase your damage output also decrease your speed and magical powers. This also tends to work the other way (ie, they trade damage for magic), so be sure the weapons you're using compliment your build and playstyle.
As for the animal friends, they are floating ball-shaped creatures that provide additional benefits while they are partnered with a character. For example, some make it easier to move through specific terrain, while others help you find hidden items. By the way, if you ever lose your animal partner or preferred weapon, you can always return home and visit the stables or blacksmith to pick them up again for free.
But, there is a blemish on this otherwise perfect gem: it features a fair amount of crude humor, including a running gag about a deer with very explosive diarrhea. If this doesn't bother you, then you'll probably enjoy playing through this game.
Points of Interest
TONS of unlockables
When you first begin playing, only the original four knights (six if you've purchased the DLC characters) are available. As you continue your adventure through the game's world, many new characters will be added to this roster, for a total of more than thirty playable characters. This giant roster is second only to the large pool of possible weapons you can use - there's more than seventy of them!
Insane Mode
Players who complete the game are treated with a New Game Plus in the form of the optional Insane Mode. In this mode, enemies have a lot more health than normal and can do much more damage than usual. Some of the special equipment and hidden characters can only be unlocked by playing through this new extra-perilous version of the adventure.
Zany sense of humor
One of the reasons this game is famous is because it's one of the few games developed by the original crew behind Newgrounds, a website that was to amateur Flash games what YouTube is to online video. Over the years, its community became known for its irreverent sense of humor, which is definitely showcased in this game.
Steam community features
Fans of Steam trading cards will be interested to know that this game comes with its own set. Perhaps more importantly, there are twelve achievements for everyone to earn as they save the realm. Only a select few of these achievements have anything to do with progress in the story; nearly all of them are earned by doing something difficult or creative.
Concerns and Issues
Mild violence
Like almost any beat 'em up, Castle Crasher's core gameplay is about beating your enemies senseless before they can do the same to you. Interestingly enough, none of the weapons act like they're sharp. Instead, the gameplay makes it feel like everyone's whacking each other with sticks, which is actually less brutal than the usual direction beat 'em ups take.
When defeated, most of the characters in this game just fall over and disappear. There are a few exceptions (notably bosses), but it's still fairly tame.
When defeated, most of the characters in this game just fall over and disappear. There are a few exceptions (notably bosses), but it's still fairly tame.
Animated blood and gore
Although the gameplay itself doesn't feature much blood or gore, the level design rarely shies away from depicting the morbid reality of armed combat. Several levels are littered with the dead, dying, or parts of them. This is generally worse near the beginning of the game, as these levels are taking place during the siege of the King's castle.
Magic and monsters
Magic is everywhere in this game, as every single character has a magical ability of some kind. Several bosses have more elaborate powers than everybody else, as you'd expect, and there are also a few exceptionally powerful magic users, such as a dark knight and the dark wizard, who use their powers to frustrate the heroes throughout the story. This includes raising an army of dead knights and bringing some defeated bosses back from the dead.
Poop jokes
A lot of people, especially young boys, find poop jokes funny. It's a fair subjective thing, though it does get a bit wearing after a while. The most elaborate joke of this nature comes early on in a forest level, where a number of increasingly large and frightening animals soil themselves in utter terror at the sound of an approaching monster.
This is also when we first meet the unfortunate deer who is being propelled by the sheer force of their defecation. They'll reappear throughout the game in the background, still going. And going. and going.
This is also when we first meet the unfortunate deer who is being propelled by the sheer force of their defecation. They'll reappear throughout the game in the background, still going. And going. and going.