There are a lot of Xbox Live Arcade games out but probably none as addicting and full of capabilities at Castle Crasher which originated from New Grounds as a flash game. Castle Crashers allows players to choose one of four knights each with a distinct magical power that varies in effect. The Green Knight has the ability to launch a poisonous cloud that inflicts damage over time, the Orange Knight summons up the power to shoots bursts of flames which can deal a large amount of damage, the Red Knight launches lightening at his foes, and the Blue Knight sends spikes of ice down to freeze and damage his enemies. Each knight has their strengths and weaknesses but can be balanced with a wide array of weapons that add and subtract stats along with the level up system in which players can add points to strength, magic power, defense, and agility.
Castle Crashers single player mode enables you to play with a knight of your choice and embark on an adventure filled with damsels in distress, riches, and unimaginable foes to reclaim a crystal which has been stolen from the king. Single player also offers a local multiplayer where up to four people can play at the same time. Throughout story mode there’s a lot different maps to hack and slash your way through with enemies and environments changing through every few stages. On occasion some areas are not as simple as clear the previous stage and continue, some require specific items to progress. Each distinct each in Castle Crashers is accompanied by a boss which often resembles one of the smaller baddies you crush throughout the area though they will be multiple times larger, more difficult, and often have a pattern of combat actions. Understanding the pattern to the bosses is key to defeating them in some instanced while other times you may be able to just give a good old beat down before they can do much else. As your knight cuts his way from area to area he will encounter a lot of weapons which can be picked up and will then be stored in the blacksmith for later use, fortunately if one chooses to create a new character these weapons are carried over to a new character.
Pets play a large role in Castle Crashers because they provide support to a player’s character in a varying amount of ways. For example the Beholder pet grants a magic power bonus, the Ram pet on occasion knocks down enemies, the Bat pet on occasion attacks enemies, or the Tiger pet offers an agility and strength bonus. There are many pets to be collected throughout game play, some are hidden and must require a specific item to be reached such as a bomb, a shovel, or simply being cunning enough to look in the right place.
As mentioned previously the weapons in Castle Crashers will add or subtract stats for your knight and it’s often best to choose the weapon that gives a decent boost according to what your character specializes in. An example would be if someone’s knight has a better magic spell and has increased their magic power stat then possibly choosing a weapon which grants a few points in magic power would be suggested. The appearances of weapons don’t end at your simple mace and swords; some are as far fetched as an umbrella, carrot, or a fish.
Multiplayer has the capability to have up to four people playing at the same time and doesn’t change from the single player or offline local multiplayer set up. There’s the ability to join a quick game, select from a choice of current games being hosted, or host a game yourself and limit how many people can play or how many private slots there should be. From personal experience so far there has only be one quirk with multiplayer and that is often people may get disconnected, if there are only two people in a multiplayer game and one gets disconnected the game ends.
Game play and controls are pretty simple with a light attack bound to the X button, a heavy attack bound to the Y button, B controls your bow and arrow ranged attack, A is jump, LT is block, RT is to use your magic, and the LB/RB cycles through your items. Light attack itself has a combo similar to X, X, and X but can be improved at later levels. Heavy attack has a similar set up but players can also combine light and heavy attacks to have different combos with different effects. At higher levels of magic power using Magic and the B button rather than just the X button allows for an alternate long range magic attack. Once the bow and arrow are acquired the B button will control shooting it, with higher levels of agility the bow will become more accurate and useful. Also at higher levels of magic incorporating the jump button with your magic button allows players to do a magic jump which propels a player’s knight high into the air and deals damage.
Overall Castle Crashers is a silly and fun game to play especially when grouping up with friends and having to fight it out between them when it comes to getting a kiss from a rescued princess. The game itself has a good bit of length to it and a remarkable amount of content for an arcade game which will keep people playing it over and over. Plus with the ability to unlock hidden characters that have different magic powers and begin with more powerful weapons grants an extended replay value. This is why Castle Crashers is an incredibly entertaining Xbox Live Arcade game and well worth the Microsoft Points.
