Handcrafted by the talented minds over at the independent studio The Behemoth, the 2008 Xbox Live Arcade classic has stood the test of time. Aspects such as its simplistic nature, replay value, and multiplayer have kept the journey of the four brave knights one to keep coming back to. The game continues to receive healthy support from both the developers and fans alike, which has helped to sell over 20 million copies over a variety of platforms. It even received new downloadable content last year – the last one was released all the way back in 2009! So, to survive the current gaming space with its blade still sharp, it begs curiosity. That curiosity is welcomed to stay, for you may dawn the suit – er, pick up the controller and start playing Castle Crashers when this is all said and done.
First – a bit of history. Front running Castle Crashers was Tom Fulp and Dan Paladin. Tom is a computer programmer, and was the founder of the massive variety internet platform Newgrounds. Dan is an artist/animator who often collaborated with Tom on multiple animations and games within the platform. These two formed The Behemoth in 2003. After first working on the game Alien Hominid in ‘04, they’d set their sights on a 2nd project not too long after. 4 years later, Castle Crashers finally released.
Let’s start with the presentation. Castle Crashers is a very cartoonish game, with bright settings, stylishly-cute looking characters, and absurd antics happening left and right. That being said, it’s a teen-rated game. The characters bleed and acts of violence are frequent. This is not even mentioning that there is also crude humor – a good amount of it being poop jokes. This style of comedy can admittedly be Castle Crashers’ most “outdated” trait. Thankfully, it’s not enough to diminish the rest of the game’s charm. On the other hand, the game has a wonderful soundtrack. It was a collaborative effort by musicians on Newgrounds, and thus each song is unique and EXTREMELY memorable. You’ll hear a song worthy of a crusade one second, and the next there’s techno playing. Take that as you will.
The story of Castle Crashers can be a strange one, for a lack of better terms. It starts with a siege breaking out from within a kingdom. Hundreds of your fellow knights are already at war, a crystal is stolen from your king’s throne by a mysterious wizard, and maybe worst of all – four princesses are kidnapped. It is your duty to stop this alliance of evil, reclaim the crystal, and save the royalty. The premise is simple, but where it gets crazy is the settings you’ll end up in. From a kingdom, you’ll end up in a troll-infested forest, a volcano world, an Arabian desert, a wedding ceremony, and an alien ship, just to name a few. Like with the music it synergizes with, it withholds a feeling of the unexpected – and therefore it keeps the game fresh.
Gameplay is up next to talk about, for the presentation isn’t all Castle Crashers delivers on. You play as a knight, one of many you’ll unlock over the course of multiple playthroughs. The game is a side-scrolling beat em’ up, which means the stages will follow a set path which keeps you locked in a small space every time enemies show up to attack you. Once you defeat them all, you can keep moving forward until you reach the end of a level or defeat its boss. It was directly inspired by the likes of River City Ransom and Double Dragon. Aside from the basic light and heavy attacks, the game emphasizes a usage of magic. Each character has an element or other form of magic that the player can upgrade through leveling up. The player can also level up their damage, defenses, or agility. You can stylize your own character, in a way.
Other ways you can style a character is through what they have equipped. In each level, there are special unlockables – these are weapons your character holds which carry boosts or nerfs of each of the four stats, and or little animal “orbs” that follow you around and do specific gimmicks. Progression-wise, you will gain new abilities also through leveling up, and additionally find special tools or items such as a bow, potions, bombs, and a… sandwich. I’ll let you figure out what the sandwich does. Mystery makes discovery valuable.
While with all of these cool items and powers, the game can be a blast to get through on your own, where this game TRULY shines the brightest is with its multiplayer. Up to four players can come together and play through the entire story, making the experience easier yet far more compelling. However – a word of advice. When playing with friends, DO NOT let your guard down around a freed princess.
As much as there is to say about Castle Crashers, if I must summarize my overall thoughts, it’s this masterpiece and landmark of indie games that is worth spending your time into, regardless of its age. I happily recommend it if you want something to just pick up and play or to have a great time with friends. A playthrough of it can take potentially 2-3 hours, and its $15 dollar price tag makes it something cheap you can get into. It even usually costs less than 5 dollars whenever it goes on discount, such as with Steam’s seasonal sales.
It’s never overstayed a welcome when it had to, and it’s always been there when you want it to come back. Give it a try and I hope it resonates with you for even a fraction of how it resonated with me and so many others for almost 2 decades. Here’s to even longer.
