Castle Crashers
Review
A fun hack n' slasher
by MarvellousG
reviewed on X360
Co-op
Another great addition is the co-operative play. Whether you are on or offline, up to three friends can join you with their characters and help you best some of the game’s many hard areas. The game is much more fun in co-op, and I would suggest that you might want to make sure you have friends to play with before you buy, as single player can get a little dull without some assistance and company.
Few Disadvantages
But now, after many words of praise, I will get down to my problems with the game, of which there are a few. The game is VERY repetitive. If you enjoy grinding your levels up to the caps, then you probably won’t mind the limited amount of different gameplay styles here. But if you aren’t a fan of spending a whole game attacking similar enemies with similar attacks and abilities, then you might find yourself almost relieved by the end credits. The game is certainly incredibly enjoyable for the first two thirds, even throughout with a friend, or friends. On your own though the last few levels really tend to grate, as the boss fights begin to merge into one and there is a lack of the variety shown earlier on.
Also, if you are planning to do the entire game in online co-op, then you might have a few problems. I will hold my hands up and say that it could just have been my connection, but multiple friends of mine have also had one key problem; you cannot see the ending credits in online co-op. A group of us have defeated the final boss five or six times, and every single time the game lagged us all out either during the final fight, or during the ending credits sequence, meaning that you cannot receive the goodies you post-credits in online co-op; you will have to go it alone. This might be fixed even as I write this, but it is something to be aware of.
The versus online play is similarly plagued with connection issues, with few people playing and even fewer being available to join without lagging out. The actual modes themselves are satisfying, with a standard one on one brawl, and a more unique mode called ‘All You Can Quaff’. But neither really have the variety to keep you occupied past the main quest for extended amounts of time.
Worth It
It is testament to the game that I can’t rant about it for to long without feeling a little guilty. With friends, it is almost a must have if you can foot the bill, and there is plenty of content here for your 1200 Microsoft Points. The unlockables are bountiful, and clever usage of achievements will keep you playing after you have finished it once. With over fifty characters and pets, and even more unlockable weapons, some of which are carefully hidden or placed in the game world, you are getting more value for money here than you get with some retail games. But still, if you don’t have people to play with you should be wary.
8.0
fun score
No Pros and Cons at this time
