Originally released in 2008, Castle Crashers was one of the first big hits for the Xbox Live service. Since then, it has appeared on PC, PlayStation 3, and thanks to the newly remastered version, also on Switch and modern consoles too. It is a truly fantastic game and one that has held up very, very well.
How to Download Castle Crashers
You can download the game for the platform of your choice by clicking on the Download button at the end of the review. Check out also the free demo and read our review of other games by The Behemoth: Battleblock Theater and Pit People.
The Game Review
The story of Castle Crashers is that in this medieval-style kingdom a party is taking place where four brave knights are having fun. An evil wizard arrives, steals a giant gem, and the king’s daughters. The knights are sent to try and defeat him, save the babes and get the crystal back from him.
This is a hack and slash style of game with a few RPG-style elements sprinkled on top of good measure. You pick one of four knights (with many more characters unlockable as you go) and you start on your journey. Each knight has heavy and light attacks along with a special attack, fire for red, ice for blue, and so on.
At first, Castle Crashers feels like a very simple game and I guess it kind of is. However, this is also a challenging game and you need to have quick reflexes as the difficulty ramps up. You can get new weapons and animal buddies that will improve your stats. You also earn XP which can be used to increase one of your four attribute levels.
Each character will level up independently so you will have to play as multiple characters if you want them all to be good. This is also a game where you will have to grind as it can get rather difficult later on. You start off on a world map, you beat a level, and then move onto the next one. You can replay any level you want if you need to earn more gold or get more XP.
At the time this was released the cell-shaded art style was a breath of fresh air. This is still a great-looking game and the remastered version is even better thanks to the improved frame rate and sharper visuals. It also has a rocking soundtrack with many memorable tunes that fit the action perfectly.
There is just so much charm to the visuals of the game. From the giant catfish to a giant piece of corn, the boss battles in this game are fun and also very challenging. You can play through it on your own, but you can also play with three buddies, either online or via local co-op.
What I liked about the co-op gameplay was that if you fall in battle, it is not game over. Instead, you can revive each other with a little CPR! There are a few mini-games and extra game modes such as a battle arena and an all-you-can-eat mode to help keep things fun as well.
As you can tell, I love this game! In all, Castle Crashers is a tremendous game, no matter if you are playing the original on Xbox 360 or the remastered version. It is a fantastic hack and slash game that has far more depth than most people give it credit for. It is also a lot of fun no matter if you are playing on your own or with friends.
