Game: Crossy Road Castle
Genre: Action, Platformer
System: Nintendo Switch (also available on iOS, PS4 & PS5 and Xbox)
Developer|Publisher: Hipster Whale
Age Rating: EU 7+ | US E
Price: US $19.99 | UK £17.99 | EU € 19,99
Release Date: September 11th, 2024
A review code was provided, and many thanks to Stride PR.
Crossy Road Castle Addictive Platforming Alone or With Friends
Ever since microtransactions began to dominate mobile gaming, I’ve generally steered clear of this genre, feeling it had become a trap for endless spending rather than a source of pure entertainment. However, there was one game that managed to break through my defences and capture my attention: Crossy Road. This game, which essentially plays like an endless version of the classic Frogger, involves guiding your character across increasingly challenging roads and rivers.
The simple control scheme (just tapping the screen) made it easy to pick up but difficult to put down. I found myself deeply engrossed in the game, spending unhealthy amounts of time on lengthy play sessions just to unlock new characters. It wasn’t long before my wife started to notice, and not in a good way. Eventually, I managed to break free from its grip and move on. Or so I thought.
Now, just when I believed I had conquered my Crossy Road addiction, Crossy Road Castle arrived. This game takes the core addictive elements of the original and repackages them into a new format: a 2D platformer. Not only has the gameplay been given a fresh twist, but the game also offers the option of local or online co-op, allowing friends and family to join in the fun. So, it’s entirely possible that my wife might find herself getting hooked as well! But all jokes aside, this game is a lot of fun, and I highly recommend it to players of all ages. If you’re intrigued and want to know more, read on.
Climbing the Castle: A New Perspective
While the original Crossy Road was an endless arcade game focused on simple yet increasingly difficult challenges, Crossy Road Castle shifts the action to a 2D platformer format. The perspective has changed, and so has the gameplay. Instead of dodging cars and hopping across rivers, your objective now is to enter a castle and make your way through as many rooms as possible, each filled with its own set of challenges, all while searching for the exit door.
The rooms in Crossy Road Castle are small and bite-sized, designed to be completed in less than a minute each. However, don’t mistake their brevity for simplicity. These rooms are packed with hazards such as spikes, moving platforms, and deadly lasers, among other obstacles.
Occasionally, you’ll also encounter enemies, which can be dispatched with a simple jump on the head, very much in the style of Mario games. The gameplay is straightforward: take a single hit, and you lose a heart. Lose all your hearts, and your run is over, with your progress measured by the number of rooms you managed to clear. This system creates a strong incentive to jump right back in for another go, as the desire to beat your previous record is always lurking in the back of your mind. It’s not just about score casing; take your time to explore, and you may come across a secret room with additional collectables to obtain.
Collecting Coins and Facing Off Against Bosses
As you make your way through the castle, you’ll come across coins and special purple coins scattered throughout the levels. The regular coins are plentiful and relatively easy to collect. Amassing a large number of them allows you to unlock new hats or trade them for health boosts during your run, adding a layer of strategy to your gameplay. The purple coins, on the other hand, are rarer and often require you to take more significant risks to obtain them. However, the payoff is worth it: collect 50 purple coins, and you can unlock a brand-new playable character, providing even more variety to your gameplay experience.
Every 30 levels or so, Crossy Road Castle introduces a boss fight to the mix. These encounters are some of the game’s highlights, offering more than just the typical “bonk the boss on the head” mechanics. The boss battles in this game are inventive and varied. For example, in one fight, you might find yourself riding in a car, dodging obstacles on the way to the boss. In another, you might be climbing rainbows while avoiding falling logs.
One particularly memorable encounter even incorporates rhythm mechanics, requiring you to time your movements to the beat in order to defeat the boss. These moments are both challenging and rewarding, making the climb through the castle all the more satisfying.
Accessibility and Multiplayer Fun
One of the great strengths of Crossy Road Castle is its accessibility. The game doesn’t bog you down with a complex plot or backstory, though you could always make one up if you’re so inclined. For instance, why did the chicken enter the castle? The game leaves it to your imagination. But where it lacks in narrative depth, it more than makes up for in quick, pick-up-and-play, addictive gameplay. The controls are simple; it’s just movement and jumping, which makes the game easy to pick up for players of all ages and skill levels. This simplicity also makes Crossy Road Castle an excellent choice for game nights, whether with family or friends.
Multiplayer is where Crossy Road Castle truly shines. The game supports up to four players, both locally and online. The goal is for all four players to reach the end of each level, but in practice, that’s often easier said than done. However, there’s no need to worry if one player falls into a spike pit or gets caught by a trap. In multiplayer mode, losing a life doesn’t remove a health piece unless all players are eliminated. As long as one player makes it to the end of the level, everyone else will respawn in the next area. This mechanic ensures that no one is left behind, maintaining the fun factor for everyone involved and making the multiplayer experience feel more forgiving than the single-player mode.
Graphics and Content: A Charming Aesthetic
The graphics in Crossy Road Castle retain the low-poly, voxel design of the original game, giving it a light-hearted and family-friendly appearance. The art style is simple but charming, with a nostalgic feel that harks back to earlier eras of gaming while still feeling fresh and modern. As you progress through the game, you’ll unlock different castles, each with its own unique aesthetic and set of challenges. This variety helps keep the gameplay feeling fresh, even after multiple playthroughs.
If the standard mode isn’t enough to keep you entertained, Crossy Road Castle also offers a challenge mode. In this mode, you can take on specific challenges to earn additional coins and rewards, adding yet another layer of content to keep you coming back for more. Overall, the game feels like it packs just as much content as its mobile predecessor, if not more.
Conclusion: A Worthy Successor
Crossy Road Castle successfully captures the pick-up-and-play ease and addictive nature of the original Crossy Road while presenting it in a new platformer design that’s both welcoming to newcomers and engaging for experienced players. Whether you’re playing alone or with friends, there’s something in this game for everyone to enjoy. For me, it’s a game that brings together all the best elements of mobile gaming and adapts them brilliantly to modern consoles.
Final Verdict: I Like it a Lot.
Do you like our content? Support LadiesGamers on Patreon!
Check out our Tiers and Benefits and join us.