Just short of perfection
Castle Crashers is a huge bargain. The amount of content in it could easily make it a budget retail title for at least $20. Hell, it even approaches the quality of some $50-60 titles. $15 is a steal for this fantastic game.
The gameplay is immensely addictive, offering a nostalgic nod to classics like Battletoads, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the Simpsons arcade game, while simultaneously providing far more depth than any of its influences. Leveling up is very rewarding, offering new combos and abilities regularly, as is weapon and "animal orb" collection. Each collectable offers bonuses and penalties, and (especially concerning weapons with agility modifiers) each one plays a bit differently. Also of note is the ability point system, where players are awarded with points, with which to upgrade strength, defense, agility, and magic. A melee fighter with high defense and strength can provide an infinitely different play experience than a player with high magic.
The art in this game is very well-made. Each level is humorous, endearing, and beautifully stylized. The big-headed, cartoony characters offer a huge ironic counterweight to the violent battles. There are laughs to be found for all players in Castle Crashers, with a level full of animals defecating in fear of an unseen enemy, arena banners that say things like "That's the last turd out of you," and an ending that rivals the weirdness of a Katamari Damacy cutscene. The music, much of which is contributed by Newgrounds.com users, is very well done, providing a great mix of epic, medival battle overtures and the tinny, 8-bit tunes that the beat-em-up genre is known for.
But, there's a reason this game doesn't get a 5 in my book. Lingering technical issues won't get in the way of your experience if you only play locally, on the same 360 each time you play, but that's the problem. Moving your harddrive to another Xbox system erases your hard-earned character data, and (from what I've heard) lag and connection problems marr online play.
As I said, though, get a group of friends together, and the main quest will give you 5-6 hours of fun, and who knows, the games "insane mode" may even continue your fun after that! Worth a pick up for anyone who has at least 2 controllers and at least one real friend.
