The 2-D, side scrolling hack and slash genre is one that has been in the death throes since game developers, caught up in the glitz and glamour of the third dimension, turned their focus away from their old ways. Developer The Behemoth breathes new life into the ailing genre with Castle Crashers It may have its shortcomings but they don't stop this from being one of the best original hack and slash titles in years.

Gameplay Features and Modes

Castle Crashers features three main modes, all of which supporting up to four players either online or on the same console. Two modes, Arena and "All You Can Quaff" are simple and fun mini games for up to four players online or off. Arena consists of four mini games, each revolving around the same "kill everyone" premise. All You Can Quaff is a button mashing game in which your character scarfs down plate after plate of food by mashing the X and Y buttons alternately as quickly as possible, pausing only to hit the A button for more food until one is declared the winner.

The mode you'll probably spend the most time with is the Castle Crashers mode, which can be played cooperatively online or off in its entirety. Here, you'll take on more than 40 stages full of baddies and bosses on your solo or group quest to rescue the four captured princesses and defeat a powerful evil wizard. Along the way, you'll take on a slew of enemies ranging from the quick, arrow slinging thieves to reanimated skeletons. It's also worth noting that you'll come across some great boss battles during your quest.

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