PC: Battle Castles

Ratings

Graphics:8.00 [Bar of Width 80]
Sound:7.50 [Bar of Width 75]
Gameplay:8.50 [Bar of Width 85]
Replays:9.00 [Bar of Width 90]

Our Take

The last Rusty Axe title I reviewed was a fun little game by the name of 50 Castles. In it players used puzzle pieces to complete their castles within a certain time limit. While Battle Castles has a somewhat similar graphic style and castles in its theme, those are the only real similarities between the two games and Battle Castles may appeal to more action oriented gamers. Rusty Axe has clearly put the time needed into this title, and it definitely shows.

Battle Castles has a very simple but effective premise. In it, you have one or more castles to protect. Each castle has a cannon that you must use to eliminate any threats that come your way. These threats come in the form of small ships, large carriers, blimp like structures, and even soldiers that try to storm you on land. Ships will fire cannonballs at your castle(s), and you will need to click on these to take them out as well before they take out a wall and possibly your cannon (the only way to defend your structure). The premise is simple but addictive and the gameplay builds upon combos to earn more points, as well as using the shop in between levels to repair walls.

As I mentioned before, Battle Castles is similar in graphical style to Rusty Axe's previous title, 50 Castles. Everything has a nice look to it, and all of the structures and objects in the game have an almost cartoon aesthetic. What impressed me the most though was how many enemy ships could be on the screen at one time without the game lagging at all. At times the screen will be completely filled with enemy ships for you to take out. Combine that with the fact that all of them are usually firing on you at once, and this makes for an impressive and hectic experience. In fact, I even had to take some breaks in between levels just to regain my composure and be able to tackle the next level, and it has been a long time since any independent title has done that to me.

The in-game music isn't bad, but it feels just a little too laid back for a game of this nature. In fact, at the default volume it is quite possible that most people won't be able to hear the music over all of the sound effects. The sound effects are one aspect that Rusty Axe really nailed, and you'll feel every collision as cannon balls smack into your castle walls. In my opinion though, if the music were just a bit more up tempo it would better suit the game.

Battle Castles has 24 stages and three difficulty settings. As each stage is divided into multiple levels and they can get extremely hectic (to the point where you need to take a break just to give your hand a rest), this game will last you for a good while. If you're in the mood for some more twitch based gaming that will keep you busy for a good time to come, definitely go and purchase Battle Castles. Not only is it addicting, but it's a very solid experience that deserves to be played.

http://www.rustyaxe.com

Overall Rating: 8.75

Chris Dahlberg
January 17, 2006