At a certain point in time, there was no bigger mobile game than Crossy Road. I used to play in between classes, awaiting each update to collect more characters and “100%” the game. Developer Hipster Whale released the next evolution of the series, Crossy Road Castle, in 2020 on Apple Arcade. Four years later, the game is making its way to console for the very first time.
Immediately upon entering my first match, it was clear that this game differed greatly from the traditional Crossy Road. In Crossy Road Castle, you take on a variety of endless floors, attempting to reach the door on the other side of the stage. This is still a platformer, but there are all sorts of tricks in store compared to the original mobile game. Multiple castles are available to unlock, with each offering new challenges, enemies, and obstacles to navigate through. Eleven are available now to explore, and even more are coming in the future.
You have three hearts at the start of each round, and the run ends once all are lost. After every few stages, you can have the option to buy more hearts for 100 coins, which can come in handy if you’re looking to continue your run. Each floor is quick to get through, so you won’t get stuck in an area for a prolonged amount of time. The game moves fast. Beyond that, your goal is simply to climb as many floors as you can. Though this may sound easy, you might find that getting to each door isn’t an easy task.
Each floor offers something new, especially when you move between each of the castles. You never know what to expect on the next floor, as it is random and changes every time you restart. Some are quite simple and offer just a few enemies, while others involve very challenging platforming that requires precision. The game can get challenging quickly, and I appreciate that as a big fan of the platformer genre.
Crossy Road Castle also features flashy boss fights that occur every 30 levels. All castles have unique bosses, with each offering different obstacles to dodge. I had a fun time discovering and besting the various boss levels, as each had something wacky and fun to offer. These can range from traditional boss levels where you need to jump on top of the boss to flat-out rhythm minigames.
A major feature of Crossy Road Castle is multiplayer, which is a key focus. You can jump into a game with up to four players, making for a chaotic – yet fun – party game. The beauty of this multiplayer offering is that there isn’t much skill required. Only one player must finish the floor to progress, which keeps an open entry for those unfamiliar with the game. I tested a few multiplayer matches during my time with the game, and I found it to be a fun time with a lot of laughs. While I do enjoy playing the game solo more, I think multiplayer is just as fun.
As for replayability, there’s plenty here. I found myself sitting down for quick sessions any chance I had, attempting a couple of rounds and gathering more coins. There are two currency options to collect: coins and tokens. Coins can grant extra hearts in levels and new hats, while tokens unlock new characters. Like Crossy Road, you can expect a wild amount of characters to discover. The customization is a nice touch and can be humorous, especially when playing with friends.
Additionally, the game will have seasonal events throughout the year. These are experiences targeted at single players, with themes surrounding holidays like Christmas, Halloween, and more. From the look of things, it seems like the entire castle will be themed after these events. Beyond this, Crossy Road Castle also has things such as Stickers, which unlock after completing achievements, and even a hidden castle for those who look to see everything this game has to offer.
Don’t come into Crossy Road Castle expecting a wide variety of modes to play through and explore, but do know that what’s here is great. You can easily sink hundreds of hours into this experience. This release reminds me quite a bit of my experience with Tetris 99, which I continue to pick up for quick sprints a few times a week. There’s enough here to enjoy solo, with an especially fun time if you’re able to play with friends. It’s extremely easy to pick up a game and go, as you just need to launch the game and enter a castle.
Overall, Crossy Road Castle is a fun time with plenty of content to explore. As someone who hadn’t even heard of the game, I really enjoyed my time with it. I certainly foresee myself adding this to my rotation of titles that I pick up for a quick game or two. I’m extremely impressed with how Hipster Whale managed to shake up the Crossy Road formula with this title, and I am curious to see what the future of the franchise has in store.
Hipster Whale provided Final Weapon with a PlayStation 5 copy of Crossy Road Castle for review purposes.
