Good, but not great. – Castle Pals Review

[SPOILER WARNING (more a gameplay and set-piece warning than plot, but still)] This is a meaty review, so for the consumer just wondering if this game is a good install or not, well if you like challenging platformers (and I mean the masochistic, trial and error type of challenge) or are looking for a free of cost distraction on their device of choice, I’d say install, but don’t spend money. In my opinion, this game isn’t worth it for several reasons that I go into much, much, much, much more detail on further into the review. For the consumer who wants an in-depth look into this game or the developer of the game wanting to know why his game is getting a 2-star rating, keep reading. This game is structurally sound and incredibly unique, considering that its a full-fledged platformer on iOS without the “intuitively simple” controls seen in the Super Cat Tales series, or the auto-run nature of something like Super Mario Run. I feel that this game deserves merit and two stars for that. However, as a game on its own merits, it falters in a few areas, such as... 1) Deceptive hitboxes that can lead to questionable collisions, such as failing a diagonal enemy stomp and dying in the process, but searing your hair off with flamethrowers and being perfectly fine. 2) A camera zoomed in way too close to the protagonists, leading to some cheap gotcha moments with lava and other hazards. I know you use Stencyl. I have no experience with Stencyl, but is it that hard to zoom the camera out, or at least make it more dynamic? For example, the character falls down to a lower area. In order to avoid cheap spike impalements, the camera should pan so that the character is at the top of the screen, giving a much needed view of what’s on the bottom. Another example, the character is simply walking to the right. Pan the camera so that the character is to the left of the screen, giving a better view of what’s on the right. I stress this, because the bad camera only compounds the... 3) Trial and error. Trial and error, when done right, isn’t inherently a bad thing. In this game, it is not done right. Trial and error stems from the camera obscuring enemies and stage hazards, certain mechanics not being well explained (which can lead to death in many instances), bosses that either overwhelm you with enemies, or spit fireballs at you in a way that requires near pixel-perfect reflexes in a game where you can only take ONE hit, etc. This isn’t fair or compelling game design, and just comes off as a way of getting players to watch more ads than they really should. 4) Unresponsive flight. You have to keep tapping the jump button in order to fly. Listen, most of us don’t have Bluetooth controllers. Tapping the screen repeatedly isn’t as easy or as comfortable as with a control, and in this game, Owen likes to eat jump inputs which can lead to unfair deaths. 5) Compelling level design. This may just be a me thing, but the levels in this game have no identity. They all just kind of blend together. There are interesting gimmicks at play yes, but they’re so common that by the second act, it just get boring and redundant. [For context, I made it all the way to Kylee’s encounter with Pookapick before uninstalling the game because that final boss is so poorly designed, it hurts. I unlocked the lost levels, but only played the beginning of the first one. I also dabbled in the arcade mode.] Gimme something unique for each level. Create more gimmicks such as underwater traversal, antigravity sections, etc. Unique level layout does not necessarily make a new level. Apologies if that came off more as a rant than a review. I’m just spitballing ideas for a major update or a Castle Pals 2. I’d honestly love to see a sequel to this game where the two characters return to the castle (or a different castle, eh? eh?) and face all new obstacles and challenges with intelligent game design comparable to that of a Mario game. That would be so cool on iOS! My less than positive thoughts on the game don’t change the fact that you are an excellent solo indie developer, and an inspiration to me and many others.
Review by Silicon FX on Castle Pals.