Perfect for fans of co-op beat'em-up games, tough single player.

User Rating: 8 | Castle Crashers X360
Don't let the delightfully adorable art style fool you: there's more than enough co-op (and competitive) action in Castle Crashers to satisfy just about any fan of the classic multiplayer beat'em-up genre.

If you've ever played any arcade games/ports in this genre, such as the Golden Axe or Fatal Fury series, then the basic gameplay needs little description: 2D characters slug it out in a side-scrolling 3D plane. This timeless formula has been updated in just about every aspect: graphics, music, audio, creature size, combos, fluidity of control, and humor. The developers also added a bit of "stickiness" to replayability by including an assortment of collectible weapons, skills to level up, and even attack-boosting sidekick "pets" (also adorable, of course).

The only real downside is also unfortunately common in this genre: going solo turns gameplay into a predominantly survival-based effort, regardless of character style. Fortunately, the various multiplayer options make it easy for friends to help with all the comedic beat-downs.