After seeing Battle Block Theater at PAX East 2011, I knew it was love at first sight. Then again during PAX East 2012, and finally at home April 3, 2013, when the game released on Xbox 360. No surprise coming from The Behemoth, the studio behind Castle Crashers.
Sure enough almost a year later we get a release on Steam and it’s nothing short of amazing. The port to Steam actually makes sense for a game like this. Steam Trading brings an entire new element to the game as you can trade prisoner heads you collect for money!
The greatest news to come from the release of this game is that there is still support for Xbox 360 version of the game, as The Behemoth creates new challenges for their fans to compete in within the game to unlock exclusive heads. The game is a year old, and with the release of the Steam version they are giving us even more exclusives.
So far the only issue I have experienced occurred once after installing the game. The game would run extremely slow and had horrible FPS, luckily a reboot of my system repaired this, and it hasn’t happened since.
Get this game if you are playing with friends as it is one of the funnest co-op experiences out there. Even if none of your friends pick this up, as was my case during the 360 launch, expect to find tons of people via Steam.
Battle Block Theater has a lot to offer, the key elements of the game are simple, get from point A to point B as quick as possible. In between however, you’ll find water, fans, spikes, and many other deadly objects in your way preventing you from completing your task. The end portal needs a certain amount of gems in order to open, so now you are running towards the goal, collecting gems, and finding that hidden ball of yarn. Why yarn? Well, without getting into the story, you are a prisoner, in a cell run by Cats! The only way to get a weapon, would be to bribe them with the yarn! Each level has one yarn, and the amount of gems vary depending on level. Upon completing the level you are given a letter grade based on speed, collection of gems, and finding the ball of yarn. The gems give you access to purchase additional ‘prisoner heads’ through a Japanese-type vending machine.
Ever since Castle Crashers, I’ve had nothing but respect for The Behemoth. The quirky jokes they write always gets me to laugh, and even though made for a co-op experience, it’s the type of game I can just sit and enjoy on my own as well. I can’t wait to see what they have to offer next, even at the cost of having to see it at a convention twice, before waiting an additional year to play it at home!
Thanks The Behemoth!
