CastleStorm

For only £13.49/$14.99 on the Nintendo Switch, CastleStorm is an absolute bargain. The campaign may only last for a few hours, but the additional multiplayer is good for days of fun. CastleStorm will challenge you, make you laugh, and keep you on your toes. Plus it will turn you into a castle building expert (if you don’t make the mistakes I did). For its price, CastleStorm is a gem, and a very noble addition to the Switch’s library indeed.

Building castles, slaying enemy troops, and launching farting sheep. CastleStorm is built around the idea of both building and destroying castles using a variety of customisable methods. You'll control a massive ballista, which you'll employ to send out a variety of troops, some awesome special attacks, and a massively powerful hero. The main idea is to first build a castle in the castle editor, and then try and destroy the enemy's stronghold before they obliterate yours.

CastleStorm draws from a seemingly unmanageable array of inspirations including real-time strategy, tower defense, and Angry Birds, and does so with remarkable virtuosity and humor. Touchy ballista controls may mar the gameplay on occasion, but the charms of CastleStorm's multiple gameplay modes, varied campaigns and units, and quirky presentation keep the action on track.

CastleStorm combines the joy of Angry Birds and tower defense games, and sprinkles in some fun fighting sections. Balancing offense and defense is satisfying, especially when you successfully complete your missions. The tone of the game is light-hearted, which makes it all the more enjoyable.

When our Editor in Chief sent me the code for an XBLA title called CastleStorm the name had me intrigued, but also had me wondering what the heck did I get myself in to? After downloading the title I booted it up and was pleasantly surprised to see the Zen Studios logo prominently displayed on the introductory screens. For those of you not familiar with the studio they are best known for their work on Pinball FX2 and the many tables created for this great pinball simulator. As a huge fan of Pinball FX2, and seeing that Zen Studios was the developer of this latest XBLA title, I had high hopes f...

If the tower defense game is your thing, CastleStorm certainly offers a serviceable option to the already busy genre. Between managing your troops, attacking with the ballista, and choosing when to cast spells or send in your champion, there’s a lot of challenge present. And while there may be times when it can get repetitive — honestly, what tower defense game doesn’t? — it’s certainly worth a try, even if it won’t set the world on fire. Just the enemy’s castle.

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