Castle Defense Online Review

Cool Heroes, Cute Monsters in Castle Defense Online

Collect heroes, battle cute and sometimes scary monsters. Castle Defense Online, a four-player multiplayer experience from Black Hammer, is a 2D-tower defense strategy game that puts an emphasis on fun and teamwork rather than solo adventuring while also offering a wide variety of heroes and game modes.

Game Modes and More

Players have the option to choose between five different game modes. There is Defense, which is co-op play where you and your teammates defend the castle. Defeat 10-15 waves of enemies and work together to defend your castle’s crystal. Boss Raid is all about taking down relic guardians. Teamwork is essential! In Volleyball, you score points by dropping the ball on the opponent’s side.  The goal of Escape is to break through difficult objects to reach the goal points. PVP, or player-versus-player, tasks players with destroying opponent’s crystal using various strategies. EXP and Guild Ranks score will be obtained when you achieve victory.

Castle Defense also offers several heroes to choose from each with their own unique abilities and weaponry. Some like Berserkers use strength to unleash powerful attacks. Magicians obviously use magic, while Priests have an emphasis on healing and leadership. Others like the Chef for example, who may be a relative of the lovable Swedish Chef from Muppets, can distract enemies by tossing scrumptious food at them. Unfortunately, he cannot speak impeccable Swedish. The character you choose in either solo play or multiplayer will either help or ultimately hinder your chances during battle.

What truly makes this game unique though is the multiplayer aspect it offers. You can tackle game modes solo, but the team dynamic is where the game really shines. It is easier and far more fun. Your chances are not nearly as high going solo, given the sheer number of enemies you must deal with. It can be downright frustrating. Playing with teammates, even if it is only two of you, allows for better strategy and a greater rate of success.

Runes and Guilds

Runes are another important aspect of Castle Defense Online. Attributes such as Smite, Swiftness, Vitality, Reaper, Iron Wall, Regeneration, Agility and Growth all have various levels that can help improve your hero’s abilities in battle. To improve these abilities, you will need to rely on diamonds which can be purchased in the shop and put forth to upgrading rune attributes. Guilds are another feature that factors into gameplay. All guilds offer various rewards. Joining one is easy, and all you are required to do is help upgrade the guild to gain better rewards. These rewards can range from tokens, XP, mining ore, and even more diamonds. It all depends on your preference and which guild you feel reaps the most rewards.

For players interested in learning about their progress all they must do is visit the “My Info” page. The “My Info” page grants access to their mailbox, daily rewards, achievement page, allows them to see if they have any relics that can be used during battle and lets them check their ranking on the leaderboard. You can also view stats for each character and of course, browse your inventory for any items that have been collected.

Gaming Frustrations

One aspect that is a little difficult to get used to is character movement. Generally, to move characters you swipe in one direction or another to move or jump. Castle Defense has a D-pad to use for movement and a boot icon for jumping. Exercise patience as jumping can be tricky. Multiplayer is a breeze when you have enough teammates, but solo gameplay can be more frustrating than challenging. There is one drawback: PVP mode. PVP is still in the beta testing stages so players are unable to play this mode currently. Quite a shame because this seems like the perfect mode to see if players are ready for a team up with friends or if they could handle the challenge of a solo run.

Graphics are simple, character designs are both cute and colorful. All in all, Castle Defense Online is a fun, enthralling multiplayer experience that really emphasizes strategy and overall teamwork.