I’m sure most of you were around during the great Flash Game renaissance. A time in the early-to-mid 2000’s before Youtube’s domination of the internet when the youth’s time was spent on websites like Armor Games and Miniclip. I’ve got to admit, I’ve been a little out of the Flash Game loop for quite a few years, but Canadian indie devs Juicy Beast have sprung from the scene and are dipping their toes in the more mainstream PC gaming arena. Their first game on Steam, Knightmare Tower is currently £2.99 – so obviously it’s up for review this week.
It is quite easy to see where the game’s origins lie, the gameplay feeling something like a cross between classic Flash Game Toss The Turtle and XBLA favourite Castle Crashers. The main objective is to reach the top of a tower filled with colourful monsters with the aid of an upgradeable rocket and the momentum gained from slicing your enemies in half. It’s easy to learn the basics of the game early on, with very little written tutorial needed. Each launch earns you gold, which you spend on upgrades for your knight, rocket and the potion power-ups that sporadically fall from the severed bodies of your conquered foes. Juicy Beast have really mastered the art of “just one more go” gameplay, and you can sink an hour into the game without even thinking about it. However, a controller is definitely recommended for this game, as a keyboard lacks the precision needed at times.
One thing that absolutely has to be mentioned is that the art in this game is excellent. Filled with character and colour, the design of the games’ monsters, armour, weapons and pick-ups really brighten up the game, encouraging the player to push that little bit further to unlock the next type of monster or the knight’s next sword. I found myself playing round after round to get the gold to buy the knight upgrades just to see what the next one looked like. It complements the humor of the game well, which had me laughing out loud several times (just wait until you reach the top of the tower for the first time). The music is fun and catchy too, however if you’re playing for an extended session the score can get a little repetitive for the player, due to the nature of the game.
As much as I’d like to say that no other criticisms exist, one other issue niggles me. The game’s content will only provide a short 4-5 hours of content, after which you are no longer compelled to reach any milestones. The survival mode is a nice endgame mode, however the monsters no longer evolve and change visually as they grow stronger and the mode is overall less compelling than the main game.
That’s not to say that Knightmare Tower isn’t worth a purchase, as for the price of a meal deal there are 4-5 solid (and I mean solid) hours of enjoyment. Any gamer feeling nostalgic for the Flash Games of (slightly) old will find all that they knew and loved in a beefed up and addictive – if small – package.
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