Review: Big Helmet Heroes | Xbox

Castle Crashers’ Spiritual Successor Has Arrived

As someone who still regularly boots up Castle Crashers with my nephews for chaotic co-op sessions, I approached Big Helmet Heroes with equal parts excitement and scepticism. Could Exalted Studios capture that same magic that The Behemoth perfected years ago? The answer is… mostly yes, with a few unfortunate clangs along the way.

Big Helmet Heroes is a side-scrolling beat ’em up where knights with comically oversized helmets battle through colourful environments to rescue a princess. It’s a familiar premise executed with plenty of charm and a healthy dose of silliness that had me chuckling throughout.

A Round Table of Heroes

The game’s greatest strength is undoubtedly its roster of 20+ unlockable characters, each with unique special abilities that genuinely change how you approach combat. I particularly enjoyed Giant, whose ultimate move temporarily transforms him into a massive knight that causes earthquakes with each step. My nephew couldn’t stop laughing when we unleashed a stampede of angry sheep to flatten our enemies!

Playing solo is perfectly viable as you can select two heroes and swap between them mid-battle (with the benched knight regaining health during impressive combo streaks). However, the game truly shines in local co-op, where you and a mate can coordinate attacks and revive each other when things get dicey.

Weapons Galore

The sheer variety of weapons to collect and use is brilliant. One minute you’re swinging a traditional sword, the next you’re smacking enemies with a giant spatula or launching crossbow bolts across the screen. Throwable weapons like bombs add another layer of strategy, though aiming them can be a bit hit-or-miss.

The environments are equally varied, with the game occasionally switching to top-down maze sections or arena-style battle chambers that break up the left-to-right progression. These changes of pace help keep things fresh across the game’s twenty-odd levels.

A Few Chinks in the Armour

It’s not all shining armour and heroic victories, though. The combat, while fun, lacks the refined depth of games like Streets of Rage 4. Camera issues sometimes plague the experience, particularly during hectic boss battles where it becomes difficult to track your character amongst the chaos. The top down sections are a welcome break but can be frustrating

Despite these flaws, I’ve had a proper laugh with Big Helmet Heroes. It captures much of what made Castle Crashers special – the silly humour, the varied characters, and the simple joy of bashing baddies with friends. It might not quite reach the heights of The Behemoth’s classic, but it’s a worthy alternative for anyone seeking some knightly co-op shenanigans.

If you’re looking for a family-friendly beat ’em up with plenty of charm and replayability, Big Helmet Heroes is worth strapping on your oversized headgear for – just be prepared for a few frustrating moments among the fun.