Castle of Heart

Castle of Heart is a great indie for Nintendo Switch and it brings some great features from classic arcade games.

Castle of Heart targets those gamers who seek a more classic experience and 7Level Studios does deliver but just be warned that it does become a little repetitive and the portable mode is a little cluttered.

Castle of Heart accomplishes everything it wants to do, but it doesn't really excells at anything. It's enjoyable and satisfying, and a good option for Switch owners.

It feels perhaps a bit too linear at times, when some environments could have probably benefited from being more open to exploration but, nevertheless, it is well worth checking out. Its price is a bit steep for the amount of content currently, but those who strive to complete it 100%, finding all the crystals, should get their money's worth.

It’s an ambitious title that hits a lot of the right notes, and 7Levels should be very pleased with what they ended up producing with this title. It’s an enjoyable side-scroller with very enjoyable combat, and there isn’t quite a title like it in the shop. For those aiming for their next difficult game fix, Castle of Heart can definitely scratch that itch.

Input latency and levels that are too long without the ability to save keep Castle of Heart from being as fun as it ought to be. That being said, it’s certainly not a bad experience. It is quite nice to look at no matter how you play. If you can overcome the controller lag, Castle of Heart can quench the thirst for classic action platforming among diehard genre fans. For more casual players, mileage may vary.

Castle of Heart is a game that reminds us that even the greatest adversities can be overcome with the power of love. Inspired by action and platform games from the 90’s, despite its mistakes, CoH is definitely a really entertaining and challenging video game that fans of the genre will be passionate about.

There are loads of weapons to pick up and use – from the long-ranged spear to the crossbow, and several shorter-ranged melee options as well, and the Knight will always have his trusty sword too. By the end of Castle of Heart, you’ll feel satisfied that you undertook the journey, and while there’s no real reason to replay the adventure, you’ll still be glad you saw it through to the end. I was.

Castle of Heart goes for that Souls level of challenge but without the nuance and balance needed to make that kind of difficulty satisfying. It’s visually striking for an indie game but it needs some fine-tuning; for now it’s mostly just frustrating.

Castle of Heart is a fun console exclusive platformer that harks back to classics such as Castlevania and Ghosts 'n Goblins. It's a tad bland and repetitive, but it's worth checking out if you fancy testing your patience with a sword in hand.

Some genuinely intriguing ideas and a great looking setting are set against some control issues and poor pacing. The game has high aspirations but falls short on the execution unfortunately. Not a bad game, but not a great one either.

The visuals and the platform challenges create a strong framework for what could be a great game. Despite these sturdy foundations, the skirmishes are problematic. Castle of Heart is blemished by some bad gameplay decisions when it comes to the action. If you can look past these flaws, though, there's an enjoyable game making me warily recommend it.

Castle of Heart looks great and offers a stern challenge to those who don't mind repeatedly playing the same level over and over before finally beating it and moving on. There's definitely some fun to be had finding the best route through each stage and delicately picking off enemies, but the constantly-depleting health bar and frustrating combat will have many players giving up and moving onto games which are less harmful to their general well being.

An average adventure that fails to excite or entice.

It fails to demonstrate any inquisitive or creative spirit, which is what makes indie games innovative, vibrant and, ultimately, worth playing.

Frustrating combat, unreliable platforming and a swag of other minor issues made this game a struggle to play. Castle of Heart is a tough game to review; in all the hours I played I never ended a session happy or feeling like I accomplished something. Every time single time it was closing the game in frustration and anger and dreading to have to go back to it, and I wouldn’t wish that upon anyone.

Needless to say, Castle Of Heart isn’t a good game. Its humdrum platforming mixed with shoddy animations and sluggish controls makes for a rather dopey gaming experience. While the game’s main gimmick of keeping your life afloat does have some potential, it’s never quite implemented well enough to stir up anything new or interesting.

Castle of Heart may seem appealing when looking at its still pictures but once the game starts moving, a more unpleasant reality kicks in: it's hard to control, the difficulty level is forced and at the same time, unchallenging and the game suffers from several design flaws that make this experience really difficult to enjoy. While its visuals are decent, this is not an enjoyable game to play.

A could-be ideal indie which is, unfortunately, a big disappointment. A generally rushed game, with few of its mechanics working as they are intended to, gives the impression that it could do much more than what it actually delivers. With a battle system that often gets out of control, a gameplay that is hindered by its level design and by its own nature and with a recommended price tag that does not justify its problems, Castle of Heart is a game for the few brave in heart that can follow the stone knight to his sad journey.

Castle of Heart is a generic, infuriating, and ultimately underwhelming experience. It doesn’t even come close to emulating what made the old Castlevania games classics, as it just crams enemies and traps into levels and hope it works, rather than having coherent level design. If anything, all that Castle of Heart has done is reminded me of how good the old Castlevania games were and that this doesn’t fill that void that has been left behind.

Poor production, so-so gameplay. No matter how you look at it, Castle of Heart is as dull as a generic sword sold by a random blacksmith.

In addition to its insignificant art direction, Castle of Heart can be really frustrating. Indeed, you spend most of your time making your way by fleeing from tenacious enemies and lethal projectiles. Actually, this game is not worth your time. Run, you fools!

Castle of Heart may look like a promising 2D action game that's reminiscent of the classics but it's so poorly designed that you'll want to plug in your NES so you can play a far superior selection of games.

Castle of Heart is a sluggish, close to unplayable mess. Its combat system is almost non-existent, and what little good it has in its level design is quickly forgotten after hearing its awful audio quality, music, and experiencing the repetitive and often awkward movement mechanics.