Castle Of Illusion

by **Ultra** Mon 07 Oct 2013, 05:02

Game :Castle Of Illusion

Release date: 3 September 2013

Genre: Platform

Platforms: Pc, Ps3, Xbox360

As most of you (gamers) know, there's been quite some attention lately upon a remake; "Duck Tales Remastered". The game, originally from '89, got put in a new jacket and got released with a fresh look.

Though, while a lot of people were paying attention to that, another remake made it towards the screen; "Castle of Illusions". This game, originally from the Sega Genesis, also received the ticket to a remake, which just got released September 3rd.

Storyline

The story tells about the witch Mizrabel, who has kidnapped Minney Mouse to her castle, where nothing actually is what it seems to be. Mickey Mouse took all of his courage together and stepped into the castle, on a mission to save Minney.

His mission to save Minney requires Mickey to get through levels and collect diamants and gems. The diamants are spread out throughout the levels, making it easy to collect them. It's your mission to collect as many as possible, as you can't move on to the next level if you haven't collected a certain amount of them. Once you've finished a level, you will receive a gem. If you didn't collect all the gems, you aren't able to continue to the witch herself to save Minney.

While the story behind the game hasn't been changed from the original, the rest has. The game isn't a complete remake of the original, which is a good thing. There are a few different things about the game, with a big note towards the music and the graphics.
Is this game just for the fans of the original one? Or is it also enjoyable for the casual gamer? Continue to read and you might have an idea on the answer!

Changes

As I just wrote, the game isn't a complete remake of the original.

Certain changes have been made to the game, which makes it a new experience with a nice nostalgic twist to it.

One of the changes is that the game now isn't linear as the original, which means the rate of replay is higher than back then. This game allows you to replay a level, not just the whole game when you die. The levels you play are pretty much the same as in the original game, but then devided into pieces and they're less difficult than in the original game. After you've completed each level, you return to a head building, where you can choose whatever level you'd like to play.

A new thing that has been added to the game, is collectables. As told earlier, you have to collect diamants throughout the game. This helps you to continue your adventure throughout the castle. Next to diamants, they also added Donald Ducks Chilli Peppers. These are hidden throughout the levels, but are not that hard to get. Together with the diamants, these are usable to unlock new costumes for Mickey.

Difficulty

Where the original game wasn't always as easy as you'd think, the remake seems to have been taken down a notch. The game isn't that difficult anymore, which is definitely clear when you're in a bossfight. Their moves are pretty much predictable and it's not hard to take them down, which makes them quite easy.

Which might make the game a tiny bit frustrating though, are the controls.

While console gamers play the game with a controller, the pc-gamers can choose between controller or keyboard.

Personally I haven't played with keyboard, so I can't say much on that. I played the game with a Xbox controller (for windows) and my opinion is that the controls can be a bit annoying sometimes. You slip somewhere you don't want to go, the reaction is a bit late, things like that. This is pretty noticable throughout the game, though you learn to play with it. Yet, when you can play with it, it can still be a pain in the butt sometimes, due to the fact that some points need precision, which can be a bit bad for your nerves at that point.

Graphics and music

For the people who've played the original game, these 2 elements are the most changed ones in the game.

The graphics are really good looking, it looks smooth, the world is built up really nice. While the game is built up as a run left to right game, there are some moments within it where the 2D-aspect changes to a 3D-aspect. While it might not seem that interesting, it does add up to the atmosphere of the game.

Besides the aspect changing, there's also life in the background of the game, which makes it fun to watch around the levels while playing.

While you're playing through the game, you'll also notice that the music has been remade as well.

The music is enjoyable and fits the game perfect, fitting the levels as well.

A nice option you can turn on/off in the settings, is a narrator; a man reading the story behind it out loud as if you're laying in bed and your grandfather is telling you a story before you go to sleep. It adds to the game, like a fairytale being told to you as a kid while you're using your imagination to make it visually alive in your mind.

Conclusion

It's a classic game in a new jacket, which is a fun way of replaying an old classic. The graphics are nice, the music is fun and they added a few new features which only makes it a little more fun. Though the game also has it's negative points; it won't keep you busy for days, it's a pretty short game. The difficulty isn't really high either and sometimes the controls may be annoying.

For nostalgia fans, the game is definitely a must buy; for other gamers, if you like platformgames, this game is a good way to relax for a few hours.

+ Graphics and music are renewed

+ New features

+ Nostalgia feeling still here

Short game -

Sometimes rough controls -

Reviewer's Rating: 7.5/10