Big Helmet Heroes Review

thesixthaxis.com:

Do you remember Castle Crashers? Well, the developers of Big Helmet Heroes certainly do, as their game bears an uncanny resemblance to The Behemoth’s 2D side-scrolling shiny knight classic. Indeed, Big Helmet Heroes could well be Castle Crashers 2, only this time with bland 3D visuals replacing the charming hand-drawn aesthetic of The Behemoth’s finest. Oh, there’s one other noticeable difference between the two games I’m afraid; unlike Castle Crashers, Big Helmet Heroes isn’t very good.

Big Helmet Heroes certainly starts off promisingly enough, your large-bonced knight – and one other pal in local co-op – trundle from left to right, hacking up Medieval-themed minions. It’s your standard side-scrolling beat ‘em up fare, though with a couple of neat additions. As you hack and slash through lava filled labyrinths, foreboding castles, neon-soaked amusement arcades, and atop an enormous electric guitar – yes, really – you’ll rescue other Big Helmeted Heroes who can be added to your team for that level. This enables you to switch out characters, your tagged-out warrior gaining health as they rest on the sidelines. A well-timed swap out is vital to reach the end of later levels, demanding close monitoring of your various hero’s health levels. Admittedly, this doesn’t add much to the proceedings, but it’s a little bit of brain that serves to accentuate the lashings of brawn.

In comparison to many of the recent side-scrolling beat ‘em ups I’ve played; there’s also the welcome addition of literally hundreds of amusing over-the-top weapons to pick-up and unleash on your unwitting opponents. You’ll be zapping enemies with electric flyswatters, launching laser beams at them from futuristic space-rifles, and smashing them to oblivion with massive plastic toy hammers. It’s all very fun, silly, and satisfying, exactly as it should be.

Each hero, despite the visual differences, plays pretty much the same, with identikit moves and attack combos. What diversifies them are rather