The Castle

Ishtar Games’ The Castle is a meticulously crafted memorial to the LucasArts classics. Players will keenly feel the influence of Maniac Mansion. Using a classic interface, expertly drawn pixel art, similarly crafted music and sound effects, the developers tell a story that is uniquely theirs while paying homage to their inspirations. Despite lacking some of today’s modern conveniences — specifically voice acting, a hotspot indicator, and a fast travel option — they have created a fantastic game that players will love.

The Castle is a delightful trip down memory lane, a vibrant and melodic feast of joy. Its whimsical characters, with their iconic, comically oversized heads and tiny frames, perfectly recreate the charm of its predecessors. The sound effects, music, and other elements blend seamlessly to create an immersive experience. Everything works in harmony to draw the player into the narrative.

The Castle uses the same interface popularized by Maniac Mansion. The halved screen has the graphics on top and the verbs to construct commands on the lower left and inventory on the lower right. You can create sentences by left-clicking on the verbs, and then the character will execute your commands if possible. 

The player uses this classic interface to guide a party of three intrepid adventurers as they attempt to assault a Transylvanian castle and rid it of vampires. The first character is Peter. He’s a mystery magazine reporter and the party's leader. Additionally, you may choose two allies from a pool of six to accompany him. Each partner has unique skills that change the way the puzzles that the player confronts on their journey are solved.  

The allies I chose were Gogo, a bladed weapons expert, and Bob, a guy who was just crossing the street. An observant player may find a weapon Gogo may use to protect herself from enemies. Although I found it, my imperfect reflexes didn’t allow me to take advantage of it.  Also, a map with a fast travel option would have prevented me from getting lost.

As with many games (and particularly invaluable when playing The Castle) players will benefit from persistence when confronting challenges. They have access to multiple solutions depending on the skills of the party members. My favorite puzzle involved using a paper shredder to tear up something it wasn’t meant to shred. The puzzles were just as zany and amusing as those offered in Maniac Mansion. The Castle has guardians that will appear at any moment to thwart the player, but their traps are easily overcome through the teamwork of the party members. 

Players have the chance to experience five distinct endings depending on their choice of companions and how they decide to deal with the puzzles. There's no better reward than uncovering these outcomes, making it worth undergoing several playthroughs. The ending I chose answered one of the horror genre's famous riddles: who is stronger, a vampire or a werewolf? It was very entertaining. Adventure gamers should not miss out on playing The Castle.

The Good

• Fun story and premise
• Beautiful backgrounds and well-animated characters with believable chemistry
• Five different endings encourage playing again.

The Bad

• No hotspot indicator
• No fast travel option
• Voice acting would have helped enliven the characters.

Our Verdict

Very good

A game of very high quality. Although some aspects might have been executed better, we would recommend this game without hesitation.

The Castle is a wonderful game; an engrossing story brought to life by well-executed graphics, music, sound effects, interface, and puzzles.