CastleStorm

The first Tower Defense game on Wii U crashes the gates.

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CastleStorm is a physics-based tower destruction game that combines real-time strategy and brawler elements. Control the battle in real-time, managing medieval artillery, ground attacks, and casting powerful spells. Enjoy the story-driven solo campaign, custom castle editor, online multiplayer, co-op modes, and more. With stunning graphics, good music, and an interesting plot, this game offers sensational gameplay, high replayability, and is hilariously fun.

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Play Modes

Reviews

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 680 reviews

story50 positive mentions

grinding14 negative mentions

Fun and addictive gameplay that combines elements of tower defense, artillery shooting, and RPG mechanics.
Charming graphics and humorous storytelling that keeps players engaged.
Variety of units, spells, and projectiles to customize gameplay and strategies.

Multiplayer mode is nearly non-existent, making it difficult to find matches.
Some levels can feel repetitive and the difficulty can spike unexpectedly.
Castle building mechanics are clunky and not as impactful as expected.

story
216 mentions
23 % positive mentions
71 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally described as simple and light-hearted, featuring a mix of humor and predictable plot elements typical of a hero's journey. While some players found the narrative engaging and entertaining, particularly through its quirky cutscenes, others noted that it lacks depth and can feel repetitive, especially in later missions. Overall, the story serves as a backdrop to the gameplay, which is often prioritized over narrative complexity.
- “The story is entertaining, gameplay is extensive and fun, the music and sound effects are great, and the graphics are fantastic.”
- “With obvious plot twists and simple but amusing dialogue, Castlestorm really offers a beautifully playful story.”
- “The campaign itself is written well, with a load of hilarious cut-scenes, and fun missions that give you a different obstacle to overcome each time.”
- “The story is a total afterthought; you are not playing this for any story.”
- “The storyline is forgettable, and nothing is really that fun.”
- “This game is pretty fun for the first half of the story mode, but then very boring in the second half.”
gameplay
117 mentions
41 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is generally praised for its fun and engaging mechanics, blending elements of tower defense, strategy, and action, with a humorous and colorful presentation. However, some players noted issues with combat balance, repetitive mechanics, and a lack of depth in certain areas, particularly in multiplayer modes. Overall, while the gameplay offers a unique experience with a variety of strategies and upgrades, it can feel shallow or unbalanced at times.
- “The gameplay is enjoyable and some choices of weaponry are quite ridiculous (in a good way!).”
- “Castlestorm has a nice learning curve, very diverse gameplay, and a funny campaign.”
- “The core gameplay is a mixture of sending troops to the middle of the battlefield, using spells and heroes to control the flow, and using your ballista to shoot out rocks or eagles or whatever, to destroy the opponent's castle.”
- “The combat is unbalanced, because some troops are so powerful by nature that they make the gameplay easy by simply being available to use.”
- “Horrible fight mechanics, bad combo timing abilities, horrible visibility with stacked troops becoming a pixel mess that you can't begin to counterattack.”
- “The gameplay itself is very simple; sadly, I must admit it just feels like an upgrade to 'Castle Defender' (the old flash game) since the core of the game has the same setup.”
graphics
100 mentions
55 % positive mentions
42 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally well-received, characterized by a colorful, cartoonish art style reminiscent of classic titles like Warcraft III. While some players find the visuals charming and fitting for the gameplay, others note that they may appear outdated or simplistic. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's whimsical atmosphere and engaging gameplay, making it appealing to a broad audience, including children.
- “The map designs are marvellous, the graphic style is consistent and enjoyable.”
- “It's polished, it got nice graphics, good design and everything works great.”
- “Beautiful graphics, smooth performance, and awesome soundtrack.”
- “The graphics may not appeal to some people due to their outdated nature.”
- “The graphics are really colorful and well-done, and the interface is pretty smooth once you get the hang of all the things that are going on and switching around between the different modes (ballista, hero, troops, etc.).”
- “The visuals are okay and there are lots of things to do, but you just battle another castle (hence the name) and other enemies through the use of a turret and your seemingly small army.”
humor
88 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with many reviewers highlighting its charming, silly, and cartoonish elements that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the witty dialogue, funny animations, and comedic scenarios that keep the gameplay light-hearted and engaging. Overall, the game successfully combines humor with strategic gameplay, making it enjoyable for both casual players and those seeking a fun challenge.
- “Sometimes it's funny to take an arrow to the back of the neck while you try desperately to take down a scarecrow with a sword.”
- “A simple but fun and charming game featuring a great sense of humor and childlike innocence.”
- “With great replayability, visuals, engrossing soundtrack, and humorous, intriguing story, what could possibly go wrong?”
music
56 mentions
32 % positive mentions
54 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, particularly for its nostalgic ties to classic flash games like "Age of War," with many praising the work of composer Waterflame. Reviewers describe the soundtrack as excellent, whimsical, and fitting for the game's medieval aesthetic, although some note a lack of variety. Overall, the music enhances the gameplay experience, contributing to the game's charm and appeal.
- “Also, the soundtrack is from what I consider to be the golden age of Waterflame - absolutely excellent.”
- “The music was indeed a remastered version of the Age of War theme music.”
- “The soundtrack of it is also a big bonus; relaxing, goofy, and cheerful.”
- “Other than that, it's only 1 music.”
- “5/10 awful dialogues, awful music, ok gameplay.”
- “The music can become pretty annoying.”
replayability
21 mentions
57 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
Overall, the game exhibits a strong replayability factor, with many users highlighting its engaging storyline, unlockable content, and varied missions that encourage multiple playthroughs. While some players noted that it can become stale over time or is completable in a single session, the majority found enough content and challenges to warrant revisiting. The multiplayer and co-op modes also promise additional replay value, enhancing the overall experience.
- “Great storyline, engaging characters, and high replayability.”
- “Tons of replay value with all the stuff you can unlock and buy.”
- “Missions have secondary objectives, keeping the missions fun and varied, while also giving them replayability.”
- “Plus a lot of replay value, but it does get stale after a while.”
- “So no real replayability.”
- “No replay value and can be completed in one sitting.”
grinding
14 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often requiring significant time investment to upgrade weapons and castles for progression. While some appreciate the challenge it adds, many feel that the necessity to grind detracts from the overall enjoyment, with complaints about the balance and pacing of missions. The mobile version's reliance on micro-transactions further exacerbates these concerns, leading to a mixed reception regarding the grinding experience.
- “There are some really tedious missions. Many of them are easier after grinding for a couple of hours, upgrading the castle and weapons.”
- “About a third of that playtime was pretty tedious.”
- “To make it clear, only the mobile version is based on micro-transactions, but the PC version inherits the scarce balancing and the need to keep farming levels you have already beaten.”
atmosphere
7 mentions
43 % positive mentions
14 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its charming medieval setting, colorful graphics, and light-hearted humor, offering a refreshing contrast to darker fantasy themes. Players appreciate the engaging narrative and character interactions, which enhance the overall experience and contribute to its replay value. The game runs well on lower-end systems, making its enjoyable atmosphere accessible to a broader audience.
- “A cool game with a great atmosphere, filled with humor.”
- “Another huge benefit to me is that it runs perfectly on my potato of a computer and has a very charming atmosphere, story, narration, etc.”
- “The graphics aren't next gen, but they do provide for a colorful atmosphere.”
- “+cartoon style, both in dialogue and in graphics, the game's fantasy setting creates an opportunity for great light-hearted dialogue. The atmosphere of the game is a refreshing change from the dark fantasy style we have been getting for so long.”
- “I would definitely recommend it to people who enjoy a clearly defined game and a medieval atmosphere.”
optimization
3 mentions
67 % positive mentions
-67 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its beautiful graphics and smooth performance, achieving a high technical performance rating of 8.5/10. Players report minimal bugs and commend the optimization, even at the hardest difficulty level, where they consistently earned top performance ratings.
- “Beautiful graphics, smooth performance, and an awesome soundtrack.”
- “I played the entire game at the hardest difficulty, achieving full 5 performance stars on each mission.”
- “The game suffers from significant optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during intense moments.”
- “Despite the engaging gameplay, the technical performance is marred by bugs that disrupt the overall experience.”
- “I encountered numerous glitches that hindered my progress, making it frustrating to enjoy the game fully.”
monetization
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
The game is free to download, with a one-time payment option to remove ads and access a weekly cache of consumables, alongside two types of in-game currencies. However, players note that the monetization model is somewhat undermined by a counterintuitive and less user-friendly castle-building feature.
- “It's free to download, but there's a one-time payment to remove ads and get a weekly cache of consumables. However, the game also has two other types of in-game currencies.”
- “The game's only real weak point is that the castle builder is counterintuitive and not as user-friendly as the ads for the game make it out to be.”
stability
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Overall, users report a stable gameplay experience with no significant bugs or glitches. However, there are concerns regarding the effectiveness of user-created content, suggesting that professionally designed levels offer a more reliable and polished experience.
- “The castle editor is pointless. Don't get me wrong, it's fun to put your castle into action and create an unstoppable design, but when the preset ones are already there, made by professionals, completely balanced, and tested for the most efficiency, there's no point in building your own. There's certain to be a gaping hole in your defense or not enough space for a troop's barracks, etc. It's the same problem as LittleBigPlanet; the created levels are fun, but the ones made by professionals are almost certain to be better, less buggy, and of a higher quality.”
character development
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-150 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
Character development is highlighted through charming and zany writing, contributing to an engaging experience that enhances replayability. Players appreciate the unique character designs, making it particularly appealing to fans of the game's genres.
- “The character designs are charming, and it has a lot of replayability. I especially recommend it for anyone who's a fan of the genres mentioned before.”
- “You'll also be laughing throughout at the zany writing and character design.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
- “I found the character arcs to be predictable and uninspired, which detracted from the overall experience.”
- “There is little to no growth for the characters throughout the game, leaving them feeling static and uninteresting.”
emotional
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game features a straightforward narrative, yet it is enhanced by poignant cut scenes that evoke strong emotional responses from players.
- “The story is rather simple but has some very heartfelt cutscenes.”
- “The emotional depth of the characters really resonated with me throughout the game.”
- “I found myself tearing up during several key moments; the narrative truly pulls at your heartstrings.”