When you look at how much online gaming has changed the hobby, it’s hard to not become a little nostalgic for the simpler times – back when you’d crowd around a Nintendo 64 with some friends playing Goldeneye 64 or Super Smash Bros. Maybe it’s because I was still in high school leeching off of my parents, or maybe it’s because most online games are littered with idiots who do nothing but scream profanity at the screen or insult my mother, but I really miss the old days of couch co-op/deathmatch. If you’re like me and need a trip down memory lane, look no further than Big Crown: Showdown.
You will go up against up to 3 friends, locally or via online, racing from start to finish through hazard filled mazes, all the while taking pot shots at the competition. The point of the game is to rack up the most crowns, which are earned by either killing the other players, making it to the end of the slowly creeping course with lives remaining, or based off of the number of lives you have remaining once you are the last knight standing. It takes more time to explain the nuances than to pick up a controller and figure it out yourself, meaning this has accessible written all over it in bold, larger than life neon lettering. There is no narrative, single player mode, or tutorial. The only option is to set up a local or online lobby, pick from a small set of options, and go head first into battle.
After a short count down, you and the other racers/fighters will be off, leaving you to decide how you would like to try to walk away the victor. Do you go crazy throwing punches left and right, trying to end the bout early without mercy? This is a worthy option, and depending on whether your opponents have mastered the block ability, it may work, but a well-timed block can send you reeling backwards, often right off the platform. You can also attempt a more pacified approach, by simply doing your own thing, working your way through the level, evading traps and letting them do what they do best – kill the other players. My preference was somewhere in between, as I found that waiting for someone to be in the process of timing a jump or barely making it past a trap to be the best time to strike.
The game has a cutesy design, with all of the characters having large heads, small bodies, and short appendages that look comical in motion, almost like you’re playing a racing version of Smash Brothers with the Lollipop Guild. The level environments take from three varied designs, each with their own set of traps that become more and more involved as you progress. Their appearance doesn’t push the PlayStation 4 to its limits, but provide an overall enjoyable experience that is relatively bug free. When you add the Game of Thrones meets Super Mario Bros style music, the presentation checks all the right boxes.
The only lingering issue with the game is the lack of content. As of writing, there are a total of 15 courses broken down into three visual styles. There are no additional characters (at least that I have found), as each player is assigned a different colored knight without the option to select which player gets what color (this didn’t really bother me, but really upset my kiddo). The only customization option available is the option to equip a small number of hats. These are purchased with gold earned by breaking treasure chests while mid-race, and saved to the primary player’s account in the event multiple players are participating locally, adding a bit of a co-operative challenge for those who wish to unlock them all, which is my son’s current priority in life. Aside from unlocking all of these, you’ll likely see all the game has to offer within a few hours. Taking this a step further in the wrong direction, there is no option to play with bots, either filling in empty spots locally or online, so keep this in mind if you’re one of the three gamers still out there without access to a proper internet connection or friends to play it with.
Even with the meager amount of content, the hours of fun I’ve experienced with my son have made my time with Big Crown: Showdown well worth the small cost of admission. I’m not sure how much longevity remains after spending a few hours with the game, but it has left enough of an impression to keep the developer Hyper Luminal Games Ltd on my radar, looking forward to what they have to offer next.
7 out of 10
Pros
- Accessible Yet Unique Gameplay
- Couch Based Deathmatches
- Polished Presentation
Cons
- Lack of Content
Big Crown: Showdown was developed by Hyper Luminal Games Ltd and published by Sold Out Sales & Marketing Ltd. It is currently available for NS, PC, PS4, and X1. The game was provided to us for review on PS4. If you’d like to see more of Big Crown: Showdown, check out the official website.
Here at GBG we use a rating method that you are more than likely familiar with – a scale of 1 to 10. For clarification, we intend on using the entire scale: 1-4 is something you should probably avoid paying for; 5-7 is something that is worth playing, but probably not at full price; 8-10 is a great title that you can feel confident about buying. If you have any questions or comments about how we rate a game, please let us know.
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