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0 From Ori, Hollow Knight and Dead Cells, to the games that gave the genre its name, Metroid and Castlevania, Metroidvania’s are some of the most beloved games across the decades of videogame lineage. Crypt Custodian is a charming new addition to the fold.
9 Lives Exhausted – Crypt Custodian
Brought to life by the sibling team of Kyle and Eric Thompson and published by Top Hat Studios, the game is out now on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC.
Gameplay
Players take on the role of a cat, Pluto, who has just died and has passed into the afterlife. The mischievous feline is banished to spend eternity cleaning the world of the afterlife. You grab your trusty boom and head off on an adventure of exploration.
Enemies are well designed not only from a visual standpoint but from their individual move sets and attack patterns. Getting to know these is crucial for success. Also mastery of remembering to save regularly goes a long way to make the game more enjoyable. In modern games we are all too spoiled with autosave functionality. It takes a little rewiring of the muscle memory to save-save- save.
Thankfully the save points dotted around the map have multiple functions. Not only do they save your precious progression but also act as a teleportation vehicle. Thus allowing you to instant travel to save spots you’ve previously visited. And if that’s not enough interacting with these save spots fully recharges your health. You will be seeking them out regularly.
Another spot you will frequent is The Sinners Inn. Here barkeep Marla will sell you upgrades to bolster your attack and defense. These in turn aid you in tackling the ever increasingly complex foes you face.
I favoured a strategy of focusing on increasing health first and foremost. Even though this took slightly more initial graft to get the funds up for purchase it was a fruitful approach.
Minor Tweak
One minor gripe I have is with the allocation of the dodge button. Having it on the R1 button made for a slightly uncomfortable hold. Meaning I tended to favour jumping to dodge things instead. A button mapping option would be a welcome addition. This would allow for a more natural hand positioning as I personally would go for having the dodge on the circle button, or one of the triggers.
It would also be nice to see the bells and whistles of the Dual Sense controller utilised to enhance the already great gameplay.
Graphics & Audio
From the get-go Crypt Custodian is very pleasing on the eye. The title screen, the loading screen, the animated credits and logos. They set you up nicely for what’s ahead. Even returning to the game on the “Continue” load file screen, it dances like a lava lamp while they meditative tunes harmoniously fill the void!
You are struck by the vibrant colours, the lighting and particle effects as soon as you enter the game world. There’s a kind of simplicity to it. However the care and attention that has gone into crafting each element is abundantly clear.
The use of animated text in speech bubbles is fantastic. It’s a technique I first came across in the movie Juno. The game The Wreck also used it to great effect. When tied to the distinctive audio that each character has when they speak, its chefs kiss quality.
All of the visuals are sublimely paired with the fantastic soundtrack. This works to enhance and elevate the experience giving it an almost dream-like vibe. Hats off to some truly terrific work all round from the 2 person dev team.
Longevity
With multiple varied biomes to explore, an ensemble of characters to meet and a host of weapon/skill unlocks and upgraded to be had there’s plenty to keep you busy here. Altogether there are some nice puzzles too and the varied combat of the different enemies will keep you on your toes.
For trophy hunters there are 49 trophies to bag. The list includes 38 bronze, 7 silver, 3 gold and a platinum with a couple that are skill dependant.
Final Thoughts
If you are after a polished experience that is full of charm then Crypt Custodian is definitely worth your time and money.
There is so much care and passion jumping right off every scene that makes this metroidvania an easy recommendation, not only for old hands with the genre, but also players who’ve never tackled this beloved style of game.
Pluto cleans up with our Thumb Culture Gold Award. It is catnip for your gaming soul!
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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