Castle of Illusion reviews

[cube_b3]

So we all know the game looked amaznig, we could see that.

The controls we could not see and it appears the controls aren't as good as the originals.

While some reviewer all calling the game great, most are calling it above average and one reviewer found it average, and another found it below average. The 2 basically denounced the slippery controls, they still praised the graphics.

So the question is should we still go out on the streets and pressure Sega into saving Sega Studios Australia cause I personally think controls are much harder to program in contrast to making gorgeous games. Today's technology makes it very easy to make pretty games but controls with 3D are actually harder and according to reviewers the game is inferior in controls.
I really like EuroGamer, I respect them so in a review that was almost full of praise they had this to say about the controls:

Best of all, this game is ****ing nails. Most modern-day platformers are namby-pamby affairs, packed with checkpoints and extra lives and ledges that don't start to disintegrate before you've finished jumping towards them. The new Castle of Illusion says balls to all that. It requires levels of timing, rhythm, precision and determination that would test a Soviet gymnast.

It's frustrating, therefore, that before embarking on his quest, Mickey saw fit to grease the soles of his shoes with butter. For the most part he's a pleasure to control, running and jumping with smooth, fluid movements, but the inertia is just a touch overdone. This results in moments of frustration as Mickey plummets into the void because you pushed the analogue stick a tenth of a millimetre too far to the right.

I didn't grow up with it, and I am not a fan of Mickey but Sega Studios Australia was showing a lot of potential with this title.

[Ben]

Castle of Illusion (the original) was never a particularly challenging game (except the final boss) and I've seen many reviewers say that this is still the case, so I'm not sure what Eurogamer's smoking. Though I haven't played the remake yet, so maybe it's more difficult now? Who knows.

Reviews are going to be mixed like they are for any old game given a makeover; it's, at its core, an old game with a fresh coat of paint, so for many people, the level of praise will depend on the revierers' tolerance for old game design, and likely whether they fondly remember the original.

[Happy Cat]

I started playing the game last night. it's fun, but i can see why the game is not fairing so well in modern reviews. It's lacking the gameplay polish that modern day games are expected to have.

The art style is beautiful, the level design is creative. The hub world is awesome, and reminds me of hub worlds from older 3D games I've played in the past. Where the problems start popping up is the gameplay. The controls feel a bit odd and the game feels unfairly cheap at times. Problems that most likely would of been taken care of if SEGA didn't layoff the studio earlier this year. Gameplay polish is usually one of the last things taken care of in a game. There is also some framerate issues too, but nothing game breaking.

I've never played the original, but I gave the one on PSN a bit of a go, it did seem to have better controls then the remake, but I didn't play it for very long, just coudln't get into it. I think that's the thing with a lot of old games, if you didn't grow up with them you probably aren't going to be able to get into them unless you're a huge fan of retro games and can deal with looking at pixally graphics on a HDTV.

If you are a fan of platformers the game is definitely worth a buy, you will probably enjoy it. Just don't be expecting a super polished experience.

[TimmiT]

I can kinda see the problem with the controls as whenever the game runs below 30fps, there's a lot of button lag. Definitely get the PC version if you have a decent PC.

I don't get the "unfairly cheap" complaint though. The one time it was cheap was at the apple chase scene where I didn't have a good idea of when I had to jump, but for the rest I didn't really die because of bad design. It actually didn't think the game was very hard at all, even though reviewers say it is.

Also, can I have some examples of it not being polished? It seemed to me that the game was polished enough.

[Happy Cat]

I can kinda see the problem with the controls as whenever the game runs below 30fps, there's a lot of button lag. Definitely get the PC version if you have a decent PC.

I don't get the "unfairly cheap" complaint though. The one time it was cheap was at the apple chase scene where I didn't have a good idea of when I had to jump, but for the rest I didn't really die because of bad design. It actually didn't think the game was very hard at all, even though reviewers say it is.

Also, can I have some examples of it not being polished? It seemed to me that the game was polished enough.

by polish i just mean the overall feel of the game, mainly the controls. They seem to take a while to get used to. something the average mainstream reviewer isn't going to put time into, they will just dock off points instead.

as for the cheap parts, yeah that apple part was definitely one, another one that stuck out in my mind was the path of cards, lol. you were pretty much doomed to fall if you hadn't played that area before, it was so cool looking though that i kept playing that part until i passed it.

[Barry the Nomad]

I'm really enjoying it. The game is far from hard. I really have to question some reviewer's gaming skillz. Sure there are spots that are difficult, but theres always a solution to get past the obstacles, and I've yet to encounter a difficult area that feels "cheap".

I passed path of cards and the apple on my first try. The only tricky part for me were the books.

The game is packed with imagination though, really feels like going on a Disneyland ride.

[cube_b3]

Did Euro gamer use the word "cheap" ?

They gave it 7/10 which I suppose is fair.

As mentioned only 1 site give it 5/10 and the other 4.7/10. The rest are all above average.

[Ben]

I don't see why they didn't remake (or at least combine this with) World of Illusion, that game not only had co-op play but the levels were far more creative and colorful and the game felt more polished. I think it would have resonated a bit more with gamers today than Castle of Illusion so far seems to be doing.

Though I'm still very excited to play Castle of Illusion. I just wish they'd given World of Illusion the remake treatment as well.

[Happy Cat]

I'm really enjoying it. The game is far from hard. I really have to question some reviewer's gaming skillz. Sure there are spots that are difficult, but theres always a solution to get past the obstacles, and I've yet to encounter a difficult area that feels "cheap".

I passed path of cards and the apple on my first try. The only tricky part for me were the books.

The game is packed with imagination though, really feels like going on a Disneyland ride.

i'm not saying its bad, but its just lacking the final polish games released today are expected to have. I'm sure it would of turned out better if SEGA didn't close down the studio earlier this year. but the game is still fun, not saying it's horrible or anything

it's turned out much better then ducktales apparently

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x30DEg-MD7k

[Trippled]

i really want Ristar remade.

Of all the Genesis games, I really think it would be the most popular.

[cube_b3]

Given how closely DuckTales and Castle of Illusion are releasing Disney should have made sure the art style in both of them was complimentary.

DuckTales obviously looks like a remaster whereas Castle of Illusion looks like a remake.
Both games appear to have been reviewed similarly though.

@ Will: you keep saying the studio was closed earlier this year. What I've read is the studio is scheduled to close "later this year", I would assume later this year would mean Q4.

You got a link confirming their disbanded?

[TimmiT]

it's turned out much better then ducktales apparently

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x30DEg-MD7k

>DSP

No.

[Ben]

it's turned out much better then ducktales apparently

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x30DEg-MD7k

lolol.

[Sega Uranus]

Fantastic re-imagining, really impressed with just about everything overall. The controls are not as tight as the original, but I think they are better than most current platformers.

I love how even though the game kind of loses that SEGA charm to it through the art (which is not to say it is bad, I think it is just as good, but for different reasons), you can still feel the classic SEGA-like level design that was so abundant in stuff like the original Sonic games, Shinobi games, the Illusion series and even something like Vectorman. It is very distinct.

I wish Sonic Team was the studio that got shut down instead of SEGA Studios Australia, haha. Cut down just as soon as they started hitting their stride, awful shame. Hopefully a remake of QuackShot is still possible. I would lose my mind over that!