Castaway is like playing a SNES-era Zelda game in speedrun mode. The escapade is over in under an hour — which would be quite disappointing if the endgame wasn’t so good. Brevity aside, the game looks and sounds great with its bright and colourful pixel art world. It also features a simple but effective midi-soundtrack.
The Island
Developed by Canari Games, Castaway is split into two parts: The Island and The Tower. The Island plays like a traditional Zelda adventure, from which it draws heavy inspiration. There’s a bare bones story, simple puzzles and a small selection of enemies to slash through. In addition to your sword, you obtain a pickaxe and grappling hook as rewards for defeating bosses, helping you traverse simple obstacles.
It’s a blink and you’ll miss it bit of gaming that, while enjoyable, is over far too quickly and leans heavily on Zelda nostalgia. Finishing The Island, however, unlocks The Tower, which I would consider to be the actual game.
READ MORE: Preview | The Plucky Squire ‘Something Special’ (PC)
The Tower
The Tower is a 50 level rougelite mode where if you die, you have to start all over again… Which I did… Many times. Using the tools and skills obtained while playing The Island, you must negotiate your way past deadly obstacles while defeating enemies and collecting coins. Collect enough coins and you’ll level up, and you’re then given a choice between three upgrades. From upgrading your weapon damage or increasing your movement speed, to adding armour or more health, these upgrades help you survive long enough to hit level 51 and the final boss battle.
Getting through The Tower in one piece is pretty challenging, requiring your full concentration and a strategic choice of upgrades. Conserving your health is vital, as not only will you need to restart when your health hits zero, but you’ll also receive fewer coins from breaking vases, as they will often contain health replenishing fruit instead.
An essential upgrade to grab early on is the shield, allowing you to tank one hit before actually losing any health; having two or three shields will make ascending The Tower much less daunting!
READ MORE: Review | Knock on the Coffin Lid ‘A Full House’ (PC)
Should I Buy Castaway?
The Island section of the game is so brief it’s hard to feel anything for it at all, it’s a simple Zelda clone at best, albeit a very good looking one. But when instead viewed as the tutorial or prologue to The Tower, it becomes much more forgivable. The Tower was a joy to play, even when I finally made it to the top, only to get smacked right back down by the final boss (I did eventually claw my way back for revenge).
Developer Johan Vinet of Caranri Games, has expressed the desire to create more content for Castaway depending on how well the game sells. But I do wonder if the better road might’ve been to launch into early access and beef up the story and adventure sides of the game first, before a full release.
At $11.79 Castaway won’t break the bank, but whether it’s worth your time will depend on the type of games you like. If you’re buying it solely for a nostalgic Zelda-like experience you’ll probably be disappointed, but if you enjoy rougelite games, then this is a good little experience. The whole game will keep you busy for around three to four hours, which isn’t bad for just over a tenner.
Quest Daily scores Castaway:
7/10
