“Big Helmet Heroes Is the Castle Crashers Successor You Didn’t Know You Needed—And It’s Gloriously Chaotic! “
If you’ve been longing for the golden age of chaotic, side-scrolling brawlers, Big Helmet Heroes is about to make your nostalgic heart explode. This brand-new co-op adventure isn’t just inspired by Castle Crashers—it practically wears that inspiration like one of its oversized helmets. And honestly? That’s a great thing.
Wait… Is It 2008 Again?
The premise is delightfully simple: You and your friends play as tiny warriors with ridiculously large helmets, smashing your way through medieval madness to rescue a princess. Sound familiar? Yeah, that’s because it’s basically Castle Crashers in a high-resolution suit of armor. But don’t let the similarities fool you—this game has enough unique charm to stand on its own.
Developed by Exalted Studio and published by Dear Villagers, Big Helmet Heroes landed on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC on February 6. And it’s already proving that couch co-op brawlers are far from dead.
How Big Helmet Heroes Stands Out
Yes, the DNA of Castle Crashers runs deep here, from the medieval setting to the quirky humor. Even the first major boss smashes through a gate just like in its spiritual predecessor. But Big Helmet Heroes brings its own flavor to the fight.
For starters, instead of Castle Crashers’ cartoonish, hand-drawn style, this game goes for a more polished, semi-realistic aesthetic. Whether that’s an upgrade or not depends on your taste, but it certainly makes the action pop.
And while Castle Crashers let you level up individual characters and wield unique weapons, Big Helmet Heroes does things a little differently. Instead of deep RPG progression, it offers a roster of 29 characters, each donning absurdly large helmets and fitting into one of four weapon archetypes:
- Sword: Classic hack-and-slash action
- Staff: Magical mayhem
- Daggers: Quick, nimble strikes
- Giant Hammer: Because sometimes, bigger is better
To unlock new characters, you’ll need to explore levels thoroughly—because, let’s be real, half the fun is finding more little dudes with big ol’ helmets.
Game-Changing Abilities (and Some… Less Helpful Ones)
Each character comes with a unique ability, and some of them are absolute game-changers. Want to freeze enemies solid? Done. Prefer slowing down time for some stylish combat sequences? You got it. How about trapping enemies in floating bubbles while they helplessly drift away? Yep, that’s a thing.
Of course, not all abilities are useful. One floods the screen with sheep. Why? Who knows. But it’s hilarious, and that’s what counts.
The Couch Co-Op Renaissance Is Here
One of Big Helmet Heroes’ biggest strengths? It fully embraces couch co-op. You can play the entire game with a friend sitting next to you—no complicated online lobbies, no disconnected multiplayer nightmares. Just pure, old-school, side-by-side button-mashing goodness.
In an era where couch co-op is becoming a relic of the past (RIP split-screen Halo campaign), this is a breath of fresh air. And Big Helmet Heroes isn’t alone in keeping the local multiplayer dream alive—2024 is shaping up to be a great year for couch co-op:
- Revenge of the Savage Planet (May)
- Borderlands 4 (September)
- Towerborne (later this year)
- Split Fiction (next month, from the creators of It Takes Two)
The Hero We Needed
Let’s be honest: We don’t deserve a spiritual successor to Castle Crashers. But we needed one. Big Helmet Heroes brings back everything we loved about chaotic, four-player brawlers and throws in just enough modern twists to make it feel fresh.
If you miss the days of gathering your friends, grabbing a controller, and button-mashing your way through absurdly fun adventures, this one’s for you.
Big Helmet Heroes is out now on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. Now, grab a friend and start smashing.
