Sushi Castle (XBLIG): "Milkstone's Answer To 'The Binding of Isaac'"

Milkstone has answered my gaming prayers! Ever since I laid eyes on gameplay footage of 'The Binding of Isaac' I have longed to play the game. This was unfortunately impossible for me since my outdated PC can't handle even the simplest of Steam game titles. I was extremely psyched when I happened upon a tweet recently where @milkstone discussed what this game was all about. I replied by tweeting a message to the developer saying they could count me in for a review. I know that Milkstone has a good reputation for releasing some of the best quality titles on the XBLIG platform, so I knew "Sushi Castle" had huge potential. Needless to say the game did not disappoint. As I did my routine playthrough of the game I found nothing, but pure enjoyment from the experience.

While many, including myself will compare a lot of this game's visual features to 'The Binding of Isaac' it still stands own it's own as a unique indie game. One of the main differences you'll notice when playing "Sushi Castle" is that the theme is entirely oriental in nature. The protagonist of the game is a male ninja warrior who is seeking to rescue his girlfriend. As cliche as that may seem it is anything but that. The dungeons which the ninja (you) must traverse are filled with various weapon upgrades, ability upgrades, traps, and of course a wide variety of adversaries.

Along with the threat of opposing creatures (slime, flames, ninjas, zombies ...) you'll also encounter epic boss battles that will put your skill, and reflexes to the ultimate test. You (the ninja) have only one shot to make to the end of this blood drenched tale. If you die the developer will mock your failure with a "Game Over" quote that will belittle your feeble attempts at success. The awesome thing about this game is that when you start over you will be placed in an entirely new dungeon since the level layouts are randomly generated. It means that you'll never play the same game twice which is definitely a plus in any video game.

There's really not much else I can say in regards to the game. If you've played 'The Binding of Isaac' then you'll definitely be in familiar territory when it comes to playing "Sushi Castle". The controls are simple shmup type controls (Left Thumbstick = Movement / Right Thumbstick = Shoot) with trigger, and bumper buttons added to activate bonus items. This makes keeping focus on surviving a little easier. As far as graphics, and sound quality go they are quite impressive. The art style is oriental in nature, and compliments the game's back story quite well. The soundtrack also suits the oriental theme of the game, and is definitely of good quality. I think the most awesome thing in this game (besides the game itself) is the promise of future DLC if the game sells enough copies. Milkstone has some cool things in store if/when the sales reach certain numbers. You can expect new levels, bosses, items, and several other additions if this game sells well. It's absolutely worth the 80 ($1) msp asking price, so I'm hoping to see some of that DLC soon!