Crypt Custodian

A charming meowtroidvania.

And while the differences between each zone are mostly just cosmetic, they all feel distinct enough with varied colours, enemy types, and overall themes. A chill soundtrack enhances the laidback and friendly tone kickstarted by the visuals and general gameplay direction, making Cyrpt Custodian a relaxing experience just as much as it is an entertaining one — an impressively accomplished game all in all.

Overall, Crypt Custodian is a pretty traditional Metroidvania elevated by its fantastic world, aesthetic, characters, and soundtrack, with solid combat and a lot of build flexibility. These aspects all help alleviate some visual clutter issues and frame rate hiccups, ensuring that Crypt Custodian shouldn't end up lost in the eShop bargain bin like so many other Metroidvanias.

Crypt Custodian doesn’t deviate far from the very basics of the Metroidvania formula, but it polishes simplicity to the point where you can’t help but be engaged by it. Having a tight combat system, exploration that doesn’t screech to a halt every five minutes, and a pleasant aesthetic is more than enough to create a fun experience, and Crypt Custodian does exactly that.

Crypt Custodian, ultimately, is a charming adventure meant to relax rather than stress and which tried to help the player along rather than hinder their progress.

Crypt Custodian is a simple game about making animal friends in the afterlife that mixes isometric platformer and Metroidvania elements.

Crypt Custodian is a charming Metroidvania adventure, featuring a deep narrative and engaging gameplay mechanics. Pluto’s journey in the underworld stands out for the originality of its premise, an immersive soundtrack, and flexible gameplay that encourages experimentation. Although the progression loses some challenge in the later stages, the striking visual design and the variety of enemies ensure a memorable experience. For fans of the genre, it is a must-have addition to the Nintendo Switch, offering a balanced mix of exploration, combat, and moments of reflection.

I could not think of a more perfect entry-level Metroidvania to have someone dip their toe into the genre. These games can be intimidating due to the incredibly large maps and neededbacktracking. Even though this map is large, the item and location tokens help to massively reduce confusion.

Overall, CRYPT CUSTODIAN is a solid platformer with easy to learn mechanics, a fun world to explore, and plenty of things to do.

Its art may be charming, and its narrative filled with several emotional and even humorous moments, but the gameplay of Crypt Custodian is the real highlight, revealing a more challenging Metroidvania than it initially appears to be.