Each stage contains a handful of gems, and three need to be collected in order to reach the exit.
However, levels aren’t as simple as racing towards a finish line or taking out a certain number of enemies. It’s actually quite impressive how much level variety the developers have managed to curate with a fairly limited set of tools, but the game’s nuance and depth becomes more apparent the deeper into the campaign you get. Some blocks might launch the character into the air or explode after a second or two, while others allow them to climb up or slide down walls.
Every level is laid out on what is essentially a grid, with various block types making up the floors and walls you maneuver your little avatar on. It’s ironic given how creative the setup is that the actual gameplay is simple, but what BattleBlock Theater might lack in novel mechanics and flashy gameplay is made up for with tight controls and excellent level design. It’s all window dressing, sure, but this attention to detail and unwavering dedication to keep the player engaged is what makes BattleBlock Theater stand out from the rest of the platforming pack. Each level plays out on a theater stage, with catlike silhouettes creeping in the foreground, standing in for a ‘virtual’ audience. The theater motif finds its way into the game’s layout as well worlds (which are referred to as acts) are composed of nine or so individual levels (stages), and each world ends with a ‘finale’ level. This rather bizarre setup paves way for the hundreds of levels, which make up the majority of the game. Hatty is then taken captive by the island’s feline natives, and brainwashed to become their leader as his friends are forced to participate in deadly theater performances. The game’s story follows Hatty Hattington (described as ‘King Friend of Friendship Kingdom, best friend to one and all, and the walking definition of handsome gentleman) who is shipwrecked on a mysterious island with hundreds of his close friends. It’s not only surprising that BattleBlock Theater has a story that is more than an intro cutscene (let’s be honest, most platforming games tend to pass on delivering hearty narratives), but it’s surprising just how funny it manages to be at the same time. While it would have been easy to simply rig up a basic menu and some customisation options to string all the levels together, The Behemoth has carefully crafted an outrageously humorous and addicting experience that will keep us entertained its next project is unleashed on the world. It took years for developer The Behemoth to put the finishing touches on its latest platforming masterpiece, and it’s easy to see why. If there’s one thing that kept me coming back to BattleBlock Theater, it’s how consistently over-the-top everything has to be.
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