Very few game developers can convey a sense of authorship with their releases. Kyle Thompson has been developing and releasing games every few years since 2020; and his latest game, Crypt Custodian, makes it clear that Kyle has a sandbox he likes to build in. The games are full of their own semiotics that have maintained a consistent but ever-evolving sense of place, all within the Metroidvania genre.
This time around, Crypt Custodian is a top-down Metroidvania that offers a fresh new aspect compared to the previous 2D entries. While they aren’t sequels to each other, the noticeable connective tissue and mechanical improvements make us feel like we’re playing the results of Thompson’s journey as a developer. It’s an intriguing prospect that I don’t think I’ve ever experienced before, and this latest entry in the discography is the best yet.
If you’re new to the developer’s games, there are cornerstones of the genre that I can easily compare Crypt Custodian to. Games like Death’s Door, Tunic, and Hyper Light Drifter immediately came to mind during my first few hours of play. Unlike those titles, however, Crypt Custodian has been consciously made to make it more accessible and fun, something that I hope other Metroidvania developers can take advantage of.
Cats, cleaning and coffins
You play as Pluto, a cat who sadly passed away and was sent to the afterlife. Pluto’s posthumous fate rests with Kendra, the palace guard, who decides if Pluto was a good enough cat to ascend to the palace. During your travels while awaiting your trial, you cause a little chaos and anger Kendra, who banishes you and forces you to clean the palace entrance for all eternity.
It’s unfair, and Kendra’s fickle attitude sparks a new journey for Pluto. Along the way, you meet other animal friends and hatch a plan to find your own way to the palace. This narrative thread runs throughout the game as you explore one of the largest entrances I’ve ever seen. It’s a nice, if short, storyline that doesn’t get in the way of the gameplay.
Each character you meet is a sweet, expressive, and perhaps misguided soul that reflects the delightfully innocent nature of animals. You learn more about their backstories through collectibles, which I’ll get to later, but you learn the reason for their existence in the afterlife and I just want to know who hurt the developer? The backstories are a real low blow every time.
As the credits rolled, I wasn’t entirely sure what the story was trying to convey. Perhaps the lesson here is that you have to make peace with loss, but if you’ve ever lost a pet, this is quite a tearjerker.
The cat pajamas
You’ll have to wipe your tears though, because you’ll have to cleanse the afterlife. As I mentioned above, Crypt Custodian is a top-down Metroidvania that has all the typical mechanics of the genre. Extensive map design, areas to return to once you’ve gained a new ability, and hidden secrets to discover. It’s all a typical Metroidvania affair, but there are a few neat mechanics that make the journey a little easier.
Backtracking is easy, as you can fast travel to any checkpoint no matter where in the world you are. This completely overcomes the slow pace of some of the larger Metroidvanias, making discovering all the secrets a tiny bit more fun. If you don’t know where to go next, there’s a central location with a shop where you can buy map markers to help you find the next area you need to go to, or a secret you may have missed in a previous room.
This was an invaluable tool, as you don’t know exactly where to go next in Crypt Custodian. Often I would defeat a boss that wasn’t the next one on the list. This wasn’t a huge problem, but it does make it a little unclear where you can and can’t go, even with some of the help I mentioned. In addition to these accessibility efforts, you can also choose your difficulty level at the start of the game. The difficulty level affects how aggressive the enemy is, as well as the amount of damage they take.
Bring a broom to a gunfight
Pluto’s weapon is the almighty broomstick, which is more for sweeping the floor of enemies than actually cleaning up. Along with your weapon of choice, you also have a dodge roll, a jump, and an interchangeable special attack to get you through combat encounters. It’s a simple loadout that doesn’t change throughout the game, but it’s exciting from the first fight to the last.
You’ll discover new special attack abilities that you can change from your standard ability, although I didn’t realize this until I found the last one. To use your special attack, you fill up a meter by beating up enemies. This isn’t a technique you can rely on, but there are some examples of use that help the flow of combat.
One of the more important aspects to consider during your gameplay is the skills you will find. You won’t upgrade Pluto in the traditional sense, but you will find upgrade points that count towards the skill you can equip. Skills are associated with a certain number of upgrade points that you need to equip – the more upgrade points you have, the more you can equip.
Abilities range from simple upgrades like 30% more damage when at full health to easier ones like showing hidden platforms or notifying you when there’s a secret in the room. I love the steps taken to make Crpyt Custdoain 100% easier and it’s easily doable without guides.
Fight for your life after death
Each area has a boss fight at the center, with about 10 to fight in total. The bosses are perfect moments to test your skills and accentuate Crypt Custodian’s gameplay. The bosses feel more like a bullet hell than a top-down action Metroidvania and they are so much fun. The variety of attacks you’ll experience, whether from bosses or generals, leaves something to be desired. After the first few hours, I feel like I’ve seen all the attack patterns the game has to offer.
The differences are in the enemy/boss attack combinations that keep you on your toes. Combine that with the scope to experiment with skills and special attacks and you can really become a formidable cat. If you haven’t had enough of the boss battles during the story, you can also play the Boss Rush mode. While it’s not a true “rush” as you’re switching between menus, selecting skills and loading into battle, it’s the quickest way to get into the fights.
You’re ranked based on your performance, with S+ being the best overall. You’ll need to mix a combination of speed and damage avoidance to reach the highest rank, which is frustrating, but I understand it’s challenging for those who seek it. This mode will probably be the reason I don’t get the platinum trophy for it, as a hit-free run seems almost impossible.
Leave it spotlessly clean
Kyle Thompson’s hand-painted graphics stand out – and after three games, you can tell his style is constantly evolving. Crypt Custodian’s characters are so cute and full of life, the environments are vast, and each area is more than just a different color palette. Decaying ruins, inhabited interiors, and ethereal architecture fill the entire map.
To match the lush visuals, there’s a soundtrack by Eric Thompson, Kyle’s brother. The music is inspired by electronica, ambient, and, if I do say so myself, a touch of reggae. I say that because there’s a theme that uses a steel drum as the main instrument, and as I type this, that’s all I can hear beyond the blaring synth chords.
The music loops are criminally short, as you can hear the tracks restarting as you explore, but I’m being nitpicky on this point. There’s a melancholy undertone to the audio/visual that gives the game a palpable atmosphere.
Overall, I had a lot of fun playing Crypt Custodian. I gave examples of how the game creates a gateway into the Metroidvania genre, making it a perfect entry point if the cute scarf-wearing cat cleaning the afterlife has piqued your interest.
If you’re more experienced with Metroidvanias, there are also ways to challenge your mettle while still being able to use the mechanics to create a tighter and faster-paced experience. It’s a bit rough around the edges, the animations are a little stiff, the wayfinding a little rigid, and the music is short, but it plays great and offers a fun world with plenty of secrets to explore. I couldn’t put it down until I found everything, and Thompson has made it possible for even newbies like me to get there.
A Metroidvania for newcomers and veterans alike, Crypt Custodian offers plenty to be a well-paced journey. Hectic combat, thrilling secrets, and a cute cast to cry over make the game’s less polished elements fade into the background.
Crypt Administrator will be available from August 27, 2024 for PlayStation 5 (test platform), PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.
Developer: Kyle Thompson
Publisher: Top Hat Studios
Disclaimer: In order to complete this review, we were provided with a promotional copy of the game. For our full review guidelines: please click here.
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