If you’re familiar with Behemoth Games, then you have probably played Alien Hominid HD or Castle Crashers, two of the most popular indie games out on the Xbox Live Marketplace. Known for its creative art style and crude humor, Behemoth has become one of the best indie game developers on the market. With the release of BattleBlock Theater, Behemoth once again sets the standards high for future indie games.

    BattleBlock Theater brings Behemoth’s trademark co-op gameplay to life in an entirely new way. In Castle Crashers, Behemoth Games used co-op gameplay to enhance the competitive value of the game, where the players would go through various levels, defeating bosses, and fighting amongst each other over who got to kiss the princess in peril. However, with BattleBlock Theater, Behemoth has moved away from its conventional side-scrolling adventure game and into a new kind of game. One filled with hilarious antics, a notably funny narrator,  puzzles, and a sort of reliability rarely seen in side-scrolling adventure games. Unlike Castle Crashers, where playing with friends meant that you had to compete for the gold coins being dropped by the endless waves of barbarians you slayed, BattleBlock Theater stresses the importance of teamwork through its storyline. Having been imprisoned on an island and forced to go through a series of trials for an unknown audience’s viewing pleasure, you and your friends (should you bring any) are faced with various puzzles, boss battles, and other sorts of troublesome encounters that delay your frantic struggle for freedom, which is the prize for surviving BattleBlock Theater’s show.

    BattleBlock Theater also features a competitive game mode for when you just feel like showing your friends who is superior. With a variety of game modes, all tailored for one versus one or two versus two gameplay, the competition certainly gets fierce very quickly. From playing an odd type of basketball game with the basketball hoops floating in the sky, to an all out deathmatch, BattleBlock Theater has something to get your blood pumping, and in a good way. There is nothing like watching a friend try to score a basket in “Ball Game” and pummeling his character with your fists to steal the ball away. The only comparison that can be made with the fierceness of competition and the good natured spirit of BattleBlock Theater’s co-op gameplay would be Super Smash Bros., which is quite a statement.

    From the unique art design to the hilarious gameplay, BattleBlock Theater earns a solid 4.5 out of 5 Suns. It is certainly a game to pick up and play with a few good friends and will definitely make for some funny memories, even if they are at the expense of a good friend. But hey, it’s all a part of the game.