Caveman Warriors

Caveman Warriors is a half-decent platformer with a relatively unique setting, but is sadly underwhelming in most regards. It plays fairly well and offers some quick and easy fun in multiplayer, but some questionable presentation and frustrating enemy encounters let it down. With a vast pool of quality 2D platformers to choose from on PS4, this game doesn't do enough to truly compete, and we fear it will subsequently be consigned to history.

It's a short game, but Caveman Warriors still entertains as you work through the levels figuring out how best to deal with the threats encountered and then how to defeat the bosses. There's some good character designs in the game and fun moments - like the way scared foes flee in panic only to knock themselves out by running into a wall. It's not without fault however, with the over-the-top knock-backs from hits being the biggest irritant. There's some replayability in trying to track down all the fuses and then tackle the harder versions of the levels and the co-op play works well. If you've got some friends around and are looking to pass the time with some platforming action, then Caveman Warriors is a good pick.

If you relish the days when death by bad jumping mechanics was commonplace in gaming and enemy hits were cheap, you might like the nostalgia Caveman Warriors brings. But, if you're looking for a refined experience, this is probably not the co-op experience you're looking for.

Caveman Warriors is a fun, if straightforward, beat 'em up. The game's aesthetics and design pay homage to titles of old, and although it has a cartoonish exterior, underneath it is a challenging yet enjoyable brawler.

That’s why Caveman Warriors is best played with others, muffled laughter carrying you through the experience as you rally around to topple Undine, Lodrack, Cavernator v2.0, and the game’s many other bosses. There are still moments that can entertain like riding atop a triceratops as you helplessly shoot enemies that are chasing you and when you are transported into the future, but the game largely feels underbaked and leans too heavily on its inspirations rather than looking to make its own mark on the Nintendo eShop. For that reason, it’s a little too prehistoric for its own good and perhaps belongs in a museum.

A lot of Caveman Warriors' design feels outdated; it's a title that relies on mediocre action-platforming, on top of average cartoon visuals and a simplistic combat system. It never goes out of its way to impress you, but it also won't leave you wanting more.

Caveman Warriors may have its positive aspects, such as a cast of characters with a relatively good design and a certain variety but the game falls short of becoming a truly interesting 2D platformer. Its controls definitely need more tuning and overall, it just feels like the problems of past games have not been truly solved, which only makes this experience more frustrating than it should be.

Caveman Warriors feels like a polished, retro arcade platformer. I like the way it looks and how simple the controls are. The gameplay can be a bit frustrating at times but being able to play with other people makes the experience a lot more enjoyable.

I also ran into a few glitches that ranged from strange to game breaking. The worst glitch was a boss that I somehow defeated prior to his dungeon, only to have him partially reappear in the dungeon with no health and undefeatable. For the action-platformer fan, this title would be low on my list of recommendations.

It's really not a good sign that I've been spending much of this review comparing Caveman Warriors unfavourably to games made over twenty years ago.