Crypt Custodian Review (PlayStation 5)

by Jim Smale · Published August 27, 2024 · Updated August 23, 2024

Crypt Custodian Review is a charming Metroidvania about cleaning up the afterlife. Play as Pluto – a mischievous cat who has died, and is sentenced to be the afterworld’s janitor… FOREVER! Hang out with other doomed ghosts, battle beasts, and explore a vastly expansive landscape.

Crypt Custodian Review Pros:

Decent cartoon-like graphics.
577.4MB download size.
Platinum trophy.
Graphics settings – photosensitive mode, screen shake, text effects, and camera zoom.
Gameplay settings – mini-map, ground marker, vibration, language, and speed run mode.
You can remap buttons.
3 save slots.
Three difficulties – Easy, normal, and hard. Each difficulty affects the boss’s fight, attack patterns, and reaction times.
Action adventure gameplay.
Tutorial pop-ups and signs as you play.
The map fills in as you explore.
Top-down 2.5D game world.
You play as a car who has died and whilst in the palace afterlife you must do what you can and you then go to the top or bottom of the afterlife.
In-game cutscenes and character interactions.
Portals let you save, teleport, and equip items.
Simple hack and slash-style combat.
A lot of breakable objects to smash up.
You need to clean up the dirt by hitting it with your broom.
Has an emotional angle so can be sensitive to someone who has recently lost a cat.
Health bar system.
Combat revolves around hitting and dodging.
Beautiful animations.
Garbage is the currency of the game.
You can buy and upgrade your abilities.
A lot of platforming and jumping.
You play the game going from screen to screen with a lot of tiles in play for jumping around on.
Set pieces can happen like a tile might be a wave-based event or take no damage for a time.
Collect CDs for bonus rewards.
The map allows you to place your own markers.
Upgrade points are awarded and you need X amount of upgrade points to equip an upgrade, more points, more upgrades.
Find and release trapped spirits for bonus rewards.
Curses are where you get a quest for a reward but something in the game changes until you do the quest or die. It’s optional and you know all the facts beforehand.
Has a somewhat open feel to it all.
If a door is locked because of a key it will show which enemies to kill in order to open the gate.

Crypt Custodian Review Cons:

The game is not great at signposting or guiding you, early on it is a lot of just wandering around aimlessly.
Combat takes some getting used to as it’s a lot of memorizing patterns.
Judging how far you can jump is tricky.
It’s a pain that you have to use shrines to equip upgrades and abilities.
It feels sporadic.
A lot of empty space and not a lot happening.
The game quickly becomes less about getting garbage and more about getting upgrade points.
No camera control except for the zoom level.