Clan O'Conall and the Crown of the Stag PC Review

Clan O'Conall and the Crown of the Stag takes the classic platforming mechanics and runs with it. Triumphantly crafting a comprehensive journey through increasingly diverse puzzles while gradually obtaining new upgrades. The cast of Haggish, Kilcannon, and Clakshot provide different playstyles as you take on hordes of enemies. Some levels tend to drag on and the upgrade system is basic but these are minor criticisms. Clan O'Conall and the Crown of the Stag is a platforming fan's dream and doesn't attempt to be more than it is.

Clan O'Conall and the Crown of the Stag stars Haggish, Kilcannon, and Clakshot in the land of Hibernia. A demonic horde ravages the land and you must bring peace while also saving your family. It's a simple story and the game doesn't attempt to complicate it, which works in its favor. The primary focus here is the gameplay as you slice, punch, and shoot your way through the demons while solving an array of platforming puzzles.

The controls are tight and you can swap between the siblings with ease. You can play with a keyboard but ideally, you'll want a controller. Each of the siblings has unique advantages and you'll have to swap between them during specific situations. Haggish is a melee fighter who can lift heavy objects and break enemy shields, Kilcannon can reflect enemy attacks, glide, and dash, and Clakshot can double jump, slide into tight areas, and shoot arrows. At first, the game offers simple obstacles that only 1 character can overcome but as the adventure continues more complex objectives are provided such as restricting the player to 1 character or mixing together multiple character-specific obstacles. Each one is granted new tools as the adventure continues such as a grappling hook for Clakshot that add to the variety of platforming challenges before things get too repetitive.

Each character is upgradable through fairies earned by completing objectives in each stage. These remain the same throughout such as defeating enemies, collecting hidden coin staches, and fairies littered in the environment that are tracked. Each character has 4 levels with 4 abilities that enhance their current talents. You can upgrade anyone you wish but it's important to have a balance. Despite everyone having their own health bar if anyone falls you lose.

Levels are separated into segments with a specific set of challenges. Each one is basic in its design such as sliding blocks, hitting key locations, or horde battles against a set amount of enemies. The developers mixed and matched these various options to ensure that each section flows to the next area. There are times during Chapter 2 when stages tend to drag on compared to other levels but there were only 2 stages that felt this way.

The enemies you'll encounter repeat often but the game successfully creates a balance between combat, puzzle-solving, and platforming so nothing is too heavily used. Combat starts off basic but evolves into something more impressive as you unlock more moves and start chaining together attacks. Juggling enemies and following up with powerful strikes, especially when you swap between characters. The boss fights are where your skills are tested. The environment does sometimes offer hazards to use to your advantage.

The fights against these bosses remind me a lot of classic gaming. These are genuine challenges against unique enemies that require you to take advantage of all you have learned. Bosses will swap attacking patterns based on who you're using and you must adapt to those changes.

The visual design is charming with simple graphics and basic music. It's sharp and attractive with pleasing character and enemy design. This is highlighted in the game's few cutscenes that offer intricate pieces of art to highlight profound moments. 

Technical quality is sometimes an issue. During my playthrough I encountered bosses simply disappearing, getting locked out of an area, and my character floating indefinitely. It wasn't frequent enough to be a problem but happened enough that it became uncommon. The game never froze and generous checkpoints ensured any progress lost was minimal.

Clan O'Conall and the Crown of the Stag is a solid platformer that gives players an excellent array of bosses to fight and levels to complete. The pleasing and simple visuals ensure stages feel vibrant and the upgrades provide a great sense of progression. There are a few minor complaints that hinder the experience but Clan O'Conall and the Crown of the Stag's strengths easily overshadow these. 
 

Adam Siddiqui,
Managing Editor, NoobFeed
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