All good...whatever the hell these characters are supposed to be...go to heaven.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Click here for links to all of our exclusive BattleBlock Theater Week content]

With Castle Crashers ranking as the third best-selling XBLA game in 2011 — three years after its release, no less! — it’d be easy for the developers at The Behemoth to sit back and just count the money that keeps rolling in. Luckily for gamers, the studio’s still plugging away on its next project, BattleBlock Theater. We played a few early levels around a year ago and were mighty impressed; after a fresh, unrestricted hands-on with a new build, though, we’re ready to go a step further and make a prediction: that BattleBlock will be one of Arcade’s best platformers yet.

Right from the start, the game exudes the same madcap humor that made Castle Crashers and Alien Hominid (Behemoth’s first game) so amusing. BattleBlock’s hysterically funny opener introduces you to an unnamed character and his best pal, Hatty Hattington, who sail some unexpectedly rough seas and — in a sequence melding goofy, mock-pretentious narration with wonderfully low-fi 2D animation — are shipwrecked on a mysterious island. After finding a top hat that turns him evil, Hatty betrays his buddy and joins the local powers that be: catlike overlords who make prisoners perform in a series of plays for their jailers’ entertainment.

PETA is going to have a field day with the immolating kitties.

By “perform,” what we really mean is “run, jump, and climb through countless stages mixing 2D platforming and puzzles.” BattleBlock’s 100-odd levels are grouped into plays, each with a series of scenes; and following the game’s theatrical theme, you can even see silhouetted feline audience members observing you as you play, à la Mystery Science Theater 3000 (though they don’t comment on your performance).

Sound intimidating? Don’t worry: once you start playing, you’ll barely notice you’re being “watched.” BattleBlock’s incredibly immersive obstacle courses require plenty of precise movements, whether you’re maneuvering around timed flame jets, jetpacking through tight gaps, or leaping over perilous chasms. Meanwhile, levels offer plenty of interesting puzzle-y elements, including searching for gems (you need at least three of each stage’s seven total to unlock the exit) or finding a teleporter to warp you past an impassable barrier. 

"Oops, did I forget to extend my hand to help you across that jump, co-op buddy?"

For all the challenges you face, the game’s pace is always brisk — never too slow, and until later levels, not too manic. Judging by our hands-on play, which was in two-player co-op, a big part of what keeps the action going is BattleBlock’s emphasis on teamwork. Players constantly work together to proceed: you’ll fling your partner over gaps Splinter Cell/Resident Evil 5–style, stand on pressure plates to form a bridge they can cross, and even jump on their head (or uppercut them) to reach a high-up ledge. We had a blast playing with an ally — though intriguingly, Behemoth says that if you play the game solo, the levels adjust slightly to be less co-op–oriented.

Nevertheless, we definitely recommend playing the game with two players, if for no other reason that BattleBlock offers tons of LOL-inducing opportunities to grief your comrade. Want to be a dick? Slide-kick your pal into a spiky pit, refuse to pull him up onto a ledge, steal the boat you both need to cross some water…the options are endless. Cleverly, these betrayals rarely slow down the game: if a teammate leaves you stranded somewhere, you can simply hold Y to kill yourself (preceded by a fart sound because, hey, Castle Crashers already did poop jokes), making you respawn next to him in the level. For anyone who’s ever enjoyed team-killing, it’s great stuff.

Beware the sleeping Raccalope...

Whatever your play style, you get the benefit of goofy character designs, oddball enemies (avoid the “Raccalope” — a curious amalgamation of raccoon and jackelope!), weird sights (like a dancing piece of toast), and other hallmarks of Behemoth’s always-gorgeous art direction. By cashing in extra gems and other collectibles, you can mix up your hero’s look, plus trade in your default weapon for a boomerang, a dart gun with climbable projectiles, an ice machine that freezes adversaries, and other gadgets.

With so much to do and so many levels to do it in — and we haven’t even mentioned the other modes, including team versus — BattleBlock has the potential for hours upon hours of addictive, action-puzzley fun. Start freeing up time now!

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PUBLISHER: The Behemoth  •  DEVELOPER: The Behemoth  •  MULTIPLAYER: 2 in co-op or up to 4 in versus modes  •  RELEASE DATE: TBD 2012  •  FOR FANS OF: Castle Crashers, Super Mario Bros., griefing