$14.99Is Cave Story+ worth it?
Cave Story+ is worth it if…
- you want a story-driven action game with real choices and four endings
- you grew up on 8- and 16-bit platformers and miss tight, demanding controls
- you like cute worlds that hide a serious challenge
- you enjoy a game that rewards repeat runs, from Boss Rush to the best ending
Screenshots
A cave, a gun, and no memory
You wake up in a dark cave with no idea who you are or how you got there. Suddenly the fate of the island rests on a boy who cannot remember his own name.
The story carries everything: it is told with real personality, it hides a mystery about where the world's power comes from, and it builds to choices that matter. There are four endings, and which one you see depends on what you do and who you save along the way. The cute art style never lets on how much it will hurt.
Run, jump, shoot, fly
This is old-school action at full speed. Fifteen levels stretch across Mimiga Island, connected in the classic metroidvania way: you explore, you get stuck, you find something that opens the way back. Ten weapons to find and upgrade, each growing stronger as you use it, and over 20 boss battles standing between you and the scientist.
It is tagged Difficult for a reason. Bosses demand real reflexes, and the final areas are famously unforgiving. But the controls are tight and honest: when you lose, you know exactly why, and the next attempt feels like it could be the one.
Playing together
The remake adds multiplayer, with two-player co-op and unlockable characters to share the island with a friend. The campaign is built as a single-player story, so treat co-op as a way to run the action side by side rather than a separate mode: shooting through the same corridors and boss fights with someone next to you changes the feel, not the plot.
If you would rather compete than cooperate, the extra play modes give you something to chase. Boss Rush lines up the game's many bosses back to back, and Wind Fortress is its own challenge stage. Short, sharp sessions built for one more try.
What should you know before playing?
Can you play it solo?
Yes, and the story is built for it. The single-player campaign is the heart of the game: one boy, one island, one scientist to stop. Multiplayer exists as an extra, not a requirement, so nothing in the story asks for a second player.
How hard is it really?
Hard enough that the game carries the Difficult tag honestly. Bosses take practice, and the late-game areas, especially the infamous Blood Stained Sanctuary, have ended many runs. The upside of that difficulty is a game that feels fair: learn the patterns, upgrade your weapons, and walls that seemed impossible start to fall. If you want a gentle time, this is not it. If you want to earn your ending, it is.
What makes the + version different from the original?
It is a remake of a beloved freeware game, and the additions are the point: you can switch between the original 320x240 graphics and upgraded HD art, choose between the original soundtrack and remastered music, or mix and match old and new freely. There are also six extra play modes, including Wind Fortress and Boss Rush, plus multiplayer. The classic game underneath is untouched where it counts.
