Chariot Reviews
The minor niggles I have with the game are that there is no run button & the characters aren't the fastest walkers either so that can be frustrating. Also, playing coop only works locally which is a massive shame. Niggles aside, Chariot is a wonderfully realised game with punchy colours used through and a real charm to it which will keep you coming back for more with so much content. You can go back in each level hovering up every little thing that you missed in your previous playthrough.
Chariot is a pretty decent puzzle platformer with stellar visuals but it could've been much more, had it not been for the annoying enemies and the rather difficult task of escorting the coffin through the many different caves. Its design is sound but its pace is grueling and filled with trial and error. Playing with a friend alleviates this somewhat, so bring a buddy if you want to go through the game.
Chariot is a true co-op game. The beauty is that the game can be played and enjoyed in two completely different styles. Puzzles that were fairly easy with a partner become daunting obstacles when flying solo. Each way to play has its merits, and the game length can effectively be doubled by going down both paths. Beautiful presentation and a near complete lack of glitches round out the package that makes Chariot one of the best games to come out for the Wii U.
As one of the first eShop releases of 2015, Chariot is a fine adventure to kick off the year. It's a unique take on the physics-based platformer that feels fresh and inspired. While the overt focus on co-op might make it less appealing to the solo gamer, it's still a worthy adventure to embark on even if you're all alone. After all, you still have the ghost of the king, even if he won't return your high fives.
The physical weights of the Chariot and the little Knight lugging it around are well considered, as are the tugging and jumping "feel" of things. That's a tough thing to do, especially when the idea is brand new. The tougher thing to do, proven here, is realizing the new concept into an entirely satisfying game.
In the end, Chariot is one of the best cooperative gaming experiences we've ever had. It's immensely rewarding, abundantly creative, and the sense of accomplishment that it instills within the player will lead to high-fives being thrown around the room on a regular basis. You will harbor feelings of contempt when player two unintentionally pulls you off that hard-to-reach ledge that took five minutes to reach, followed by moments of utter gratitude when they latch on at the last second and save you and the chariot from falling out of view.
The fact that the game feels so different when playing it in single player and playing it co-operatively though is part of what makes it great. There are some niggly issues, such as jumping being a bit awkward at times and the physics being a bit temperamental, but with many levels to playthrough, routes to find and speed runs to master Chariot easily compensates for its downfalls.