Happy Tree Friends as a show itself is somewhat of a fever dream that most viewers don’t want to remember. I on the other hand never want to wake up from it as I relished the entertainment value that could be found in watching cute and adorable animals get into “whacky” adventures, for a lack of better phrasing. The furry show makes another appearance on consoles with its last sighting being Happy Tree Friends: False Alarm back in 2008 on the Xbox Live Arcade. 15 years later we have another game on our hands, this time it’s The Crackpet Show: Happy Tree Friends Edition.
My first impressions when sitting down in front of The Crackpet Show: Happy Tree Friends Edition had me grinning ear to ear and hearing the Happy Tree Friends Theme playing. It definitely took me back. One notable feature of The Crackpet Show is that there’s an option to revert it back to the original characters if desired. I didn’t take it off for my playthrough.
The premise of Crackpet Show is dark yet simple. The game makes players take part in a TV show where they’re tasked to fight waves of enemies. Each floor you progress through can give you different perks, skills, and weapons. Once you reach the end of a stage, you’ll fight a boss. The boss battles are broken up into show episodes, which is a pretty neat concept. The more episodes and seasons you complete, the harder it becomes.
Gameplay-wise, the game plays like an RNG dungeon crawler. You start off with four different starter classes and can upgrade your character as the game goes on. There are a wide variety of weapons, perks, and skills that you can pick up that make fighting enemies easier. You follow a path that allows you to earn certain items that will help you in fights. What can be obtained at the end of every stage depends on the player.
When fighting enemies the gameplay itself is almost addicting. Challenging at times for sure, but addicting. Having waves of enemies shoot at you with everything you have can really create some anxious moments. The gunplay adds variety to the title from crossbows, rocket launchers, and even black hole guns. The only complaint that I have is whenever you shoot a weapon, it requires you to stay still. This can throw you off and force you to get hit at times. The dodge mechanic is a nice substitute to get out of sticky situations. Another gripe that I have about the title is that while there is local multiplayer, you can’t play online with friends.
Conclusion
The Crackpet Show: Happy Tree Friends Edition is a title that I wouldn’t mind grinding for a couple an hours or two. It’s challenging to the point where it makes me want to take a break and come back to a boss later. It does the Happy Tree Friends series justice and makes me reminisce on my childhood days watching the show. Just a jolly good bloody mess all around.
This game was tested and reviewed on Xbox Series X/S. All of the opinions and insights here are subject to that version. Game provided by publisher.Want to keep up to date with the latest Xt reviews, Xt opinions and Xt content? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
