Clan O’Conall and the Crown of the Stagis technically not a new game. It was released last year, 2021, for PC platforms. The reviews for it were in the 80s. It was asmall indie gamethat found success thanks to these reviews.
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That’s why, at long last,Clan O’Conall and the Crown of the Stagis getting ported to the Nintendo Switch. The story follows three warrior siblings as they attempt to stop an evil sorcerer from destroying their kingdom. Can Haggish, Kilcannon, and Clakshot save the day? Also, is this game just as good on Switch, or has it aged poorly?
8Best: Three Switchable Characters
Players don’t have to worry about choosing one of the three characters to main in the campaign. Haggish, Kilcannon, and Clakshot can be swapped out at any time.Clan O’Conallisa puzzle gameas much as it is an action platformer.
Knowing when to swap out one of the three siblings is key to surviving some of the game’s deadliest traps. They all perform differently, adding a nice bit of variety to the mix. Haggish is the brute, Kilcannon is the defender, and Clakshot is the nimble ranged hero.
7Worst: The Frame Rate
The one downside to the gameplay, including swapping between three characters, is the frame rate. The Switch version takes a noticeable dip whenever characters are running at a fast pace or fighting enemies.
The game doesn’t slow down to a crawl but it might be noticeable to even players who don’t generally pick up on frame rate dips. The controls are not as tight as they could be either. Sometimes pressingthe controller’s buttonsmay have a delayed reaction.
6Best: The Art Style
Clan O’Conalllooks a lot likeSamurai Jack, the cartoon. The most noticeable similarity can be found with Haggish who looks a lot like the Scotsman from that series. Whether the developer was influenced bySamurai Jackis not important.
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The art style overall is great. The three main characters are nicely detailed along with other NPCs and enemies. It’s not the mostgorgeous indie gameon the Switch but it’s still a looker. The art is one of the most memorable aspects of the experience.
5Worst: The Cutscenes
The characters look even better in the cutscenes, but there is a catch. As nice as the characters look on a bigger scale, the budget of these cutscenes holds them back from true greatness. They are more like animatics than full animated cutscenes.
There are no voices in them either. The presentation leaves something to be desired. Cutscenes used to be a huge dealin the 90sand early 2000s, especially with RPGs. It’s nice to see indie games bring them back but, unfortunately, the ones in this title do not stand out in a positive way.
4Best: The Music
The music can best be described as classical Irish and Scottish folk melodies mixed in with shredding guitars. Title screens aren’t often highlighted as a plus in games anymore butClan O’Conallhas a good one because of the music. It’s certain to get players ready for what should be a grand adventure.
The mixed melodies throughout each stage change but still keep up the epic pace. If the developers weren’t already planning to put this soundtrack out on vinyl, then they should consider it.
3Worst: Audio Glitches
Like the fine indie art inClan O’Conall, the music also comes with a caveat. There are glitches in the game which can cut out the music completely, making stages sound eerily silent except for the sound effects. Other times, mostly in cutscenes, audio will remain present but glitch out.
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The game will start to sound like someone is trying to wash silverware in a dryer. Both of these glitches happened about a fourth of the time while playing. Shutting the game off and restarting usually cured these oddities. As they are glitches, hopefully, they can be fixed.
2Best: The Difficulties
Video games are for everyone, which is why it is worth celebrating whenever a game contains a solid selection of difficulty options. It’s even better if there areadjustable assist optionsto better tweak each experience.Clan O’Conalldoesn’t have those but it does have three difficulty settings that can be changed at any time from the options menu.
While this game is not the hardest action platformer around, it is nice to see the developers cater to as many players as possible, from beginners to the hardcore.
1Best: Speedrun Mode
There is not aseparate speedrun modeinClan O’Conall. However, there is a timer that players can turn on in the options. This will at least give players the illusion of a speedrun mode. It makes it easier for those attempting a record. More games should try to at least include a timer like this in their experiences.
On a related gameplay note, spike traps and pits do not instantly kill players. Falling in a hole, for example, will hurt a speedrun to be sure, but it’s not as bad as dying and going back to a checkpoint instead.
Clan O’Conall and the Crown of the Stagwas released on August 01, 2025 for Switch. It is also available on PC.
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