Dark Souls: Soul Soup for the Wicked

I've been feeling very nostalgic lately. Strangely, the latest memory jolt wasn't about games from yesteryear, 8/16/32-bit era, but for a much current stock of games. One game called out, above all other titles, from the depths of my psyche to be played again. 

That game is the beloved, and simultaneously hated, Dark Souls.

Much has been said about Dark Souls. The world of Lordran is a very brooding, mysterious and dangerous place for gamers of all walks of life. It is fair to say, that this third-person hack-and-slash adventurer, not only injected new interest into the dusty action-rpg genre, but also swiftly cemented FromSoftware as the kingmaker of ungodly, difficult, impossible to put down, games.

The game is hard, cryptic, and unrelenting in its onslaught to demolish new players wishing to delve into its clutches. This viciously circular curriculum is only possible because of the open world structure of Dark Souls, and its minimalist approach to lore/mechanics and general pointers. Those wishing to learn about the in-game world, must closely examine every nook, found item, while observing the sprawling environment. To progress in DS, is to die! And die and die again!

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The difficulty scaling of DS does not come from the many hard-hitting enemies encountered, but from the game's core design based on dying/reviving/exploring/leveling up:

Dying

No hints are given. Items must be looted, earned, or found. Helpful NPC are hidden throughout the world, and only help at a price. Strangely, the paths a rarely blocked; as if the game is trolling you by saying you are free to go anywhere. And indeed anywhere can be explored, should one wish. Except, an early visit to most places guarantees a swift demise. Many hideous and wild creatures hunt the realm of Lordran: Undead Wraiths, Drakes, Possessed Knights, Hellish Demons and all manner of twisted abominations, such as Bosses and their unsavory breed.

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Reviving

Death and rebirth is in the design. Upon revival, recovery of lost souls collected from fallen enemies (souls being the currency of DS) is always a possibility. A tricky feat, as DS enemies are prone to violent rng ganking, and the levels are filled with traps, chasms and dead ends filled with OP mobs. The bonfire save points peppered through the realm, provide as safe zone for restoring life-replenishing flasks and leveling up. Each bonfire can be kindled to increase its healing effectiveness by the use of Humanity: a sort of ritual of strengthening which reverses the process of hollowing. Adding another layer of difficulty are the unique NPC and player invasions which can happen while a player is in human form, knee deep in vigorous combat.

To offset this, cooperation with other friendly players is possible, and recommended for those in need of a helping blade. Also, experiencing those whattha fuuuuck/fuuuuck yeah!!! moments is always more fun with another person.

Exploring

Where to go and how best to get there is a staple conundrum in the DS universe. Each area is a part of a bigger whole that makes up the massive open world. Traveling through castle ramparts, ascending dilapidated chapels, looting catacombs, clearing out a wicked fortress, visiting a legendary metropolis, and fighting through the capital of a fallen civilization is all in the day’s work in DS. The genius of level design on display falls in the realm of perfection, as each area is seemingly connected by hidden paths that prompt the urge to explore.

Although the game is six years old, and its graphical limitations are now very visible, the overworld design still holds true. Each level is like a piece of classical painting that will etch its grandeur into player's psyche, stimulating urges to revisit time and time again. [A dedicated patching community crafts many graphical fixes for free download to PC users.]

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 Leveling up (true way)

Beating the game, and playing it again is the true way of experiencing DS, as more things will fall into place the second/third time around. Sure, the game is known for many hellishly aggravating spots, but to those resilient players with a keen eye and a knack for memorization, DS becomes a pleasure ride beyond compare. Choosing a proper starting class, selecting and finding the right item from the get-go, and proper distribution of stats, unlocks an incredible meta depth to DS. (Meta which takes form of specific character builds, progression paths, speed-running options, and the like.)

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Dark Souls is a rare game resistant to the tides of change in the industry. Its legacy is not carried by popularity or sales or even FormSoftware. Dark Souls lives gorging on the devotion of its fans: the freaks, the instigators, the adventurers, the statisticians, and community curators. What else needs to be said? Just this, in Lordran, eternal is the trail that binds us all together. Salutations to all the Stray Souls, and good hunting!

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Bloodborne: Blood Moon Rising

You awaken in an afflicted city overrun by beasts and frenzied denizens. Shortly after your arrival, you are prompted to create a protagonist using a robust customization tool, and begin “The Hunt.” Blissfully unaware of the fury of the Blood Moon's minions, lurking around every dark corner.

Inspired by Lovecraft and Bram Stalker lore, Bloodborne takes place in a fictional Gothic city of Yharnam: A sprawling metropolis filled with murderous beast and the occult; a perfect backdrop for a third-person hack-and-slash game.

Hope you got your monster slayer garb ready, because this game will bust you up.

The nature of the affliction slowly reveals itself as you progress deeper into the mystery that is Yharnam and The Hunt. Bloodborne is one of those games that encourages exploration and trial from the get go: not much is given in the form of a tutorial, with numerous tricks of the trade remaining out of sight. This may be frustrating to some players, yet gels seemingly within the massive world that invites exploration.

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Visually, Bloodborne is stunning. All its Gothic structures are greatly detailed, spooky, and quickly capture the eye with brooding, massive vistas. Spacious courtyards, spiraling staircases, church steeples, gargoyle-adorned rooftops, unsettling statues/coffins, creepy basements, a dusty creaky library, and a spooky castle – all the horror backdrops are present and accounted for, draped with a layer of creepiness unseen since the first Silent Hill game.

Naturally, certain areas need longer loading times, thus adding, much despised hangups between revival times and monster slaying – meaning you'll have a bit longer to reconsider your failing approach. To ease progress, every main area is interconnected by elevators, gates, or portals. Which is great, because in a hardcore game such as this one, skipping tricky parts after completing them is a blessing, and saves much hustle when backtracking or grinding in specific areas.

Some of the levels do fall into repetitive patterns from time to time, blending many of the richly detailed backgrounds into scrolling panoramas of dark perversion. This limited colour palette creates a very foreboding atmosphere fitting a game such as this one, and the sheer variety of locations trumps any noticeable repetitive visual nuances  encountered in some of the levels. The random generated side-quest dungeons provide an additional challenge to glory seekers, and a spiffy online mode allows other players to join and hinder, or help, in your adventure. Mint. 

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I hear you whisper, "What are grandiose vistas without crawling critters of the night?" Well, you're in muck, if there was such a thing as a mad-house filled with numerically marked cells housing all manner of horrific beast, Bloodborne's designers have the key. And they forgot to lock the gate! Anyone who had the [dis]pleasure of playing the excellent board game Arkham Horror, will find Blodborne's brood familiar (if not similar). You want details? Not gonna happen, my frenzy buildup is at its maximum from overexposure to creepy things from beyond...

Many weapons can be utilized and equipped in either hand. Not only is this dual-wielding feature wicked, it has purpose, as most enemies can be countered mid-move with a well-placed bullet, leaving a opening to a gruesome finisher, or a flurry of attacks. Luck favours the prepared, therefore sticking with a fave weapon is recommended. And sensible, since weapons, just like the protagonist him/herself, require the use of specific gathered skillpoints/items to level up. The drawback being, you need to main only a couple of weapons, at about the halfway point of the game.

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The game's developers have a bit of a twisted humour too, allowing you only one save slot and setting the game to auto save at all times (no redoes here). And – my fave – no pause! (Really amusing when my four-month-old decides to wake up for a late night feeding.) The game is no mere walk in the moonlight. Studying and memorising attack patters needs to become second nature, as every piece of ground gained tests nerves and patience. Luckily, the control is responsive and never cumbersome. If you die (and you will), it's because your reflexes failed you. Or you may need to pick a better slaying tool for the task ahead.

Barbaric instinct? Grab an axe/flack-cannon.
Speed's the game? Equip a sword/rapier.
Is trickery and deception your way? How about a whip-cane!

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Bloodborne absorbs many tired-and-true tropes from numerous titles of yore and blends 'em all seamlessly:sprawling levels, monstrous enemies, inventive bosses, mysterious trinkets, and strategic approach to combat. The game's atmosphere pulls you into a rich tapestry of Lovecraftian universe infused with a unique Gothic spell. And embraces you with a symphonic soundtrack adding another layer of magic, absorbing you farther into an already captivating work of memorable gamecraft.

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Unrelenting in its onslaught and wickedness; hardcore players rejoice, this title will engulf you. Be on guard, the gaping maw of the abyss is always greedy for new flesh. I wish you many quick revives.

Bloodborne gets five blood vials out of ... ! ... YEARGHHHHHHHHH! Hhh ... ... ...

“We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far.” -- The Horror in Clay, H. P. Lovecraft. 

Bloodborne.wikia.com

Alien Isolation: A Tense Terror Trip

The Alien brand has been slowly eroding over the years. Even Ridley Scott's Prometheus -- a pseudo Alien prequel -- failed to jar the alien critter back from its slimy egg sack; but, just as our favorite chest-busting Xenomorph was about to become space dust, Creative Assembly stepped in and brought the franchise back from the brink.

The Darkness has Bite

Chronologically, Alien Isolation takes place 15 years after the events of the first movie. And puts you inside a jumpsuit belonging to protagonist Amanda Ripley, who is following a trail of her missing mother Ellen Ripley. A trail that leads her to Sevastopol space station.

Playing Alien Isolation is all about using wits, because you will be thrown into really sticky situations with low probability of survival. Forcing you to avoid, hide, and craft items from gathered scraps to endure the stalking terror loose on the station. This time, there's only one Alien creature roaming about, so the confines of a space station are a perfect setting to call upon your childhood's hide-and-seek skills -- which hopefully you refined during many recesses.

Sevastopol’s corridors, living and working areas, machine shops and commercial spaces all pay homage to the 1979 Alien movie sets. Every piece of the hull and machinery on Sevastopol is tangible, and seems to have purpose along with that lived-in feel. The station's rooms and corridors are abuzz with lights, panels and other tiny components. The walls are retrofitted with scuffed padding, many (many) analog monitors, and flashing trinkets: all rendered and lit with meticulous attention to detail.

The Menu is You

Details be damned tho, as every corner, vent, or shadowy corridor may hide the lethal Alien creature. It stalks. It hears. It reacts. This is one creep you do not want to come face-to-jaw with.

The Alien's specialty is hunting, and it does this well. Make too much noise by engaging Sevastopol’s crew in combat, or run exposed for too long, and the snapping jaw of doom will descent upon you. To even out the odds, you can craft nifty gadgets from found junk. Noise makers, smoke grenades, explosives and Molotov cocktails, can be your saving grace, providing you find a safe spot to start the crafting process.

Which is tricky, as there's danger all around: distraught crew -- synthetic and living -- and of course the vigilant Alien. To evade your pursuer(s), using the many hiding spots found within the environment is a must. The feeling of claustrophobia is uncanny at times, most felt when you're stuck inside a locker waiting for the creature to leave the room, listening to its snarls and gnarls while it prowls around the deck with heavy foot.

While the variety of defensive and offensive weapons and gadgets is great, I found that I ignored half of my built inventory in favour of a flamethrower (sweet melty goodness), noisemakers, and an electrical stun baton, which I used to dispose many pesky cybernetic synthetic servants (I legit hate those things). To be fair, the small pool of used weapons was mostly due to my sneaky approach, combined with lots of slow movement and motion detector use.

Those crude devices add a wicked cruelty to the game, while stressing one simple fact: The Alien cannot be killed, it can only be avoided or delayed. Fail to do one of those actions, and you’ll be a victim of a gruesome fatality and swiftly witness the final black curtain.

The Grand Design

Play long enough, and you may start to feel a strange kinship to the Alien, feeling its presence in adjacent rooms. This is probably because of how the game's design subtly forces you always keep an eye out on the motion detector, and the creature itself. While you won’t be holding hands with your adversary Ico and Yorda style, you’ll often think, “Where’s that slimy bastard?”

To ease progress, you can play around with the station’s rewiring system to activate or deactivate door locks, turn off cameras and mess about with other essential systems -- which rewards a more exploratory approach to get from point A to point B. I really enjoyed how the music changed in intensity and tone, depending on the severity of the situation, and the proximity to the creature. Perfectly echoing the mood of various memorable scenarios, through the use of subtle violin work or screeching chaotic arrangements.

Many terminals can be found and accessed for a quick dose of informational tidbits. Since the game is more about immediate survival, the backstory is somewhat disproportionately peppered throughout the game, requiring effort on your part to be read by finding crew logs and databanks. This asymmetrical approach to storytelling won’t win AI any praise for intricate lore, but it does work within the context of a survival theme.

 Zero-G Terror

Newcomers may find the game a bit difficult at times. I’m no novice gamer, yet I still got stuck on few notoriously annoying spots, where many repeats were necessary. But if you endure, many awesome moments will surprise and entertain you. This is the only game I know where you need to look around while interacting with computers and during saving, because something can get a hold of you any time. Freaky. But it’s all part of the game’s staple tense atmosphere.

If you're looking for a game where you need to outwit your enemies through a more methodical approach, Alien Isolation will deliver a tense encounter of the terrifying kind. H.R.Giger's Alien creature is one of the most recognizable movie monsters of all time. In fact, I place it among the classics like Frankenstein's Monster and The Creature from The Black Lagoon. 

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Every aspect of the game gels well: the scenarios are awesome, the tension never lets up, and the gameplay injects a serum of unique experiences not to be forgotten. Finally, the Alien franchise has made a memorable imprint on the videogame market. And is available for almost every platform! Careful, once you strive to survive in outer space, you may never return (in one piece). 

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Alien Isolation gets five bloody chest-bursting xenomorphs out of five.

Developer: Creative Assembly

Publisher: Sega

Platform: PS3/4, PC, Xbox One/360, Linux, Mac

Released: 2014

Genre: Survival/Horror 

Snow Crash: Cyberpunk Chaos Realm

Hiro Protagonist is a programer/hacker/greatest katana wielding avatar in the Metaverse/pizza delivery boy for the Cosa Nostra Franchise.

And he's definitely not Fry from Futurama. Hiro Protagonist is the protagonist hero of the cyberpunk novel Snow Crash.

When Hiro's routine delivery goes off the rails, he decides to change his career, and begins a partnership with a savvy skateboarding teenage delivery girl named Y.T/when Hiro's hacker friend Da5id falls victim to the Snow Crash drug, our Protagonist starts hackin' for clues/and inadvertently gets taken into game of high stakes cyber espionage – it's a hacker kind of day.

Neal Stephenson's narrative moves at the speed of light, and is as dynamic as its fictional world, fully realized with/Information banks/data mining and spy agencies/cybernetic upgrades/a virtual candy-land/corporate dominance/desertion from the natural commons/systematic buyouts/violent takeovers/and turf wars on a global scale: These are the features of the new world [diss]order found in Snow Crash. 

Strain vs Resistance

The novel is notorious for its visceral portrayal of a carved up/fractured 21st century America: where most of its territory is owned/occupied by private organizations, security firms, and autonomous freelancers with a knack for crime/hacking/extreme thrills. In this place the government maintains a fraction of its power – able to keep tabs on a small portion of society. Intertwined into the story is a full dose of Sumerian mythology/linguistics/anthropology/computer science/and good ol' religion.

There can be some roadblocks, such as the tidbits about Sumerian society, and its imprint on development of mankind. The meticulous detail slowed the pacing of the book, as Stephenson dug deep into the historical records to deliver a comprehensive account. Stilll the semi-intrusive history lesson works as a unique lore vehicle tying all the dangling bits together into one underlining story beat. Example: one of the fictional characters [a subroutine avatar called The Librarian], quotes Sumerian history, while comparing the ancient methods of saving and storing information as an early BIOS system. 

Digimortal

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The novel's most memorable aspect is the Metaverse: A cyberspace conceptualized by interactivity of human beings, who are digitized and projected into virtual space in the form of avatars. [Think of the Sims, in Neo Tokyo] Within the Metaverse you can be/own/create/just about anything, but you gotta have the resources or know your way around the root programing. There are rules in place governing the stability of the system, but some individuals can influence the code directly: either by hacking, or by being the world's initial builders.

Not quite the Matrix; but more advanced than Habitat. To some, Metaverse is the Kubla Khan's pleasure dome. A digital dwelling occupied by freelance hackers, corporate data-miners, and the rich/famous – digitized to avatar form. To others, Mataverse is a cesspool of information, or a place to kick around for a bit. Worth noting, even in this made up reality, peoples' social standing tends to influence the detail of their avatar and rendering power of their cyber property.

And just like in some of today's video games, the level of meta-importance/skills tends to unlock more features. Example: Hiro's intimate knowledge of Metaverse root structure, endowed him with unmatched sword-wielding skills, which carry over into the real world. Practice makes perfect, and I doubt the mind's eye minds if its being flexed in virtual space or reality. Meta.

Byte Block

Ghost in the Shell by Masamune Shirow

Stephenson's Snow Crash is the illegitimate nineties upgrade of William Gibson's Neuromancer. Both books present a distorted technological dystopia; and, both have an underlining cyberspace theme that will stimulate any cyber-junkie or futurist. Although, Snow Crash has done a more amicable job of predicting the extent of augmented reality, and its affect on society. Neal coined many words and behaviors that made it into everyday use: googling, metaverse, data mining, crowdsourcing, continuous-connectivity – and my fave – wacky pseudonyms like Vitaly Chernobyl.

Timeless sci-fi works present solid futurist concepts, and offer insight of the future by studying history to captivate present-day readers. Snow Crash contains many futurist predictions that materialized in our reality (meaning the book aged well). Once Snow Crash enters your neurological pathways its viral strain will take hold, upgrading your imagination hundredfold: Start trippin'.

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The good: Cerebral fiction to the core
The bad: Franchises took over [Demolition Man got it right!]
The ugly: The Raft [basically Kowloon City on water]

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<<<^>>>

Muramasa: The Demon Blade, Hand-Drawn Pandemonium

Prepare to be spirited away into a pixel world of scheming Shogunate Lords, wandering samurai warriors, ninja clans, frenzied Demons and various scornful Gods, all warring over powerful swords known as Demon Blades.

Muramasa: The Demon Blade is an action-adventure hack-n-slash game, with a sheath full of Japanese mythology and lore. Every piece of scenery in this digitized wonderland was crafted with precise and vivid strokes: farmland hills burst from the screen with bold colours, dark bamboo forests hide secrets of their foggy caves, temples stand tall and unbowed, rivers of water teem with life, and trees sway with dreamlike movement.

It's very clear that the background artists were inspired by the 17th century impressionist masters, Hokusai and Hiroshige. Tokatsu, Eight Views of Hell, is a reference to the naming conventions used by both artists to indicate which “View” or place in Japan they were painting. And there's the more creative use of Hokusai's most famous piece of work The Great Wave at Kanagawa, which places your character directly on the boat – fighting a Kraken. Marvelous!

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There are two selectable characters: Kisuke – an amnesiac fugitive aided by a foxy spirit. And Momohime – a princess possessed by a cunning spirit of a swordsman known as Izuna Jinkuro. It does not matter which character you pick first, their paths intersect and funnel into several climatic endings. Luckily, both protagonists share the same controller scheme; by learning one, you'll acclimatize yourself to both.

The D-pad is used for movement: jumping, ducking, rolling and running. The buttons are mapped to attack, special techniques and item use. Holding down the attack button blocks, in this stance, combining the directional D-pad inputs activates blazing fast aerial strikes, upward slashes and powerful defense breakers. However, the true rulers of the battlefield are the Demon blades you forge. Depending on the equipped blade, you may command tornadoes, spiritual energy orbs, or execute various enemy grinding attacks.

Your repertoire of demon slaying tools will increase with each level-up and defeated foe. Each enemy has a distinctive look and attack patterns, that require a planned approach to fighting: some bosses need to be climbed to reach their exposed mantra, others have protective barriers, or are susceptible to more damage by deflecting their attacks. I don’t want to give away too much, but the spectacle of fighting a raging dragon within a thunderstorm will be imprinted on your psyche long after you shut off the game.

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You'll even do a bit of cooking! Collecting recipes and using gathered ingredients, gives you a chance to make provisions. When not in combat mode, you can start a fire and throw a bunch of ingredients into a pot and boil/grill actual usable items that heal or give extra properties. It is refreshing to see such a simple approach for item procurement. Your character may even become too full if he/she eats a big meal, which will prevent them from using healing items for a set amount of time

The game has an easy learning curve, many save spots, and you can revive at the same screen you were downed. Or you can always level up your character, and seek out stat enhancing items to equip. There's also a nifty map system that overlays onto the screen to show you the level's layout and reveal points of interest.

Muramasa's soundtrack is very enjoyable too. The music has an unpredictable almost theatrical feel that surprises the listener by shifting in tone and speed. And features a unique blend of traditional Japanese music – lutes, flutes, violins, bells, precise rhythmic drum beats – and more modern, off the cuff, instrumentation: pulsating bass, rockin' guitars and bombastic electronic keyboard licks.

Because of the insane amount of time it takes to create moving hand-drawn artwork, the backgrounds are often reused in each of the various levels, along with many of the foes. You'll spend a lot of time running from left to right and vice versa. Stopping only for story tidbits, and to cook much needed rations. I also noticed some wonky balancing in the difficulty setting, most evident while playing as Momohime.

Unlike the backgrounds the characters are drawn in a style known as Chibi. And all in-game dialogue is in Japanese. If this is not your forte, this title may not be for you. Your loss. On a more dramatic note, getting the true ending will be a battle of determination, requiring the forging of all 108 Demon Blades. This means a lot of grinding and soul collecting (souls being the mojo of forging). I recommend using the Classic Controller!

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Those subtle flaws are overwritten by the game's smooth 2D animation, edgy design and perfect control. I would expect nothing less from the folks that made Odin Sphere and Dragon's Crown. Video games crafted with love and finesse such as this one are on the endangered species list. Make sure to snag them if you come across one. You will not regret it.

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Last strike to the gusto, Classic games like Muramasa will increase in value – this has been proven with the resurgence of interest in retro video games – simply because interactive artworks need patrons to enjoy them.

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Muramasa: The Demon Blade gets four promiscuous Kitsune spirits out of five. 

play it proud

 Developer: Vanillaware

Publisher: Ignition

Platform: Wii, PS Vita 

Released: 2009/2013 (Vita)

Genre: Action-Adventure, Hack-n-slash

Castlevania Symphony of the Night: One Enchanted Evening

If you're a fan of Castlevania, you probably know that talking about all the viable games in the canon is like reaching into a coffin full of sticky gummy bats: picking the best one may be time consuming and a bit sticky. 

The entire series has about 20 (quite similar) games, but only a few gems worth snagging.

There's a lot of 'vanias to mull over, but the one thing I always felt to be true is that the series is at its best when exploring an interesting castle via a clever map layout.

!!!

fantasyanime.com

This was my queue to finally dig into my retro video games box, and find the very first Castlevania that used an on-screen map to help players navigate a maze-like castle: A PS1 classic named Castlevania Symphony of the Night.

I placed my aged PS1 on a predetermined angle to properly load the game (that laser was always a bit finicky), excitedly slid in my copy of SOTN, and gently closed the disc cover (took me a few tries due to a sticky flap button).

But enough talk, let's have at this.

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Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a 2D side-scroller first released in 1997, on the original PlayStation. The game differs a lot from its early classic installments, and is consider the best in the series, because of its open-ended design and infusion of RPG elements, that include exploration, leveling up, and a robust equipment system.

Strap your cloak on, and help Alucard (a dhampir), stop Dracula's eternal spite of mankind by banishing his demonic dad back to the realm of Daimakaimura. Ok, I'm overlooking several plot points and tidbits, but this is an adventure game after all, and as cool as the story is, it's all about "The Adventuring".

I haven't played this game in over 10 years, but its colourful graphics and smoothly animated sprites are just as impressive as they were in 1997. And as soon as the first musical crescendo signaled the beginning of the adventure, I was ready to delve into this retro goodness, once more (or for the sixth time, to be precise).

Groove that Stakes the Heart

The music contained within this game is legendary. When I heard it the first time, I paused the game to check if there was an entire orchestra shoved into my PS1. Moody. Melodic. Transcendent. The compositions are unique and unexpected, yet super refined. No filler here. Many of the tracks contain rocking guitar work, bouncing bass, enchanting violins, jazzy drums, gripping angelic choirs and subtle (and not so subtle) piano pieces.

This melange of instruments creates some of the wildest and most entrancing music ever produced for a video game. You'll find yourself wanting to pause in the various places of the castle just to hear the entire track play out. I wont jive more, just listen to my favourite track: The Tragic Prince. Do it!

Curiously, all the spoken dialog in the game sounds like it was recorded inside a cone-shell placed at the bottom of a large decrepit dresser. I'm not sure where the producer found the English voice talent, but the spoken dubbing is seriously comical. Luckily, there isn't a lot of voice-overs in the game. And none of the sound FX share the same issues (woo!).

Candlelight Fantasia

The game's graphics are on par with the music: SOTN creators meticulously crafted every inch of the castle with incredible attention to detail. Every room and area of Dracula's Castle feels and looks different. Although many of backgrounds are 2D and hand-drawn, many of the architectural textures have pronounced depth and are so articulate they almost look photo-realistic.

The backgrounds are filled with all manner of Gothic relics, statues, odd contraptions, ghastly trinkets and memorable architecture. I cannot think of another 2D game where I would stop playing just to examine a painting, a piece of furniture, or just take in the symmetrical nature of the stage props. Many outer rooms also extend beyond the actual field of play, to reveal rooftops held by angelic statues, inner-workings of machines, or hanging skeletal remains of previous adventurers. Neat.

Because this game came out at the pinnacle of the early 3D craze, the developers did render certain objects in 3D, but the end result was a bit lackluster and quite unnecessary since 95% of this game was hand-drawn. Although effects such as the scrolling sky found in the Royal Chapel stage, and the river of flowing lava in the Catacombs, add a flavorful dimension to the game, and complement the 2D art quite nicely.

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 Bloodstained Lineage

At first, Alucard won't have immediate access to many areas of the castle, but as you level him up and explore, more of the map will reveal itself to you. Still, many items are cleverly hidden requiring you to examine your surroundings closely. Wooden plank blocking the way? Lure an explosive barrel hurling skeleton. Background gears sound strange when hit? Try locking them with repeated attacks. There's an inconspicuous looking-glass atop of a tower? Well... look through it! And don't forget to break odd-looking walls!!

The castle may seem like a jumbled mess, but after an hour spend inside the devil's dwelling, you'll find yourself wanting to explore every inch of the game. And the rewards for doing so are well worth the effort. Items. Items. And items. Listing all the weapons, armour, and trinkets would take an entire span of this review, so I'll only mention a couple curiosities: A sword that summons undead warriors, a cape that turns Alucard semi-invisible, and shoes that discretely increase his height (?).

There are also some unique finds, which will allow Alucard to morph into a wolf, a bat, and take form of a mist cloud. Several Familiars will join the fight (providing that you'll find them): a faerie, that debuffs Alucard's negative stats and heals him; a little mischievous devil, with a flair for elemental attacks; a living sword which floats around, always poised to attack; a ghastly skull and a little cute bat.

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Of Dhampirs and Men

Alucard can equip a shield in one hand and a sword/mace/brass knuckle in the other. He can also put on stat-increasing/element resistant items in the form of capes, masks, armour, helmets, and numerous rings. Being a bad-ass half-vampire, he can also perform secret techniques that range from feeding on spilled blood for a quick HP regen, teleporting in a column of fire, to blatantly sucking life energy from his opponents. (Soul Steal for the win!)

Dracula's castle is truly an occult bazaar full of strange critters and monstrosities: demonic knights, possessed marionettes, poltergeist swords, merman, flea-men, ghastly goblins, elemental spirits, slimes, and many more – it's a compendium of evil mythological lore made real by crafty Japanese game-makers. Some of the bosses are truly stunning, and are so huge that the screen cannot contain their sprites. 

Special mention must go to Granfaloon aka The Legion (a gigantic sphere made entirely of ghastly nude bodies), and Galamoth (an armour-clad supernatural behemoth that attacks with electricity).

taringa.net

I could go on, but the delights of this game are best when tasted on your own. Go on, play this 2D Danse Macabre before it vanishes along with the fading moonlight.

Castlevania: SOTN gets five majestically howling Wargs out of five.

But wait! Just when you think it's all done, there's another Castle that literally 'inverts' the gameplay!!!

I'll let you figure out that one.

Also, Alucard is Dracula spelled backwards... you may leave now, no need to thank me.

shake it off!

Developer: Konami

Publisher: Konami

Platform: PlayStation, Sega Saturn, PS3, Xbox 360, PSP

Released:1997

Genre: Action-Platformer-RPG

Shovel Knight: A Pristine Pixel Crown

If I asked you, what's the best 8-bit game, what would you say? Castlevania? Mega Man 2? Both are classics, no doubt. But. The best 8-bit game by far is Shovel Knight. 

Never heard of it? That's because the game just recently came out. A brand new 2D adventure that's guaranteed to flicker your pixelated love pump. Start rotating those thumbs, you'll need 'em to be primed.

Shovel Knight is a 2D action-platformer, made to resemble old 8-bit games of yesteryear. In an industry that rotates triple-A games like used up socks, this may seem like madness. Yet one company (Yacht Club Games) dared to dream in pixels, and launched an ultra successful Kickstarter project that has materialized the most talked-about game of 2014.

taringa.net

Seeking treasure to unearth, Shovel Knight and his companion Shield Knight have entered the Tower of Faith. While exploring the tower, the two knights become spellbound by a powerful dark amulet. Moments later, Shovel Knight awakens without his comrade.

What's a noble to do, but ready his shovel and brave the challenges ahead!

The graphics are sharp and vibrant. And the sprites – while pixelated – are surprisingly clean and detailed. The colour palette mirrors Nintendo's entire range of bustling 53 colours, with about 12 colours displayed at a time. Add some solid parallax scrolling for depth, and you got a game. A game that is not about the graphics; but about depth of gameplay, and a renewed crusade for innovative play mechanics.

It's all about the soul within it the armour: remember that, all you future squires.

There are shops to visit, castles to storm, and errands to solve. Doted across the mini map are numerous locals in need of good ol' shoveling. Each castle is home to a unique knight, that must be dethroned to progress farther. But getting to the last screen is no easy task, perils are everywhere. The jumps need to be timed PERFECTLY, enemies need to be utilized as living platforms, magic needs to rationing, and bonus abilities have to be unearthed to make progress a bit easier -- this game's everywhere you wanna be.

wired.com

You're not considered a gamer until you've balanced yourself while bouncing on a moving gear, just to execute a perfectly timed vault over a chasm, while phasing through that one flying foe that's about to ram you into a pit. Luckily, there are many useful skills/items to purchase and find: fireball wand, a rustic gear platform, arcing anchors, rolling blob balls, and several armours to craft. While the game is challenging, it's never unfair, because every time you perish you only loose a portion of cash – which can be recovered, providing you make it back to reclaim it.

The game's world is filled with quirky characters, who spout offbeat lines, making you smirk every time a text box pops up. The writer has a flair for penmanship, unleashing streams of text that flood your cerebellum with goodness. Chatting with an NPC is never dull. On par with the writing, are the lovable characters: anthropomorphic horse maidens, goat scholars, frog gentlemen, twisted tree-bards, propeller wearing mice, shifty ghosts and sleepy yellow dragons! It's a strange brew of men and beasts, oh so delightful.

indiepitome.com

The Boss Knight encounters are very a la Mega Man: with foes unleashing patterned onslaughts, which can only be quelled by practiced counter-attacks. I don't want to give away too much, but this game will demand that you remember your repertoire of moves quickly. It's quite amazing how much personality is contained within all those pixelated sprites. And since ROM is not an issue, the game contains a fair amount of lengthy content, and lots of chiptune music that will shovel its way into your groove veins.

Shovel Knight pays homage to the glorious and memorable games of your youth, and unlocks that special time and place you've stored away inside a nostalgia box. The game reanimates that perfect freeze-frame in time, where you're pulling on the controller as if it's going to extend your jump trajectory. Or that moment when you have finally managed to defeat the last boss, and you're stomping about the basement, joyous and victorious, at 2 am.

This clever title latches onto that youthful magic, and asks only to be enjoyed wholeheartedly and repeatedly. And what it gives back is totally wonderful: A continuation of the best time of your life. I tip my golden chalice, and wish for all the Lord Knights to return once more.

Shovel Knight gets five jewel-encrusted shovels out of five.

Developer: Yacht Club Games

Publisher: Yacht Club Games

Platform: 3DS, Wii U, Windows, OS X, Linux

Released: 2014

Genre: Action-Platformer

You'll Dig It!