Enter Carpathian Nights starring Bela LugosiThere’s no denying that this will be a cheap, throwaway Konami knockoff Castlevania series; one that we would wash in one go before tossing it aside for the actual purchase. Instead, we were treated to an incredibly well-designed game that could easily go toe-to-toe with the likes of Bloodstain: Curse of the Moon as a worthy homage to one of the most respected franchises in gaming history.
Largely inspired by ‘classic’ Vanias, Carpathian Night takes you through a total of 12 linear stages as Abbot Dorin or Irina Dracul. The first uses a spear in a similar manner Castlevania: Bloodline‘ Eric Lecarde, while the latter prefers the more iconic whip. Whichever you choose, their basic eight-directional attacks are all pretty much the same, though they all have unique abilities that are gained by collecting green gems scattered throughout the levels. play.
You should experiment with the abilities that best suit your play style as each stage is filled with dangerous enemies and obstacles to overcome. Each enemy type is easily recognizable and will behave in a very specific, choreographed way, making it relatively easy to understand how to approach them and how many hits they should take. That said, Carpathian Night’s difficulty really ramps up when you encounter multiple enemy types at once, making multi-tasking a must-have skill if you want to continue unscathed. .
Overall, though, the difficulty seems about right, increasing as you approach the final stage. While there are certainly moments that test our patience (Dracula himself is a true audacity), it never reaches the level of, say, Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. If you’re after something a little more devious, remember, you can restart the game and select ‘Evil’ difficulty, which will increase the difficulty and mix up enemy placement to make sometimes things just can’t be done. It’s not for the faint of heart.
Though Carpathian Nights is certainly basic in some aspects – the breakable candles contain little recovery hearts, for example, and that’s it, while some of the enemy designs look a bit lackluster – it really nails the classic Castlevania feel with its gameplay, and we were impressed with the length of the stages. It’s true that skilled players can complete the game in as little as an hour or two, but the variety coupled with a surprising amount of depth to the unlockable abilities makes this a worthwhile experience. Looking forward to playing again. Oops, we’ll start over just to hear the excellent music.
However, we must highlight the inclusion of classics Dracula actress Bela Lugosi. He appears once, right at the end of the game with the final encounter. His visuals are limited to just two static pixel art images, one of which can even be seen in the game’s trailer. Giving the iconic horror actor top billing is certainly eye-catching, but my god, it feels like a wasted opportunity.
