I couldn't agree more with Patrick's sentiments about this game. Regardless of the sometimes-tedious puzzle gameplay and totally off-the-rails final act, it's wonderful to see a game that makes you think so much about yourself. After storming so many beaches and saving the world from so many horrible monsters, gaming needs more mature depictions of real human experience (even if they are interspersed with sheep-filled dreams that kill men prone to infidelity). Inspiring self-reflection is a mark of good art and an exciting quality to see so prominently featured in a game. After all, what better way to make one think about a character's decisions than to force the player to make them?
Another great article! I love to see coverage of these kinds of games and issues, and I agree that the medium (though not necessarily the industry) stands to benefit a lot from experiments like this "nongame"
Great article. It's stories like this one that prove why we need more games that aren't as focused on shooting and/or stabbing dudes. I'd love to see more of this type of content on the site, keep up the good work!
Thanks for the responses, I appreciate the help getting some perspective on what's what in such a large and varied series. Blindly choosing from the whole Castlevania catalog struck me as a bad idea, so I'm glad I've got a slightly more focused set from you guys.
I've never gotten into the Castlevania series, but in light of the upcoming Harmony of Despair and the high praise for the XBLA port of SotN, I feel like taking a dip into the franchise. I'm a long time fan of Metroid games, and Shadow Complex is one of my favorite XBLA games, so I figure there must be something I'll enjoy in the Castlevania games. My question for you, though, is where should I start? I'm definitely considering picking up SotN (the XBLA version), but are any of the older entries worth checking out first?
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