Chronicles of the Wolf

Do you enjoy fun Metroidvanias? Then this game might not be for you. It's a competent, yet tedious, clone of better games. If ever there was a need for a neutral review option, it would be for this game.

The first half of this game feels like the spiritual successor to Castlevania 2 Simon's Quest. An excellent carrying of the torch with modern sensibilities. The latter half has that more traditional Castlevania feel. Both parts manage to evoke that Castlevania vibe, without feeling like a poor imitation or just another homage. There is enough unique about the art style, gameplay, and design choices to leave any Metroidvania feeling their itch scratched, while holding it's own place as a unique stand alone game.

I had a lot of fun with this. It definitely scratched the Castlevania itch. Visiting the villages and interacting with the people also gave me some 80's roleplaying vibes (Faxanadu, Battle of Olympus etc.). Some mechanics seem to be outdated - if you die without saving after killing a boss, you have to do it again. There is also knockback, unavoidable deaths, missing map markers etc. But for me it is part of the retro experience and despite from beeing a challenging game, it is still much more approachable than those old NES and SNES titles. The visual and acoustic 16-bit style is very convincing - it is not just pixel graphics and chiptune music, but you have the typical reduced color palette, strongly compressed sound samples and a catchy soundtrack. I would call it on par with "The Last Faith" or "Blasphemous" and strongly recommend playing it.

Awesome classic style Castlevania game! LOVE the spooky atmosphere of this game!

Excellent Castlevania-like that really feels as good as the DS games. Amazing soundtrack and tons of secrets. The difficulty has some bite but feels fair. Would recommend to anyone that likes Castlevania.

Honestly one of the best games I've played recently. It's mysterious and beautiful in all the same ways old Castlevania was, and it offers a fun and fairly unique take on the mechanics. Pretty lengthy too with lots of cool endgame surprises. Easy recommend.