the gameplay feels excellent, ninja wall jumps and using your sword and special items is awesome. not to mention the really fun cutscenes, its refreshing to play an NES game with an actual story.

that being said though, this game really ruins itself in the last couple levels with bullshit enemy placement and really frustrating respawn mechanics. the final three phase boss guantlet is awesome on paper but in practice is nearly impossible without save states, at least for someone like me who is less patient.

definitely enjoyed my time! but its soured a bit by the end. cool game :)

what an outstanding NES game, might be my all time favorite on the system that i’ve played so far. great action with 4 unique playable characters, all with really fun playstyles and cool abilities. the level design is really great, and i think the branching routes are great for replayability.

for me though what elevates this game is its stellar presentation. the spritework is fantastic, with great character and monster designs, clearly portraying movement and actions. the environments are richly detailed with superb color usage, and its shocking how varied and readable the different levels are for an 8-Bit game. i played the japanese version through the castlevania anniversary collection, and the 3 additional sound channels allotted to the famicom via the japanese cartridge take already fantastic compositions and fill it in with rich and wonderful sounding chiptune instrumentation.

overall, a tough as nails, really fun, and very pretty adventure through the countryside to defeat dracula. well worth your time!

i dont know how but they distilled perfection into a $20 DLC. bloodborne was already fantastic but this expansion solidifies its place as peak gaming. all of the new weapons, especially the moonlight blade and whirligig saw are all a blast to play around with. and the bosses are absolute perfection.

ludwig has the greatest theme in probably the entire series, and his battle is so riveting and entertaining. fuck laurence and his second phase lava legs (his theme at least makes up for it, thanks aaron for helping me but the stomp on him)

the hospital leading up to and including maria are absolutely fantastic. even the living failures are a good time. maria was a corpse that came back to life to fulfill her duty and do her best, flame and blood included, to protect bloodborne’s final secret. to end it all we have the fishing hamlet. an eerie and unsettling place where the true greed and spoilt avarice of bergenwerth and the church are laid bare. the desecrated corpse of a mother, and the power and consequences that come from trying to become a god. orphan of kos might take the cake as the toughest boss i have ever faced in a game, but so rewarding and fun to fight over and over again.

truly a one of a kind experience

in my eyes, the pinnacle of the trilogy in many ways. demon princes are a fantastic duo fight, and seeing a DS2 reference in earthen peak brought warmth to my cold dead heart. the visual and level design of both the dreg heap and especially the ringed city are genuinely impressive and top tier to me.

darkeater midir might take the crown for my all time favorite from boss, his arena is a gorgeous dank purple cave and his movements and laser attacks are all an incredible spectacle. gael as well is a fantastic finale to the series, with two hollowed ones fighting over nothing at the end of the world.

i love everything about this DLC and im happy to end the trilogy on such a banger.

this is a supremely special game. to me, i can see past the issues some may have because personally the unique cleverness and sweetness in the gameplay and storytelling are so effective.

it feels like a true journey with an autonomous, intelligent, gentle companion that has their own plan and purpose which is an astonishing feat. the creature & this world crafted by fumito ueda and the team at genDESIGN is wonderfully realized, both in visual design and gameplay design. there are such beautifully crumbling structures and awe inspiring vistas that are all accompanied by a gorgeous soundscape of birds, wind, water, as well as trico’s unique and beautiful calls. i also will always enjoy clever platforming, interesting environmental puzzles, and trico being a dynamic and useful ladder, spring, and all manner of platform and puzzle tools.

i loved every moment of this experience. im not sure if i would rate this above SoTC, but at the very least it ranks proudly right alongside it as well as ICO. i cant wait for whatever this team makes next. it will be worth the wait:)