An absolute blast. This is the first Castlevania game I've ever finished, and I loved every minute of it. It was so much fun to go through, exploring around and trying to get all the furniture and relics on the first pass through an area, and then returning later to comb through it all again. The whipping felt super satisfying, and being able to it to let it hang out for JUST a second as you jump and fall is some mighty good game feel. The combinations of Weapons and Spell Books also kept things really fresh. During my seven hours, I was almost always experimenting and trying out different combinations to see what was the coolest or most effective spell/weapon combo to use. The movement in general felt so much better/faster than CotM as well. I loved being able to just dash or slide through already-visited areas
This particular version having Save States and the "Collection Gadget" on the sidebar, showing you that there are X-amount of furniture/important items to be collected still in an area were helpful, ESPECIALLY the Collection Gadget. The save states were just for convenience honestly, like saving before a boss fight so if I died I could quick load instead of walking all the way back. And thanks to the Collection Gadget though, I was able to easily keep track of whatever Dracula relics and furniture I was missing. Getting the true ending, on top of that extra touch where Lydie hugs Juste's arm, made the extra effort worth it.
The only negative I have to say about this game is that the music DOES leave some to be desired. 99% of it is just fine, not great, but definitely not awful; the only actually-bad track was the Entrance Theme/Juste's Theme.
This particular version having Save States and the "Collection Gadget" on the sidebar, showing you that there are X-amount of furniture/important items to be collected still in an area were helpful, ESPECIALLY the Collection Gadget. The save states were just for convenience honestly, like saving before a boss fight so if I died I could quick load instead of walking all the way back. And thanks to the Collection Gadget though, I was able to easily keep track of whatever Dracula relics and furniture I was missing. Getting the true ending, on top of that extra touch where Lydie hugs Juste's arm, made the extra effort worth it.
The only negative I have to say about this game is that the music DOES leave some to be desired. 99% of it is just fine, not great, but definitely not awful; the only actually-bad track was the Entrance Theme/Juste's Theme.