Given I haven't quite finished it at the time of writing (game hard), I don't quite get the hate surrounding this one. It's definitely clunky, probably quite a bit so compared to newer entries, but for me, Circle of the Moon is a great fusion between the things I like about classic Castlevania and presumably, the things I will like about "metroidvania Castlevania", this being my foray into that style of the series.
First off, I really fw this game's difficulty, tight as it is. While it's possible to grind for levels and recovery items, my goofy ass is stubborn and impatient, and I tend to run past encounters with spongy enemies. Often this leaves me high and dry for the boss fights, but I honestly can't say I don't get a sick kick out of that. Finally beating a tough boss after hours in the salt mines is a favorite feeling of mine.
Good music is another thing Circle of the Moon possesses in no short supply. Castlevania is full of bops in general, and this entry's no exception. Even the driest of exploration turns to mad vibes when met with the right tunes. Unfortunately, I think that exploration is where Circle of the Moon (and in fairness, a lot of other metroidvanias) can fall a bit short.
While this game offers solid level design and a lot of cool, useful things to discover, obtuse progression is a staple of its genre and not one it's exempt from. Often there is only one way or a few specific ways to go, and while this is relatively common in metroidvanias, it is no less egregious here. Circle of the Moon also occasionally lets you sequence break to an extent. This is certainly not a negative in of itself, but due to the game's sharp difficulty, it's totally possible to scrape yourself into a certain late game area like fifteen levels early, only to be met with an absolute brick wall of a boss fight. To be honest, I find this kind of thing sort of commendable, only in my case I did this on TWO separate occasions thinking it was the only way to go, having to painstakingly backtrack the entire length of it both times (AND IT'S A POISON SWAMP). I'm probably just stupid, but I'm admittedly still butthurt lol.
Overall, I've found Circle of the Moon to be an incredible time, just one I can't really recommend to everyone considering its fair share of retro game bullshit; sluggish movement, obtuse progression, and comically low item drop rates. With that being said, I think this version might have save states, so it's probably worth a shot if you're normal and don't mind using those. Formidable but fair vibes for sure.
First off, I really fw this game's difficulty, tight as it is. While it's possible to grind for levels and recovery items, my goofy ass is stubborn and impatient, and I tend to run past encounters with spongy enemies. Often this leaves me high and dry for the boss fights, but I honestly can't say I don't get a sick kick out of that. Finally beating a tough boss after hours in the salt mines is a favorite feeling of mine.
Good music is another thing Circle of the Moon possesses in no short supply. Castlevania is full of bops in general, and this entry's no exception. Even the driest of exploration turns to mad vibes when met with the right tunes. Unfortunately, I think that exploration is where Circle of the Moon (and in fairness, a lot of other metroidvanias) can fall a bit short.
While this game offers solid level design and a lot of cool, useful things to discover, obtuse progression is a staple of its genre and not one it's exempt from. Often there is only one way or a few specific ways to go, and while this is relatively common in metroidvanias, it is no less egregious here. Circle of the Moon also occasionally lets you sequence break to an extent. This is certainly not a negative in of itself, but due to the game's sharp difficulty, it's totally possible to scrape yourself into a certain late game area like fifteen levels early, only to be met with an absolute brick wall of a boss fight. To be honest, I find this kind of thing sort of commendable, only in my case I did this on TWO separate occasions thinking it was the only way to go, having to painstakingly backtrack the entire length of it both times (AND IT'S A POISON SWAMP). I'm probably just stupid, but I'm admittedly still butthurt lol.
Overall, I've found Circle of the Moon to be an incredible time, just one I can't really recommend to everyone considering its fair share of retro game bullshit; sluggish movement, obtuse progression, and comically low item drop rates. With that being said, I think this version might have save states, so it's probably worth a shot if you're normal and don't mind using those. Formidable but fair vibes for sure.