In recent years Create Inti He's proven several times that he knows what he's doing when it comes to two-dimensional action platforming. Just think, among the possible examples, of the two Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon, capable of almost perfectly replicating the dark atmospheres and that unmistakable retro touch of the 8-bit era of the first Castlevania. Especially useful comparison here, among other things, since Grim Guardians: Demon Purge, although it moves away from the pure metroidvania philosophy, retains notable points in common with all the mentioned titles.
But, as we know, every author cannot help but quote himself as well. And therefore it is possible to immediately recognize the faces of the characters on the cover of Grim Guardians: Demon Purge, at least for those who know a little about the main Inti Creates productions. In fact, the product in question is also a spin-off of the Gal*Gun: Double Peace series, from which it inherits only the protagonists. The result is the spiritual heir in all aspects of Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2, but with a more casual narrative and a much more original combat system. As will be seen in Shadow Guardians: Demon Purge Review, the mixture is "potentially dangerous" only in appearance, because in reality it conveys an experience that is not excellent, but balanced and pleasant.
Synopsis: “What a beautiful castle…”
Girls dominate plot from Grim Guardians: Demon Purge: is the weight of the legacy of the Gal*Gun series, with the associated recovery of several of its characters. Not everyone is human. Kurona, for example, is a little demon in every way; After discovering the existence of a very suspicious magic mirror, he discovers that it is possible to merge the human world with the demonic one. There is no precedent for such an operation, which is clearly extremely dangerous: in the past the demons have limited themselves to small, localized invasions, always being repulsed.
Le protagonist, Shinobu and Maya Kamizono, find themselves catapulted into the realm of evil: fortunately, they are also skilled demon hunters, a particularly useful profession in such a situation. Without asking too many questions, the real climb begins - floor after floor - to the castle in which Kurona has taken refuge, after having scattered more or less dangerous guards and subordinates everywhere.
L'main adventure, which can be completed in a matter of hours, involves reaching the top floor of the castle and defeating Kurona, saving as many students as possible along the way. In reality, however, none of the secondary proposals are really fundamental: especially by opting for the "casual" difficulty (which we do not recommend because it lacks any kind of challenge) it will be possible to shoot and cut all the enemies in your way without any problem, consequently reducing the offer to the minimum terms. Therefore, it is advisable to opt for the "veteran" style from the beginning. You may initially encounter some endgame, but even the presence of limited lives won't be able to stop me, once you've discovered the potential of the game (as well as the presence of many more lives and health upgrades after the first one). bosses).
Gameplay: change whatever you want
The most original and interesting element of Grim Guardians: Demon Purge obviously does not consist of the spiritual legacy compared to Castelvania and Bloodstained, but in the basic mechanics linked to the protagonists. Every aspect of level design and progression does nothing more than discourage prolonged and exclusive use of just one Shinobu or Maya: to advance, however, it is necessary exchange them continuously, using the right trigger (ZR on Nintendo Switch).
Each of the two has particular weapons and a fighting style only. Shinobu uses an anti-demon machine gun, which he can therefore use from a distance, as well as while jumping; Maya specializes in sword fighting, since she doesn't carry that gigantic scythe just for style. Secondary weapons also vary (initially one for each protagonist, later expanded): Shinobu can attack diagonally, even at very high points, thanks to throwing knives; Maya, for her part, summons three defensive spirits for a short period of time, useful for both blocking enemy blows and dealing damage to them.
Each play area does its best to encourage the constant and sudden exchange between Shinobu and Maya: only the latter of the two can crouch to enter certain openings; only the former can reach an enemy or a container on a distant platform at such a great distance; and then, in general, some monsters take greater damage from one sister or the other. But death It's always around the corner, also because they both have a personal health bar (Maya's is reduced). If one sister falls in battle, the game restarts with the other from the last activated checkpoint: it will be possible to run to the restart point and try to revive the companion. This is obviously easier said than done, as all enemies present will converge on your position, and with the death of the two sisters, one of the available lives will inevitably be lost.
Progression and limits
La progression Grim Guardians: Demon Purge is satisfying and fun, but it's not without its flaws. At least until the boss of the second level, for example, it is undeniable that progress is made by trial and error: it is not always clear which weapon deals more damage to a specific enemy, or how to wisely alternate the two to advance. platform to platform. Getting lost, fortunately (or unfortunately, as Castlevania purists will note) is practically impossible, thanks to the presence of an on-screen compass that will always indicate the direction to reach the boss and therefore also the end of the specific level.
even the update system It doesn't look very good. The protagonists cannot level up, but going back helps them recover a whole series of power-ups (health and weapons) that make progression much easier. Apart from these objects, however, there is no real reason to re-explore the previous areas, especially considering the levels that are graphically inspired, but also quite bare and, within the same area, extremely repetitive. Grim Guardians: Demon Purge, while offering a sufficient dose of tactics in some sections, actually seems to ask the player "only" three things: immediately learn to switch between Shinobu and Maya; Take advantage of the alternation to painlessly reach the boss; Destroy the giant monster on duty.
La learning curve Therefore, it experiences a noticeable increase in the first hour of play, and then stops once you understand how to make the most of the weapons supplied to the two girls. It must also be said that, after all, these were precisely the developers' objectives, without any pretension of excessive depth, especially in the content. However, a lot of care has been given to the battles with the final bosses of the level, which are very careful, alternating in several phases and visually memorable.
Conclusions
Tested version Nintendo Switch digital delivery Steam, playstation store, Xbox Store, Nintendo eShop Price 23,99 € Holygamerz.com 7.0 Readers (5) 7.8 your voteGrim Guardians: Demon Purge is the spiritual heir to Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2: a good 2D action platformer with retro graphics, with characters and context borrowed heavily from the Gal*Gun series. It is also good to reiterate what it "is not", that is, a metroidvania: there is no exploration worthy of the name and the rhythms are designed more around frenetic races between enemies to slaughter than the study of scenarios, monsters and situations. The charm of the settings is undeniable, as is the effectiveness of the gameplay based on the constant exchange between protagonists equipped with different weapons, styles and movements; However, by the end of the adventure, each of the two will have become so powerful that they can almost do without the other's presence. Imagine the local multiplayer mode, an unexpected and very fun presence, which nevertheless completely distorts the underlying philosophy. Beyond the highlighted limitations, everything else works well; Fans of the genre will still love Grim Guardians: Demon Purge.
PRO
- Protagonists that will alternate continuously: interesting and effective mechanics
- Overall satisfactory art direction.
- The local cooperative renews the offer
AGAINST
- Very short
- Going back is not cool
- Impossible to silence the continuous verses and comments of the two girls
