A game that tries to unite metroidvania and dating sim should be appreciated anyway, if only for the bravery and originality of the idea, which is not common even in the current indie landscape full of strange gameplay amalgams, but the Romancelvania review demonstrates how the objective set by The deep end games Maybe it's too complex to pull off convincingly. In this strange reinterpretation of Castlevania, the protagonist Drac is a vampire called to redeem himself after a century of hunger and self-pity for having been betrayed and defeated by his love, and to do so he will not have to set fire to the human world (although he will a little , if you look closely), but to be a "tronista" in a reality show organized by Grim, the not very sad reaper who has rediscovered himself as a glamorous and avant-garde television producer.
Conceptually it is an impeccable idea: instead of wandering through a labyrinthine castle in search of revenge, redemption and glory, we do it largely to conquer the different participants of the reality show, among whom we will then have to select the most "Worthy." of attention," we say. As they say, "he's more like a werewolf..." Or something like that.
To tell the truth, this is an even more valid motivation than many other premises used for secondary missions or entire games, opening the door to in-depth analysis and even narrative branches depending on the choices we find ourselves making. The themes in question present an impressive variety, from supernatural creatures of all genders and sexes, all of them quite well characterized. Although we obviously play a little with some stereotypes, it is always done with a certain intelligence and depth. The design is therefore brilliant and the staging also has its reasons, the problem with Romancelvania is precisely in its playability, as we will see, and unfortunately it is no small thing.
The throne vampire
Drac has spent 100 years brooding over the former lover who betrayed and defeated him, leaving the castle in ruins and staying away from fighting and action for far too long. A mysterious invitation from a clique and an encounter with Grim upset the vampire's sober normality, throwing him into a kind of reality show de tema sentimental, in which he is forced to participate in order to redeem his name and control of his castle. The beginning is a clear reference to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, with our hero finding himself fighting some monsters at the maximum of his power, only to then lose his powers once he meets Grim, who invites him (voluntarily or not) ) to take part in the show. It is evidently a parody of the typical premise of the metroidvania and, in particular, of the Konami classic, with the protagonist who is forced to reconquer his abilities to open new paths through increasingly greater movement and combat possibilities. .
The "production" immediately turns out to be pragmatic and inflexible (with a fight against the budget boss) and Drac has to work hard to invite new participants to the show and try to keep interest alive. cultivating diverse relationships. Guests include deities, muses, demons, witches, werewolves, and a variety of other creatures, each with their own unique personalities and interests, often at odds with each other.
Depending on the choices we make, we can deepen our knowledge about one or another guest, consequently also developing the story in a different way, although with marginal ramifications. Relationships are nurtured above all during dialogues and "tête-à-tête" dates, which develop in the style typical of shows like "The Bachelor." Depending on our attitude and our responses (generally summarized in categories such as "provocative", "sexy", "friendly", "threatening"), the relationship with the interlocutor progresses differently, with selections that must be made periodically to eliminate competitors that we consider less interesting.
Metroidvania-style gameplay, or almost
Beyond the romantic digressions, Romancelvania is a metroidvania, although it is probably one of the crudest interpretations of the subgenre that we have seen in recent times. The most direct reference is clearly Castlevania, of which it stands as a kind of parody, also given the more explicit references such as the types of monsters to face and the basic mechanics of the game. game. We also find here the typical 2D platform-style movements, with double jumps to recover and transformations into fog or super speed, as well as a combat system focused on different weapons that can be assigned to three buttons, choosing from a range of different solutions. stroke. In this sense, the romantic component has effective implications for the gameplay because, as the level of relationship with certain characters increases, the possibility of purchasing specific related advantages is also unlocked, which increase Drac's statistics and abilities.
In theory, all the elements are there, but they fail to translate into compelling gameplay, for several reasons. The levels, interconnected on a single map according to tradition, are quite varied and well characterized, although sometimes confusing also due to an original but inconsistent artistic direction. Absolutely incomprehensible, in a game of this genre, is the lack of one map remember on the screen, which forces you to go from memory and makes going back even more frustrating than it should be. There is also a general rigidity between the response to commands and the animations that mortify the classic spirit of the metroidvania, whose gameplay should enhance the agility and speed of the protagonist, while Drac often seems pachydermal in his movements. All of this makes the action game almost an accessory to the much more refined "sim date" component, when perhaps it should be the opposite.
A strange aspect of Romancelvania
The art direction reflects the overall originality of Romancelvania, staging a truly strange looking game. The choice of graphics 3D may have to do with the need to contain costs and resources, but character modeling and animations are still quite lacking, despite excellent character designs when it comes to 2D illustrations. For a game that depends on their charisma, perhaps something more could have been done to characterize them better during the game and the cutscenes, also because the dubbing and performances in general are well done (although not uniformly, since some characters are not folded).
The chosen aesthetic can, in some cases, seem a bit crude and the strong chromatic and light and shadow contrasts often create a monstrous effect, but the search for a striking rendering is an element clearly desired by the developers and also appreciable, if We delve into the topic. Game wavelength. Another issue is the lack of elegance of the animations, which combined with a not always optimal response of the controls only increases the idea of a general clumsiness of Drac and his enemies, even though the character should suggest elegance and lethal charm.
Conclusions
Tested version Xbox Series X digital delivery Steam, playstation store, Xbox Store, Nintendo eShop Price 24,99 € Holygamerz.com 6.5 Readers (10) 7.4 your voteIt's easy to find that you want to love Romancelvania but not be able to fully appreciate it. The idea of combining Metroidvania with the dating sim is brilliant and intriguing, also thanks to the excellent characterization applied to the characters and the fact that such strangeness can be integrated into the classic Gothic context of Castlevania, but it is difficult. to ignore the loopholes in the game. One might think that the initial vision was too ambitious, given the commitment required to build a well-functioning metroidvania structure, and the Deep End Games team settled for a compromise that focuses heavily on the relational and "sexy" component. . However, it is still a very interesting game, enjoyable to follow for its story, characters and dialogue, but decidedly less appreciable as a classic platform action game.
PRO
- Metroidvania + Dating Sim is an explosive mix
- Several characters are interesting and well characterized.
- Unpredictable game situations and sufficiently varied levels.
AGAINST
- Playability is lacking, between movements and combat.
- It's not huge but it's hard to find your way around the map.
- The metroidvania component took more time to fully develop
