Going into Carpathian Night Starring Bela Lugosi, there was an undeniable fear that this would be a cheap, throwaway knock-off of Konami’s Castlevania series; one that we’d rinse in a single sitting before casting it aside for the real deal. Instead, we were treated to an incredibly well-crafted game that can easily stand toe-to-toe with the likes of Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon as a worthy homage to one of the most respected franchises in gaming history.
Taking inspiration primarily from the ‘classic’ ‘Vanias, Carpathian Night sees you traverse a total of 12 linear stages as either Abbot Dorin or Irina Dracul. The former wields a spear in a similar fashion to Castlevania: Bloodlines‘ Eric Lecarde, while the latter prefers the iconic whip. Whichever you choose, their basic eight-way directional attacks feel quite similar, though they each boast unique abilities obtained by collecting green gems littered throughout the stages.
Playing around with the abilities to best suit your playstyle is encouraged, as every stage contains a host of deadly enemies and obstacles to overcome. Each enemy type is easily recognisable and will behave in a very particular, choreographed way, making it relatively easy to understand how to approach them and how many hits they take. That said, Carpathian Night’s difficulty really ramps up when you encounter multiple enemy types in one go, making multi-tasking a mandatory skill if you’re to proceed unscathed.
Overall, though, the difficulty feels appropriate, increasing gradually as you make your way to the final stage. Although there are certainly moments that tested our patience (Dracula himself is a right cheeky git), it doesn’t ever reach the same levels as, say, Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. If you’re after something a bit more devious, mind, you can start the game again and choose ‘Wicked’ difficulty, which increases and mixes up enemy placement to make things borderline impossible at times. It’s not for the faint of heart.
Although Carpathian Nights is certainly basic in some respects – for instance, the breakable candles contain small restorative hearts, and that’s it, while a few enemy designs look a bit lacklustre – it really nails the classic Castlevania feel with its gameplay, and we were impressed with the length of the stages themselves. Granted, skilled players could get through the game in as little as an hour or two, but the variety along with the surprising level of depth with the unlockable abilities makes this an experience begging to be replayed. Heck, we’d start over just to listen to the excellent music.
We do, however, have to call out the inclusion of classic Dracula actor Bela Lugosi. The dude shows up once, right at the end of the game with the final encounter. His likeness is limited to just two static pixel-art images, one of which can even be seen in the game’s trailer. Giving the iconic horror actor top billing is certainly eye-catching, but goodness, it feels like such a wasted opportunity.