There's no denying that Castlevania II is an ambitious sequel, trading the linear platforming of the original game for a prototypical open world RPG formula, complete with leveling, inventory management, and a binary day-night cycle that directly impacts exploration. Whatever goodwill that this game gains from its ambition, it squanders with its cryptic, nonsensical progression driven by badly-translated dialogue and clue books, the latter of which are mainly hidden in unassuming blocks of walls and floors. I can understand why this game has garnered cult appreciation over the years, but I also imagine that this is one of those games that would have been a lot more impactful for someone growing up in the 80s with no internet and a limited game library — hunting down the next step in the arbitrary sequence of progression in Castlevania II would be more engaging if it were a cooperative effort with your friends, trying to brainstorm solutions from Nintendo Power hints or by combing through every square inch of the map with every item. Completing this game without a guide in a reasonable amount of time, however, is a fool's errand; I sincerely doubt anybody has ever been able to figure out the tornado puzzle themselves unless by pure accident. In a world where there are thousands upon thousands of games to play, I struggle to find a reason to put up with Castlevania II's obscurities and lack of respect for the player's time.

The soundtrack is absolutely great, though, arguably even better than the first game. I doubt I'll ever replay this, but I will have the original rendition of "Bloody Tears" stuck in my head for weeks to come.