Yo, this one rules. Konami, what the hell was going on with you and the Genesis? Your development team was off their shits with these titles. And that includes Castlevania: Bloodlines, which takes advantage of every programming trick possible to create one of the most stunning games available on the system. Whether you're looking for crazy rotatey effects, bosses made up of like a dozen individual parts, or illusions that create the effect of climbing a wobbly tower, Bloodlines is determined to impress you, to look as top of the line as it could be back in 1994.
Bloodlines plays much like the previous Classicvania games, and that does unfortunately include the lack of Castlevania IV's mid-air control. But, somehow, the deliberately stiff controls here manage to feel a lot tighter than Rondo of Blood, alongside the overall pacing throwing tons of new shit at you for every new room you visit. Bloodlines manages to pull off a paradoxical feeling of strategic slow pacedness, combined with the frantic setpieces of Contra that make you forget about the game being slow at all. At which point, your time never feels wasted, and your engagement is at a consistent high.
Bloodlines also lets you select from two characters, one of which can use their spear to climb up high ledges. I assumed this would've led to alternate routes that only that character could take advantage of, but to my surprise, there weren't any. In fact, Bloodlines is by far the most linear title since Castlevania IV. There are no alternate stages, there's only one path, straight towards the setpieces. Which is completely fine by me, I always enjoy a straightforward experience. But, after playing Rondo & Castlevania 3, the selection of two playable characters might lead you into thinking there's more replayability here than there really is.
Speaking of, there is an instance of contrived replayability, and it is in the form of the true ending being only obtainable via Hard difficulty. Never was a fan of this design, and so I've never went for it. The extra lifes may also be argued as an artificial way to extend the length of the game, as with the case of many other games which employed the tactic back then. Using an infinite lifes cheat code may be preferable for the best experience, unless you're up to the challenge.
This is however, a minor gripe in the grand scheme of things. Bloodlines is still solid as hell. It is one of my favorite Classicvanias. Sometimes I feel it might be better than IV, even without IV's improved controls. A satisfying arcade experience, with some of the best presentation value you could ask for. Highly recommended.
Bloodlines plays much like the previous Classicvania games, and that does unfortunately include the lack of Castlevania IV's mid-air control. But, somehow, the deliberately stiff controls here manage to feel a lot tighter than Rondo of Blood, alongside the overall pacing throwing tons of new shit at you for every new room you visit. Bloodlines manages to pull off a paradoxical feeling of strategic slow pacedness, combined with the frantic setpieces of Contra that make you forget about the game being slow at all. At which point, your time never feels wasted, and your engagement is at a consistent high.
Bloodlines also lets you select from two characters, one of which can use their spear to climb up high ledges. I assumed this would've led to alternate routes that only that character could take advantage of, but to my surprise, there weren't any. In fact, Bloodlines is by far the most linear title since Castlevania IV. There are no alternate stages, there's only one path, straight towards the setpieces. Which is completely fine by me, I always enjoy a straightforward experience. But, after playing Rondo & Castlevania 3, the selection of two playable characters might lead you into thinking there's more replayability here than there really is.
Speaking of, there is an instance of contrived replayability, and it is in the form of the true ending being only obtainable via Hard difficulty. Never was a fan of this design, and so I've never went for it. The extra lifes may also be argued as an artificial way to extend the length of the game, as with the case of many other games which employed the tactic back then. Using an infinite lifes cheat code may be preferable for the best experience, unless you're up to the challenge.
This is however, a minor gripe in the grand scheme of things. Bloodlines is still solid as hell. It is one of my favorite Classicvanias. Sometimes I feel it might be better than IV, even without IV's improved controls. A satisfying arcade experience, with some of the best presentation value you could ask for. Highly recommended.