>100%
The greatness that Castlevania 3 aimed for is found in this game. I never expected to enjoy a Bloodstained spin-off this much, especially since I didn't fall in love with the main game, mainly because of its inconsistent visuals. However, in Curse of the Moon, this isn't a problem; the much more restricted graphical style makes the game much more pleasing to the eyes. While it may not boast the best 8-bit graphics by today's standards, it certainly falls on the better side of the spectrum.
Aside from that, everything else is top-notch. The stages vary greatly and follow the style of traditional Castlevania games, with a consistent path that always connects until you reach the castle. You can feel that they tried to diversify them as best they could, even with only eight stages (in my opinion, a perfect length for a game like this).
What I really appreciated about this game is that the level and enemy design truly complement the idea of having multiple characters with drastically different abilities. You start to notice the game's meticulous design when even with only one character left, the stages still work, albeit much more difficult. Miriam can be a bit overpowered, but even that adds to the fun!
Speaking of difficulty, this game has an interesting way to encourage multiple replays, as you can dismiss, sacrifice, or recruit your partners, resulting in drastically different sets of abilities and resources, and possibly paths. To complete everything, at least six runs are necessary, which may be a bit too much, especially since the hardest one (with Zangetsu without any extra skills) can be frustrating due to how close you need to get to certain enemies, since his attack range is so short.
Complemented by an amazing soundtrack and great bosses, Curse of the Moon is a textbook example of a Castlevania-like game done right, and I'm excited to play its sequel after I give the main Bloodstained game another shot.
The greatness that Castlevania 3 aimed for is found in this game. I never expected to enjoy a Bloodstained spin-off this much, especially since I didn't fall in love with the main game, mainly because of its inconsistent visuals. However, in Curse of the Moon, this isn't a problem; the much more restricted graphical style makes the game much more pleasing to the eyes. While it may not boast the best 8-bit graphics by today's standards, it certainly falls on the better side of the spectrum.
Aside from that, everything else is top-notch. The stages vary greatly and follow the style of traditional Castlevania games, with a consistent path that always connects until you reach the castle. You can feel that they tried to diversify them as best they could, even with only eight stages (in my opinion, a perfect length for a game like this).
What I really appreciated about this game is that the level and enemy design truly complement the idea of having multiple characters with drastically different abilities. You start to notice the game's meticulous design when even with only one character left, the stages still work, albeit much more difficult. Miriam can be a bit overpowered, but even that adds to the fun!
Speaking of difficulty, this game has an interesting way to encourage multiple replays, as you can dismiss, sacrifice, or recruit your partners, resulting in drastically different sets of abilities and resources, and possibly paths. To complete everything, at least six runs are necessary, which may be a bit too much, especially since the hardest one (with Zangetsu without any extra skills) can be frustrating due to how close you need to get to certain enemies, since his attack range is so short.
Complemented by an amazing soundtrack and great bosses, Curse of the Moon is a textbook example of a Castlevania-like game done right, and I'm excited to play its sequel after I give the main Bloodstained game another shot.