Another good, solid Igavania. The dual character mechanic's fun but not quite built out enough; I would have liked more reasons to use Charlotte but once I got into the stride with Jonathan's whip I think I'd reached classic Castlevania anyway so I'm not too cut up about it.
I liked the variety of areas (though it's not as varied as it first suggests) and they do take some advantage of that in order to present more distinct map styles in the different areas, while also just making everything bigger. As a result it's a surprisingly large game, though one which doesn't take as long as you might think to play through as it's relatively low friction exploring. You're unlocking things to move to new areas much more than pass barriers you've encountered in older ones.
It's a high 3, and I don't think it would have taken much more convincing to move up to a 4, but in the end I'm happier saying it's very good rather than really great.
I liked the variety of areas (though it's not as varied as it first suggests) and they do take some advantage of that in order to present more distinct map styles in the different areas, while also just making everything bigger. As a result it's a surprisingly large game, though one which doesn't take as long as you might think to play through as it's relatively low friction exploring. You're unlocking things to move to new areas much more than pass barriers you've encountered in older ones.
It's a high 3, and I don't think it would have taken much more convincing to move up to a 4, but in the end I'm happier saying it's very good rather than really great.