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Hardcore Gaming 101 / Re: What game(s) have you been playing lately?
« Last post by zangetsu468 on September 02, 2025, 02:11:50 AM »I just completed Haunted Castle Revisited and had a crack at Boss Rush(got up to the final boss).. Now playing on Hard with scan lines on. It’s pretty good, albeit short.
Edit: Finished on Hard Mode shortly after starting it over. I haven't managed to beat Boss Rush on Hard Mode, but have tried it out, getting up to Frankenstein's Monster.
The game is honestly a bit too short for a full review but I will say this:
Overall it's a decent game, which is more fun and less punishing than the OG, with the additional hard mode enemies being a welcome challenge.
I simply wish that it was longer and more HC inspired, rather than the levels being duplicated and altered.
Edit: Finished on Hard Mode shortly after starting it over. I haven't managed to beat Boss Rush on Hard Mode, but have tried it out, getting up to Frankenstein's Monster.
The game is honestly a bit too short for a full review but I will say this:
- The game overall feels far better than the OG Haunted Castle, graphically I cannot go back to the OG now
- While the game is very good, it is an 'extra' in the Dominus Collection and doesn't truly feel like a 'full game', even though it was made with the Adventure Rebirth engine. This is primarily because it's very short, adding an additional level with Death as the penultimate boss would have made it more complete imo.
- While the bosses are better than the original, they're potentially too similar:
- Medusa, while I like the PoR inspired tones and 3d tail effect, she's still a boring boss and her stage(the cave/ crypt) while likely mythologically accurate, lacks character, compared with the OG HC.
- The Bone Dragon boss' added platforms are one of the better re-designs and actually makes a lot of sense.
- The stained glass knight looks far better than the OG and has somewhat of a pattern, but honestly still looks somewhat visually dated.
- The Golem is definitely one of the more improved looking bosses imo and the fight is the most different, second to the final boss.
- Frankenstein's monster/ creature is probably the most innovative, given the remains of the doctor, now momentarily animate the already living creature for temporary invincibility; does it make sense? Maybe not, but it's hella cool. I also understand the addition of the hunchbacks, making it in line with the OG Castlevania, I will say that the amount of debris that falls from the ceiling + the hunchbacks in hard mode specifically, feels excessive and spammy.
- Dracula's final form is the most different and improved (in line with the stone golem) and actually poses a threat. I appreciated the aesthetic of this the most and I believe that inspiration was somewhat taken from ROTN, with Baal having multiple large heads.
One minor gripe I do have is that hard mode jump and duck timing has to be so on point, that it can get frustrating, only because nothing else in the main game requires this. It's like the difficulty was spiked purely for this fight to compensate for the OG.
Overall it's a decent game, which is more fun and less punishing than the OG, with the additional hard mode enemies being a welcome challenge.
I simply wish that it was longer and more HC inspired, rather than the levels being duplicated and altered.
