Lords of Exile

Ever wanted to play Simon Belmont but he walks twice as slow as does? Well then, this game is for you. Credit where it's due, the sprite art and music are fantastic but the gameplay is awful. The secret rooms are just slot machines which will make you LOSE more gold than if you just buy EVERYTHING on EVERY SHOP you see. Half of the upgrades do nothing for the player (the ghost floating behind you is completely useless besides the mandatory block breaking) I've beaten the game in 2+ hours and it's incredibly short and forgetable, which is funny because when you BEAT the game you can play a character that moves far FASTER. All in all, I can't recommend it simply because of how sluggish the Main character feels.

This is a pretty great (but far too easy) throwback to classic Castlevania and Ninja Gaiden. I'd definitely recommend this only if you want a very casual and (mostly) frustration free classicvania style action platformer in the same style as Bloodstained Curse of the Moon or Infernax. While it's not as good as either of those two games, it's definitely a fun timekiller. The music is great, the pixel art is great, and it's a pretty short playthrough (8 stages) that doesnt overstay it's welcome. There is no lives system. No game overs and you always respawn with full health at the start of the current room. For players looking for a real challenge, this is unfortunately this game's biggest flaw. There is basically no punishment for failure other than being set back to the start of the current room, losing your subweapon (which there are plenty constantly being thrown your way) and tbh it kinda makes the games gold currency system a bit pointless. There are a few item shops scattered throughout the levels selling healing items and subweapons but 9/10 times you don't even need them. There are also slot machine minigame rooms scattered throughout to farm gold but there's really no need to waste your time on them. Gold is plentiful and in my 2 playthroughs, I always had enough to just throw at whatever shop items I wanted. Bosses have very predictable patterns. They are fun but once you figure them out they are a pushover. Most regular enemies die in a single hit with a few exceptions. There are 2 playable characters. Gabriel who wields a sword and plays like your basic Belmont. You have good range, a Mega Man style dash slide (which is mostly just used for a speed boost) a downward thrust attack and each level unlocks an upgrade. The most useful being a double jump and some stat boosts to your sword's range and power as well as an increase in subweapon ammo and an upgrade to your downward thrust. Gabriel also unlocks two different "Guardians" which are sadly a bit useless outside of clearing specific obstacles and having a long range attack (that isnt as useful as you would imagine) Gabriels controls feel tight and responsive though I found myself dying a few times due to an accidental dash slide or unintended downward thrust. That's a skill issue on my part but I did feel the dash slide was a bit useless outside of a single spot in the game where you are being chased by a wall of spikes. Id have liked it better if it could damage enemies or lasted longer. The second character Lyra is unlocked after completing the game. She is a ninja style character who's main attack is throwing knives. She doesnt utilize the guardian system but She moves quickly, much more quickly than Gabriel and can clear the blocks and large gaps that make them necessary in the first place. She has the double jump unlocked at the start. I found it pretty fun to play as her though the game doesnt change at all outside a unique ending. A quick summary Pros: Awesome spritework Awesome music short and sweet tight controls Cons: far too easy Verdict: This is a decent entry level classicvania game. Pick it up if you want something super easy and want to dip your toes in the genre without the frustration. Id also wait for a sale as well. There's not a ton of meat on this game and the default price is a bit steep.

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