I have a long, complicated history with the Castlevania series. The original game was something my cousin gave to me to play on the NES when I was roughly three years old, and I struggled with it every time I started it up. It's a game my parents eventually took away from me because they thought it was causing my nightmares and keeping me from sleeping at night. Eventually, it was returned to me so I could continue to die over and over again. Back then, I thought it was simply because I was so young, but it turns out the truth is the game is just that difficult.
Moving past the original, I found myself failing at every entry I tried, always giving up and never going back. The series didn't seem like it was for me, and I had other challenging games to play. But then, years later, my cousin gifted me his copy of Castlevania: Circle of the Moon. It was the first full-on Metroidvania entry in the series I had even looked at, and it became the first one I was really determined to finish. Ultimately, I failed, but the game always stayed in the back of my mind as something I'd like to return to someday.
It turned out that someday was when the Castlevania Advance Collection was released.
Returning to Circle of the Moon nearly 20 years later was a ride I wasn't quite ready for. At first, I was hit by the nostalgia of it all, but the more I dove into the game, the more I began appreciating what it had to offer. Looking back at it as an adult with a critical eye let me see the game in a completely new light. Its issues became apparent, too; however, this same new outlook let me see just how special the game truly was when it first released and why it is still worth playing today. Of course, it's the weakest of the three titles included in the Advance Collection, but we all have to start somewhere... right?
The Story:
The story of Circle of the Moon follows a young man named Nathan Graves. Before the main story, Nathan's parents and a man named Morris Baldwin attempting to defeat the dreaded Dracula, who has terrorized the world for ages. Although they were successful, Nathan's parents unfortunately perished in the fight, and Dracula was sealed away to buy the world some time. Of course Morris knows this only a temporary solution, so he gets to work on his own plans.
Jumping ahead to the present, Morris has trained Nathan and his own son, Hugh Baldwin, as vampire hunters in preparation for the day Dracula would return—a day that is now at hand. The main story opens with the three coming face to face with a vampire woman named Camilla, who successfully awakens Dracula and then attacks them by destroying the ground beneath their feet. Nathan and Hugh fall into the castle's catacombs, and their adventure to defeat Dracula begins.
Similar to other Castlevania titles, the story is mostly told through the environment and the enemies you face, with dialogue used during key moments throughout the game. It isn't a story-heavy game overall, but it is an important part of the Castlevania timeline and has some fun twists along the way.
The Gameplay:
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon is the first title in the series to be released for the Game Boy Advance. Despite being on a handheld console, the game features the open-ended gameplay of titles like Symphony of the Night. Instead of playing through standard levels or "stages," the map is one large, interconnected world, with different sections focusing on their own unique set of enemies and challenges. There is a clear "order" in which you must do everything to advance, but finding where to go and what to do is left completely up to the player. Although you may be able to see the path forward, regions are often locked off until a new ability is unlocked to overcome the obstacle blocking your way, so backtracking becomes key. It's not a straight shot by any means, and players will spend countless hours exploring every inch of the map before eventually coming across the one thing that is needed to clear the way.
Outside of the map exploration, enemies will continue to get in the way, becoming increasingly stronger as the game goes on. Unique attack patterns, attacks that can shred through your health in no time, and enemies that require specific tactics to even kill will eventually present themselves. To survive each encounter, players need to not only use their own survival skills but also employ different strategies and make use of the game's RPG mechanics. Killing enemies will net experience, which in return will eventually level up Nathan, but a second mechanic unique to Circle of the Moon is at play as well.
The Dual Set-Up System is a card-based mechanic where enemies drop cards throughout the game, and these cards can be applied to magic attacks to alter Nathan's abilities. These alterations can buff Nathan to increase his attack and defense, apply elemental effects to his attacks, or even alter his main weapon (his whip) into a different weapon altogether. It's basically the game's equipment and ability system wrapped up into one, with 100 different cards to be obtained in total. It allows players to customize Nathan to suit their own playstyle and to change things up to take on enemies that might prove to be "too difficult." Of course, the Advance Collection version of the game does add the ability to save states and rewind for those who need further assistance, but the game does provide the tools to win without using such options.
Along with the different ability cards to help you along, the map itself features many fast-travel points and an easy-to-understand map that uncovers itself as you explore. This makes backtracking fast and easy, and it doesn't take too long to memorize previous areas. Even then, many of these areas are still filled with secrets and hidden paths to uncover, so outside of general traversal, there is always a reason to return to them. While it may not be on the same level as Symphony of the Night, the world is designed quite well, and it is very enjoyable to progress through. Save rooms are also smartly placed, making the enemy threat much more manageable if you do, in fact, die. These safe areas are also typically placed before major bosses, so retrying a fight isn't too big of an issue either; however, the fights themselves are quite the challenge.
Even though Circle of the Moon does provide you with the tools needed to survive, it is not an easy game. Level grinding can help build Nathan's strength, but a player needs to work on their own skills as well. Failing to dodge or not learning the sometimes complex attack patterns will result in repeated deaths, and trying to brute-force everything is not the answer to overcome such challenges. It takes patience, skill, and useful cards to beat Dracula's underlings, and not everyone will be able to succeed.
Although all of the systems and general gameplay in Circle of the Moon feel fantastic to play, I'd be lying if I said the game was perfect. It is clearly the first Game Boy Advance entry in the series, and the single biggest issue comes from none other than its graphics. While the sprites are quite detailed and there are some really nice-looking backgrounds and areas, the problem comes from trying to distinguish between it all. The detailed sprites tend to blend in with the detailed backgrounds, and the detailed enemies like to sneak up and hit you with their detailed attacks—which results in your semi-detailed death. Future GBA titles in the series fix this issue by applying an outline to the characters and altering how the backgrounds are handled, but for Circle of the Moon, players just have to live with it.
It's honestly more of an issue in the beginning areas, and I personally found it was easier to see when playing on a smaller screen. Playing on a PlayStation 5 allowed me to remote play to a handheld device, which took me on a nostalgic trip back to the days of playing it on a GBA SP and helped me understand what I was looking at. While it was manageable on my TV, I had issues in a few locations, and even my non-gamer wife questioned me if the game was "supposed to look like that." It was hard for her to tell what was going on while watching. Again, this isn't a deal breaker, nor does it overshadow the solid gameplay, but it is something worth noting before jumping in.
Putting aside this issue, the game does have a solid length, with a single playthrough taking anywhere from 5 to 10 hours to complete. An additional 10 can be added to complete everything, and future runs can be done much faster once you've learned your way around. The game has plenty of replay value, but it really depends on the player how much time they truly want to invest into it.
Should you play it?
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon offers a fun on-the-go experience as a standalone title. However, being bundled with Harmony of Dissonance and Aria of Sorrow in the Advance Collection does draw attention away from it. Players might not feel the need to return to this one right away when more refined experiences await them.
Even so, Circle of the Moon is nearly everything a fan of the series could want from a game, with plenty of replay value. While the graphics and busy backgrounds can detract from the experience at times, it isn't too difficult to adapt and look past these issues the further you get into the game. Once you do, you'll find a fun, yet challenging, Metroidvania with a unique card customization mechanic, challenging bosses, and countless secrets to discover. It became one of my personal favorites, and those who give it a chance will quickly see why.
VERDICT: Recommended
Reviewed on PlayStation 4
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