VIDEO GAME: Vampire Survivors (2022)

by benmweilertNo Comments
Vampire Survivors Year: 2022 Rating: T Time Played: 30+ hours For the few months I had Apple Arcade on my phone, I got to try out some games that I had occasionally heard about but never had the time to sit down and play. Vampire Survivors felt like a game inspired by the Castlevania aesthetic but with roguelike and shoot-em-up (or shmup) elements that had me regularly coming back to play it. And since it was on my phone, I could easily get a round of Vampire Survivors in when just waiting around for something. Be careful: this is addictive. As with most roguelikes, Vampire Survivors progression depends on gathering a specific currency that is used to upgrade various stats. From health and armor to speed and attack, slowly unlocking the full potential of these characters helped to give me the edge to progress to each successive stage. Then I unlocked the "garlic" weapon. Having found the best weapon for my play style (i.e., where...
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VIDEO GAME: Castlevania – Circle of the Moon (2001)

by benmweilertNo Comments
Castlevania: Circle of the MoonYear: 2001Rating: TTime Played: 555 minutes / 9.25 hours It's a little odd how I really like to play Metroidvanias, but I never played one of the "vania" games that helped cement this genre of games. Fortunately, I finally found the time to start one and chose Castlevania: Circle of the Moon. Now that I've experienced this side of the genre, I can say that I totally get it. There's something about the way this game is structured that made it enjoyable to play. The one thing that I think I like from this side of the Metroidvania coin is how it is slightly more geared toward a Role Playing Game style of action game. Aside from the abilities that make a Metroidvania the "locked door" quest that it is, the RPG elements allowed me to upgrade my gear as I found new items. It also meant that if a boss was too hard, I could just grind...
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