Konami’s Castlevania series is legendary and has inspired many other games both commercial releases and fan releases. But every so often those two intersect as fan developers release a full commercial game based on their earlier fan work, but as an original IP. Migami Games was founded by developers known for their work on the Castlevania fangames The Lecarde Chronicles, and have released several games with a Castlevania influence before, such as Wallachia Reign of Dracula, which mixes the format with Contra style gameplay.
Now, Migami Games has released Chronicles of the Wolf, a spiritual successor to Symphony of the Night and The Lecarde Chronicles and the result is interesting. The game is set in France as Mateo Lombardo, an acolyte of the Rose Cross Order is sent along with others to fight against the Beast of Gévaudan. For those unaware, the Beast of Gévaudan was a real life instance of vicious animal attacks in the region that has been built up in mythology and folklore since, but was most likely a wolf or lion. Mateo’s allies are killed in a vicious attack and soon only he is left to take on the Beast of Gévaudan.
Chronicles of the Wolf is patterned on the classic game Symphony of the Night, and even brings in the voice of Alucard, Robert Belgrade, as the narrator of the game. This was a nice touch to connect the game to its Castlevania roots and is a great bit of fanservice. The game’s structure is most like Symphony of the Night in terms of menus and submenus as well, showing Migami Games is going a bit further than most with being a successor to the classic title.
Like a good Metroidvania, Chronicles of the Wolf gives you set save points that will heal you as well as save your progress, and you should save often because this is a game that does not hold your hand. Gameplay is a mix of fast and slow at different times, and you will need to master timing and understanding enemy movement if you want to succeed in combat. This is not to say that Chronicles of the Wolf is trying to be a Soulslike, but rather that it understands how to pace the difficulty to make progress feel rewarding.
When you manage to defeat a major boss and get to a new area or or new abilities and/or gear, you feel like you earned it, especially when some of the controls can be a bit clunky, making the victories so much more satisfying. You end up going from feeling frustrated with the level design, to wanting to explore more and find more secrets. Of course fast travel points are here as well, so the large and interconnected map never ends up feeling too overwhelming.
The Story in Chronicles of the Wolf is handled well and does not interrupt the overall flow of the gameplay too much. Rather, it gives the game a better sense of pacing at just the right moments. It helps that the game setting is well realized and makes you want to learn more about what is going on and what the villages are going through and how to help them.
It feels odd to say, but I think the story in Chronicles of the Wolf is more satisfying than some of the actual Castlevania games. It helps that Migami Games worked on the aforementioned fangames, The Lecarde Chronicles, and so understand what fans want in terms of story in a game like this. The amount of world-building is extremely well done, and when the story is over, you just hope there will be more in the future.
Migami Games did not skimp on the presentation here either, as Chronicles of the Wolf has a fantastic soundtrack that is worthy of Michiru Yamane, and it helps keep the pacing steady in the sections without narration. The environmental sound and sound effects are also well done, giving everything weight. Chronicles of the Wolf will sound familiar to Castlevania fans, even as it gives us a new experience.
The visual presentation is also a standout as the pixel-art graphics are extremely well done and gives you the feeling of a lost Castlevania game. That said, they are more advanced than what we had back then, but it does create a sort of connection that appeals to nostalgia and a desire for a return to a classic era of gaming. And that is what Chronicles of the Wolf is really; a return to a classic era of gaming.
I loved my time with Chronicles of the Wolf and even with the difficulty and sometimes dealing with occasional clunkiness, it was a fun experience. Migami Games created an experience that draws you in with the familiar, but then does its own thing and shows itself to be a worthy successor to Castlevania. This is a game by fans and for fans, and that is the best recommendation that I can give!
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
