The Eternal Castle [REMASTERED]

Developer: Leonard Menchiari, Daniele Vicinanzo, Giulio Perrone | Publisher: Playsaurus | Release Date: 2019 | Genre: Action / Adventure / Indie | Website: Official Website | Purchase: Steam / itch.io

Anyone who grew up playing games during the eighties will remember that it was a time when you never knew what to expect when you booted up a new title. Even the magazines of that time couldn’t cover every single release, so you would end up with something really obscure every now and then. Eternal Castle [Remastered] has intentionally been designed to feel like a game from that era, with its CGA visuals, cryptic storyline, and old-school gameplay. Of course, nowadays, services like GOG have made it easier to play old and obscure games on modern hardware in order to relive those memories. Unfortunately, more often than not, doing so reveals that they are from an era when people had way more patience and commitment. This is where Eternal Castle excels, as it offers the same type of nostalgic platformer experience but with a lot less frustration.

When we started Eternal Castle [Remastered] (ECR from here on out) for the first time, it certainly felt like something we might have played during the eighties. This is because the developers have combined various elements from popular early platformers. Players who fondly remember titles like Prince of Persia, Flashback, and Another World, in particular, will instantly recognize the inspiration for ECR. While console platformers starred cute critters who could instantly reverse direction and bounce on their enemies’ heads, computer players were treated to more realistic titles where your character had weight and momentum. They were usually also not afraid to pull out a gun or sword to dispose of enemies, and death was often as gruesome as it was sudden, thanks to all manner of nasty traps. ECR is a tribute to this era of gaming, but it is done in such a manner that modern gamers won’t be completely alienated.

As we mentioned earlier, the back story for ECR is a little cryptic but involves your character going to what remains of the Earth in search of someone who never returned from a scavenging mission. It would seem that Earth has become such a hostile place that a self-sufficient ecosystem was established in space for people fleeing the planet, but trips back to Earth were still required for resources. Years of pollution, climate change, and radioactive warfare have taken their toll on the planet, so what is left of humanity isn’t exactly welcoming. This means that your solo rescue attempt might just be a suicide mission, but this doesn’t deter your character from going through with it anyway. Things get off to a rocky start when your ship is promptly shot at when you enter the atmosphere, leaving you stranded and in search of the four gliders needed to make repairs. As expected, these glider pieces have fallen into the hands of some mighty bosses, and they are not eager to part with their new prizes.

The most striking thing about ECR is the visuals, although they have to be seen in action to appreciate them fully. It is not the first indie game to turn to the past for inspiration regarding graphics, but very few others have ventured as far back as the era of the Color Graphics Adapter. With their 16 kilobytes of video memory and whopping 16 color hardware palette, these adapters were about as limited as you could get. To make matters worse, they could only display four colors at a time, so most games opted for a combination of cyan, magenta, black and white. ECR has fully embraced these color limitations, although it has packed each scene with so much detail that it would have brought the original hardware of that era to a grinding halt. Thanks to the minimal amount of colors, it can sometimes be very tricky to see exactly what is happening in the game, but overall, it’s amazing to see what the developers managed to pull off with the art style. The words “cinematic” and CGA do not often appear in the same sentence, but ECR pulls it off with style.

Part of the reason the art style works so well is the animations, which cannot be conveyed with static screenshots. Early CGA games were not exactly known for the quality of their animations or smooth scrolling, but ECR has no such issues. It’s not just your character and enemies that are very animated, but also environmental effects like rain. Of course, with such a limited color palette, you will still run into issues, such as struggling to read the text or not being able to spot traps in time. The latter is usually not a big deal because the game features numerous checkpoints during your first playthrough, but the second playthrough is much less forgiving.

Regarding gameplay, ECR feels a lot like Another World, except the alien world you are exploring is a desolate version of our own. Platforming plays a vital role in the game, but you will also have to solve some puzzles and take down foes not thrilled by your intrusion. Combat in ECR is very fast-paced, with quick and brutal fights, depending on the weapons you are wielding. There are ten of them on offer, ranging from axes and swords to maces, hammers, and guns, but you can only carry two at a time. Guns may seem like the obvious choice, but ammunition is scarce, so a melee weapon is often better in the long run. You’ll have to watch out, though, as your character has a stamina bar, and swinging away recklessly will quickly deplete it. Like any good platformer, ECR has a couple of memorable bosses that stand in your way. Most of them can easily crush you in a hit or two, so care must be taken when facing them, especially during your second playthrough, where death is permanent. Even regular enemies are not always a walk in the park, and you can be punished if you act too rashly. Early in the game, you encounter a foe who doesn’t shoot first but refuses to let you pass. If you try to engage him in a gunfight, you’ll quickly discover that you are no match, but a quick scan of the environment will reveal a very efficient solution to your problem. Some other puzzles are scattered throughout the game; even the battle with the final boss incorporates puzzle elements.

ECR is a reasonably short game, and half the fun is exploring each new location, so we don’t want to spoil any surprises. Suffice it to say that each area differs significantly from the last, and you can choose where to go after completing a level. If the smooth animations weren’t enough to convince you that ECR is not an old game, then the soundtrack definitely will. The soundtrack is full of brilliant synth tunes that complement the action nicely and perfectly fit the game’s style. On the other hand, the sound effects are a little harsh on the ears at times but still match the visual style.

One aspect of ECR that might trouble modern players is the controls, which can feel much looser than what many are used to. Those who have played the original Prince of Persia and Out of This World will be familiar with the momentum-based movement of your character. Still, everyone else may take some time to acclimatize. Your character is not only surprisingly nimble but also has quite a few tricks up their sleeve. In addition to running and jumping, you can make them roll, block, and perform different types of melee attacks. Unfortunately, none of these are conveyed very clearly in the game, which means a lot of players could end up not even knowing there is a block button or more than one type of attack.

One thing is sure: The Eternal Castle [Remastered] is not the type of game that will appeal to everyone. Even fans of the genre who are more used to modern fare might turn up their noses at the CGA art style of the game. However, to do so would mean missing out on a unique title with much to offer. It is a pity that ECR doesn’t have a demo available, as it is a title that players will either love or hate. We enjoyed the game and had a blast exploring its strange world. It is definitely not without flaws, but its modest price tag means that even if you only play through it once, you’ll get value for your money. ECR features a couple of unique achievements that may tempt you into another playthrough to try some things differently. Of course, if you found the game too easy during your first playthrough, then the New Game+ will quickly cure you of that notion. Overall, it’s refreshing to see a platformer that tries out some new ideas as the genre is getting pretty crowded, but make sure you know what you are getting yourself into before putting down your cash.