VonGarland Castle : Sacrilege of the Night

This was a very short (2 hours) platformer setup like Megaman with 7 stages. You can spend more time with it collecting stuff (without a map), but I was never heavily invested to begin with.
The presentation was nice.
I don't have much else to say about it. It was fine, dull, easy.

I can't believe it's not Castlevania! This game is another instant classic from Monster Robot Studios. I love how it pays homage to the 2D platformers I grew up with for a nostalgia-fueled trip down memory lane. Ash Jackson once again knocks it out of the park with his art, and the soundtrack is full of peppy chiptunes that I'll be humming to myself for quite some time. I'm so glad this game doesn't "suck!" (haha, get it? vampire joke!)

First impressions after playing through the intro to the game have been positive. Only major gripe so far is that if there are options to adjust the volume of the game I cannot find them. The music is too loud and desperately needs an option to be lowered.
Moving past that it's an enjoyable platformer with a bit of Castlevania tied up with Mega Man X. Graphics are great, the music is fantastic. I was very surprised at the extreme lack of healing items in the intro, I found 1 steamed ham. 1. If I hadn't stocked up on mana and bought the dagger I can't imagine killing the bone dragon boss due to the otherwise difficulty in attacking it and not taking damage.
This is a game I'm going to have to break up into pieces, probably going after one heart at a time with minor breaks in between. Otherwise the difficulty at times might be a little overwhelming. But so far, impressions are great and I definitely recommend it.

A cool blend of NES era Castlevania mixed with Metroid and Mega Man X.
This game is a total love letter to classic 8 and 16 bit gaming but with it's own updated visual style and plenty other influences to keep it fresh.

The game started off a bit rougher, but with these updates you can feel the effort put into it. Before I couldn't play past the first boss due to difficulty and lack of items, but it has been worked on and beaten the first boss! It handles well, GREAT music, items, and is just a delight. Will be completing this game for sure!

Fun game, you just might need some patience at first to get used to it, but It pays off to do so.
I love metroidvanias and I really enjoy classic Castlevania games (bloodstained ones as well) so this game caught muy attention easilly. I have not completed Castlevania 3 because some very though levels 😅, but have C4, Rondo of Blood and almost C1.
I have to be honest, at first I almost gave up on this game, took me almost an hour to beat first level and got a bit frustrated (also because I forgot about using the charge attack, which helps a lot specially with bosses). But I picked it up the day after and after getting a few upgrades it clicked with me, and the fun began. Getting stronger, going back to already explored or finished areas to reach new rooms to get upgrades, scratched that metroidvania itch enough for me. It's a cool mix between classic and metroidvania Castlevania games.
Then after my first playthrough, (3 to 4 hours, without all items, maybe 60%) on my second run I have to say that the first level now gave me no problems anymore, not even dying once.
Game is pretty fun, after getting a few upgrades it definitely becomes easier but without losing it's challenge.
Also it was fun exploring for everything and I'm still missing some charms and unlockables, but that's cool, gives the game replay value.
Music Is great too, cool mix between a classic Megaman and classic Castlevania game. Only the catacombs track feels bland and repetitive, but the rest fits very well.
Overall I had a fun time and will recommend to classic Castlevania and metroidvania games fans. Just be patient if you find it hard at first (it will get a lot easier and fun with your upgrades) and keep in mind it's not a pure metroidvania, but it has some nice elements that scratch that itch, although the developer mentioned an update is coming with an extra mode which will be a more metroidvania experience, a castle with many rooms to explore. So there's that extra bit which Im looking forward to play.
8.5/10

Wow! This game is so cool!
The graphics are pretty amazing, I am impressed by all of the special effects, character artwork, enemies, and atmospheres. The level designs are really interesting.
I still haven’t beaten the game yet. The difficulty level is definitely very high- which is a good thing, because I will keep coming back to play and progress further. I can definitely see this game as a great candidate for speedrunning.
I like all of the games created by Monster Robot studios and this is the first game I have played on the Steam Deck.
You should totally check it out if you like castlevania and Metroid for the oldschool NES and Super Nintendo.
RAD! Wall meats are hilarious.
Tons of secrets and easter eggs to keep the player happy.
Great work!