CASTILLO: The Nine Circles
- October 16, 2023
- Jackson Clayton
"CASTILLO: The Nine Circles" is a retro FPS Collectathon that combines exploration from 90's platformers with fast-paced shooting action. Traverse through 9 diverse worlds, each inspired by Dante's Inferno, to collect power shards and unlock new abilities. Battle unique monsters and build up combos for speed boosts while discovering secrets and meeting unforgettable characters in this thrilling time-travel adventure.
Reviews
- The game features a unique art style with quirky visuals and a nostalgic retro feel, reminiscent of classic titles.
- Gameplay is fun and engaging, with a variety of worlds to explore, collectathon elements, and humorous storytelling.
- The developers are responsive to feedback, quickly fixing bugs and making adjustments to improve the overall experience.
- The audio quality is inconsistent, with low music and voice line quality, and issues like music cutting out during gameplay.
- There are several janky mechanics, such as oversized hit triggers and awkward animations, which can detract from the experience.
- Some gameplay elements, like boss difficulty and enemy respawning, can be frustrating and lead to a less polished experience.
- music7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews; while some players find it enjoyable and well-composed, others criticize the audio quality as low, with instances of music cutting out or being entirely absent during certain gameplay moments. Despite these issues, many appreciate the overall charm and appeal of the soundtrack.
“And, despite complaining about audio quality, I found a lot of the music to be very enjoyable as well.”
“The movement and music is what does it for me.”
“The music is great and the sprites are cute too, especially the ghosties.”
“Very low music and voice line audio quality.”
“Music cutting out when many sounds play at once, like when clearing multiple goop puddles with one shot.”
“Music entirely absent at times, like during the go-kart minigame.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's graphics feature quirky and charming visuals reminiscent of trippy blacklight posters, offering a unique art style that enhances the experience. While not cutting-edge, the graphics are functional and more advanced than the previous entry in the series, complementing the game's humorous tone and vertical level design.
“Do you want a game with trippy visuals like blacklight posters and simple, comfort puzzles to traverse highly vertical levels?”
“The game has a good sense of humor, and the visuals, while not exactly cutting edge, are quirky, charming, and perfectly functional.”
“The art style is something unique for me as well.”
“The graphics are underwhelming and lack detail, making the game feel outdated.”
“The character models look stiff and lifeless, which detracts from the overall experience.”
“The environments are bland and repetitive, failing to create an immersive world.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is well-received, with players finding the jokes amusing and the storyline engaging.
“The jokes are pretty funny and the story is very interesting.”
“The humor is clever and keeps you engaged throughout the game.”
“I found myself laughing out loud at the witty dialogue and hilarious situations.”
- story1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story is engaging and complemented by humorous jokes, making it an enjoyable experience for players.
“The jokes are pretty funny, and the story is very interesting.”