Ghoul Castle 3D: Gold Edition
- November 30, 2021
- Stepan Vakhtin
- 2h median play time
Get on SteamGhoul Castle 3D: Gold Edition is a first-person dungeon crawler with souls-like combat, where you'll explore vast labyrinths, battle nightmarish creatures, and upgrade your armor. Your mission: cleanse the castle of its evil Duke and free the land from dark forces. Expect intense real-time combat, atmospheric environments, and old-school gameplay in this immersive RPG experience.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers great value for its price, providing a fun and engaging hack-and-slash experience with well-designed maps and challenging combat.
- The visuals are stunning and the game has a nostalgic feel, reminiscent of classic dungeon crawlers, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.
- Despite its simplicity, the game is addictive and can provide a solid few hours of entertainment, especially for those looking for a budget-friendly option.
- The gameplay can become repetitive and lacks depth, as enemy patterns are predictable and combat mechanics are overly simplistic.
- There is a significant amount of backtracking required to unlock doors and collect items, which can disrupt the flow of the game.
- The game suffers from a lack of unique mechanics and variety in enemy behavior, making encounters feel monotonous and less engaging over time.
- gameplay14 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its simplicity and limited mechanics, often feeling primitive compared to more intricate games. While the visuals and sound design are pleasant, the combat lacks variety, with repetitive enemy patterns and a lack of unique boss mechanics, leading to a somewhat monotonous experience. Despite its potential as a budget title, the gameplay could benefit from more depth, varied challenges, and improved progression systems.
“A small passion project with plenty of heart, and while it serves as a great foundation, the moment-to-moment gameplay, level design, combat, and other little things wear it down.”
“There's a lot here to appreciate - overall, the presentation is solid, art style is cohesive and pleasant, sound design and music are agreeable, and core mechanics are enjoyable as well.”
“I like the somewhat arcade-like design and the combat has a little nuance to it, but I do wish there were more puzzle elements and ways/reasons to spend gold during gameplay.”
“The gameplay is so primitive that I've played more intricate and engaging games on my phone while taking a break.”
“Movement and attack/defense mechanics are quite limited, resulting in gameplay that's a bit one-note. Coupled with the simple enemy patterns and the fact that enemies in later levels become quite bullet-spongey, battles can become a test of patience more than anything.”
“Dungeons require a fair bit of backtracking to unlock all doors and acquire all items, which feeds into an issue with the progression mechanic.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are widely praised for their stunning visuals and cohesive art style, reminiscent of a first-person version of Torchlight II. While the enemy designs are particularly well-received, some players feel the overall presentation lacks charm and cohesion. Nonetheless, the combination of good visuals, a pleasant interface, and enjoyable gameplay mechanics contributes to a solid overall experience.
“Visuals are also stunning.”
“There's a lot here to appreciate - overall, the presentation is solid, art style is cohesive and pleasant, sound design and music are agreeable, and core mechanics are enjoyable as well.”
“The cartoon-like graphics make this game seem like a first-person version of Torchlight II.”
“Graphics, interface, and gameplay all feel very tight.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally considered agreeable but lacks charm and cohesion, which detracts from the overall experience. While the sound design complements the pleasant art style, some players feel that the music's fading transitions and interruptions disrupt the game's pace. Overall, the presentation is solid, with enjoyable gameplay mechanics and appealing graphics.
“The fading in and out and short stops in the music help in disconnecting it all, when it feels like a game that should move quickly.”
“There's a lot here to appreciate - overall, the presentation is solid, the art style is cohesive and pleasant, sound design and music are agreeable, and core mechanics are enjoyable as well.”
“Pleasant design, graphics, and music; the gameplay mechanics are enjoyable as well.”
“The fading in and out, along with the short stops in the music, disrupts the flow of the game, making it feel disconnected when it should be moving quickly.”
“The music is repetitive and lacks variety, which makes it feel monotonous and uninspired.”
“The soundtrack doesn't match the game's atmosphere, leading to a disjointed experience that detracts from immersion.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game features impressive enemy graphics that attract players, with many purchasing it based on its appealing visuals from advertisements. Notably, it has no microtransactions, providing a straightforward purchasing experience without additional costs.
“No microtransactions, no muss, no fuss.”
“The game offers a fair monetization model that respects players' time and investment.”
“I appreciate that the game provides optional purchases without pressuring players to spend.”
“The monetization model feels exploitative, pushing players to spend more than they should just to enjoy the game fully.”
“It's frustrating that essential features are locked behind paywalls, making it hard to progress without spending extra money.”
“The constant prompts to purchase in-game currency detract from the overall experience and make it feel more like a cash grab.”
- story2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Reviewers feel that while the game doesn't require an elaborate narrative, it would benefit from some environmental storytelling or minimal context to enhance player engagement and investment in the world. They suggest that even simple notes or background details could significantly improve the overall experience.
“The game doesn't need a big epic story, but it offers notes scattered throughout that give me a reason to explore and feel invested.”
“Even old-school retro games featured environmental storytelling, or at least some basic narrative elements.”
“Even old school retro games had environmental storytelling, or just some basic stuff.”
“The plot felt disjointed and lacked any real depth or engagement.”
“Character development was minimal, making it hard to care about their journeys.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate that grinding in the game is not hindered by environmental collisions, which helps maintain a smoother combat experience. Additionally, the visual design of the elements involved in grinding is positively noted.
