It’s been a long time since Konami provided fans of the Castlevania franchise with a new game, and much longer since it immersed itself in the classic linear-focused side-scrolling action platformer formula.
Luckily, other developers have stepped up with their own Castlevania-inspired games, and now Inti Creates has announced that it’s dipping back into that well with a new IP called Grim Guardians: Demon Purge.
Inti Creates is a veteran when it comes to 2D platform and action games, having developed titles like Mega Man Zero, Azure Striker Gunvolt, and Blaster Master Zero, to name a few. And the Japanese developer has also dabbled in classic Castlevania-style gameplay with 2018’s Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon and its 2020 sequel.
These Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night spin-off titles offered fans of Castlevania a new homage to the pre-Metroidvania era of the franchise, a trend that looks set to continue with Grim Guardians.
Grim Guardians: Demon Purge will allow players to control the sisters Shinobu and Maya Kamizono, who return to their school to find a demon castle in their place. From the initial gameplay shown in the reveal trailer, the old-school influence is evident in the gothic pixel-based environments, the monstrous enemies, and the abilities the two protagonists use against them.
That said, the game will add its own nuances to the classic formula of Castlevania. In addition to being able to swap between the two sisters on the fly – allowing Shinobu’s submachine gun and Maya’s origami-based attacks to be used as needed – players will have the option to control both at the same time through two-player co-op. players.
Inti Creates also claims that they will be able to take advantage of “special actions” in co-op, as shown in the trailer when one player jumps from the other to reach otherwise inaccessible ledges.
Aside from cooperative mode, other features have been teased. The game will include a style system that will provide players with “extensive difficulty options”, and Inti Creates states that there will be “unique changes to replays”, which should incentivize players to return after the credits.
The studio has promised that, above all else, players can expect the “quality and challenge” that Inti Creates is known for when the game finally comes out.