Castlevania, since that first installment in 1987, has always been an
exceptional game series, known especially for its top quality gaming
value, and its unique Gothic visual style. "The Dracula X Chronicles"
is no exception. By getting the "Dracula X Chronicles", you have three
superb games in one package: The enhanced version of "Rondo of Blood",
plus as unlockable bonuses, the original version of "RoB", plus the
legendary PS1 game "Symphony of the Night". So far so good.
It would all be perfect, but...the cruel reality is that very few
gamers in the world will meet the conditions to unlock, and actually
play these two bonus games. In fact very few people too will ever see
how the 4th level of the standard game looks!
The game is really hard. Its difficulty lies mainly to the purposely
antiquated saving system. For each level, and the level boss battle
included, the player has initially 3 lives, which their number can be
increased, depending on how many points you can score in the stage.
Supposedly you do achieve the perfect play-through until the boss
battle, and you have kept intact for that last battle those 3 lives of
yours, or 4, or 5, or even 47 ( it doesn't really make any difference).
Each time you loose a life, you will start over the battle, with all
your magic points lost, and the bosses' health meter full again. So
it's not that you have an X number of "health bars" in stock for the
boss battle, but rather an X number of opportunities to achieve the
perfect play style, beat the boss, and finally save!
So to give you the picture, it's like a Tekken duel really, but with no
continues. Once you loose your last life, guess what...You start the
level from the beginning!!!
Ah, and not to forget: the game gives you the opportunity to make a
"quick save" in the middle of a stage. But once you load this saved
file, it is deleted! (What????) What short of restriction is this? Or
rather, what kind of punishment is this? Why not keep that progress for
as long as I want? For ever maybe?(for as long as I struggle to beat
that god damned boss) Why do I have to get through from the beginning,
in order to give one or two shots to the boss , and then again go back
at the start. Again, and again...
I would gladly give only "1" little star to that sadistic piece of "s..."., but I
can't ignore that "Dracula X" is just magnificent, even to look at!
It's a shame really. So, "3" is a compromise, between its high quality
as a game, and the fact that it's practically unplayable. It's your
choice really, and above all, it's up to your skills.
