izigame.me

Grim Guardians: demon Purge (GGDP from here on) is a game done in the classic style of castlevania...kind of, I can kind of see why it's tagged metroidvania despite needing to get to a certain point to see why but also the way it plays is both unique and very well done with that 2D style flair that inti does best like with it's megaman Z series and the like, the short of it you need to know is that it's a stellar game that in fact at least for me personally, fixes many of the issues with the classic castlevania games, granted back then it was limitations in all fairness but Inti did an outstanding job of taking a classic style and making it much much more in it's own way to make a great game dood.
Okay onto the deep details of this game, so if anyone is up to date with Inti creates games you will be familiar with the heroine's of this story but for those not it follows the main gals of Gal gun double peace actually doing their job, what job? exorcism/demon hunting, Maya is the melee character who uses summoned weapons, she has low health, high damage and is very much a glass canon, Shinobu her sister is a ranged specialist who uses guns, she also doubles as a kind of tank as she has a lot more health and it seems defence than Maya, they both also have sub weapons much like the castlevania series does that have a myriad of uses both in and out of combat dood.
Talking about how there are two characters let's get onto the fact that you get to play with both of them, you can switch at any time which is a great way to get Shinobu to tank a hit or safely get Maya up close to the boss for some major damage, you can even couch co-op and have both girls at the same time, although I can't say what that's like or how that's handled myself, that said having two characters has a massive perk and a fix for something that just never felt fun in old games, that being pits and that fix is the fact that if either of the girls get incapacitated by fall or attack, you revive at a checkpoint, lives in tact and you can go to where they fell and revive them, a maaaajor thing I loved about it dood.
The level designs are great, having many great visual details and moving parts at times, I want to mention a particular visual tell you just don't see in games, especially 2D ones anymore that was a pleasant surprise for the style of game it was...okay I'll say it anyway! It's quite bloody and visceral, in fact depending on who you kill an enemy with the death animation for them, they managed to really outdo themselves and make the game look great dood.
The game runs smooth as butter, it's a great PC port and movement both in general and for jumping is great which helps you traverse the areas and their different paths of which have a variety of things to find, in fact that's a part of what makes the game so great, it keeps on giving more so you don't feel bored as you have something new to help in combat or get around the stages even better than ever before dood.
The story is an interesting one, more serious a tone than the galgun series in general in fact but not without some of it's humorous roots at points, the serious tone can be felt in the fantastic enemy design's too as enemies are nice and intimidating for sure dood!
I guess I should also mention the lives system, thanks to the revive function it's nowhere near as intimidating as it sounds, they are easy to grind up (I ended up with 60 in the end) it's built up up by fighting enemies and getting pride points which also double up with making a special move charge up, one that although sort of difficult to land has to be one of the most fantastic looking special attacks when it lands I've seen in a long time, I literally can't spoil it not only for the fact I wouldn't want to ruin it for fans of the series but also it somewhat spoils an aspect of the series dood.
Hmmm anything that could be improved on...although I was pretty methodical I have heard friends feel the game needs a map and although I didn't struggle myself I can understand their point with all the collectables, in fact some sort of in game counter that tells you what you have and what you're missing, even if it's only after you beat the game once would have been great, there are many twists and turns and it's easy to get lost if you aren't concentrating and no way to know if there is anything left in a level or not much less what you've done which can be annoying at times dood.
Otherwise my end words are this is a fantastic surprise of a good times game and one that I am quite sad ended, I haven't enjoyed a game of this particular style in a long time and that means a lot to me as someone who's first ever game beaten was super castlevania IV as a child, thank you for reading and I hope you all enjoy the game as much as I have dood. ^-^/