There’s no question that Castlevania was among the most influential series of the classic 8-bit era, providing gamers with a mix of solid slashing gameplay, a variety of great alternative weapons, and distinctive enemies and bosses. Channeling the look, feel, and general vibes of that series, Lords of Exile feels a bit like a contemporary, delivering an experience that at times can be challenging, but remains quite approachable. Better yet, it has some great and surprising features that help to enhance its replayability as well.

While perhaps the main character is a little too reminiscent of Simon Belmont from the original Castlevania, thankfully the bulk of the game’s visuals are more distinctive, while still retaining the same overall vibe of the series. Dark landscapes work as a backdrop to gothic cathedrals, and some other more surprising environments, that all look great despite the retro art style. The style of play is also pretty authentic as you play with the main character Gabriel, who may not be the most agile fellow initially, but has enough moves and weapons to hold his own. As you move on and begin taking down some challenging bosses, you’ll continue to become more powerful and learn new skills, which will then proportionally make the foes you’ll face tougher.

Where things get more interesting is once you’re able to choose to play as the character Lyria, the feel of the game shifts a bit to yet another classic. With her agility you’ll still be in the same settings, but the flow of play then feels more like Ninja Gaiden. While you could choose to stick to one character or the other because you prefer their style, the fact that you can choose to enjoy stages twice in a different way is a great modern touch.

Overall, while for a vintage gamer like me Lords of Exile checked a ton of boxes, I’ll concede that retro throwbacks like this don’t have guaranteed appeal. People used to more modern titles like Dead Cells that are true descendents of this mold, rather than looking to emulate it directly, may not be as enthused. Initially, settling back into the old-school and more 2-button style of controls and limited character versatility can be a challenge, but to be fair this is an implementation choice and not a flaw. Keeping that in mind, if you’re willing to embrace the look and feel of yesteryear, this is a terrific option.