Ghosts and Goblins Resurrection Review – A WORTHY REBOOT?
Fans of Ghosts and Goblins have been waiting over 10 years for a new entry into the series, and as the latest title arrives hot off the presses, does this so-called ‘reboot’ of the old-school, run & gun formula still bring the nostalgia? And by nostalgia, I mean getting repeatedly slapped in the face? Let’s find out in today’s review!
Ghost and Goblins Resurrection’s Art Design In Action
The first thing you’ll notice with Resurrection is how different the art style is from past entries in the series. Some fans might be disappointed with how it ditches those classic 8-bit graphics we’ve all become accustomed to, but I think it actually works quite well here. Everything pops out of the screen with a lot of vibrance and colour, making it easier to spot oncoming enemies and hazards in your path…
Well, except when it doesn’t. And by that I mean, sometimes you’ll get shot straight through a wall which you thought was 100% solid, or enemies will just suddenly appear right where Arthur happens to be standing. Leading to some damage being taken you couldn’t possibly react to fast enough. Doesn’t help the fact that Ghosts and Goblins games are already extremely difficult as is. So it became pretty obvious that the developers were just hardcore trolling at certain points.
Living Up To The Ghost and Goblins Name
Resurrection as a whole package though, is truly a tough game, as you’d expect. The levels, enemies and music as well are remixed from past titles in the series and there are some really engaging, high-stakes scenarios to be found here. Just don’t expect anything out of the ordinary. This is vintage Ghosts and Goblins gameplay that you’ve seen countless times before.
Now, this would be the part where I talk about the story, but apart from the classic ‘save the princess’ motif… There’s literally nothing else happening here, so let’s move on. Bit of a missed opportunity there.
You can also use magic abilities that can be unlocked throughout the campaign. Like turning Arthur into a sentient boulder for a short time, or being able to summon a firewall around him to dish out some extra damage.
In terms of controls, it’s pretty basic. You can run, jump and shoot in 4 directions… That is all… No, you can also use magic abilities that can be unlocked throughout the campaign. Like turning Arthur into a sentient boulder for a short time, or being able to summon a firewall around him to dish out some extra damage. These magic powers help keep the gameplay fresh and provide different methods of overcoming a tricky platforming challenge or a dangerous enemy who’s giving you a hard time.
A Few Grievances
The same goes for the weapons themselves, which can be found in treasure chests on your adventure. The classics like the daggers, arrows and the blue flame that everyone hates all have their own varied attack properties and maximum range they can be fired. Though I did find it annoying that you can’t shoot diagonally, and that you can only carry one weapon at a time until you unlock a very specific upgrade because some of them are just NOT appropriate for certain situations.
Particular weapons can honestly end up hindering Arthur’s true attack potential more than anything and force him to stay too close to an enemy that should be dealt with well away from arm’s reach.
The overall controls have that Ghosts and Goblins feel down pat, but Arthur definitely seems a touch less mobile compared to previous entries in the series, t’s almost as if he’s swimming underwater when he jumps, like someone’s tugging back on Arthur’s armour when he leaps forward. I also noticed a few input lags here and there on occasion, which is always a fun time… Not.
Combine that with this game’s overall difficulty and yeah, I almost broke my controller this time, not even gonna lie.
I consider myself quite good at platforming in games, but here I just didn’t feel confident enough that my jumps would land where I wanted them to, or I wasn’t exactly sure where the hit-boxes were on particular obstacles…
Combine that with this game’s overall difficulty and yeah, I almost broke my controller this time, not even gonna lie. Where’s the double-jump though? Do the devs even know that’s a thing? Kinda weird that it’s not here in 2021, but I digress.
All The Accessibility
To help alleviate the stress, there are four difficulty options available when the game starts up, which basically determine the amount of damage Arthur can take. On the lowest difficulty called Page, our protagonist essentially becomes Arthur, the undying (sounds like a Final Fantasy boss, I know) but he’ll respawn on the spot whenever he gets taken out. To make it even easier, you can also slow down the game to half-speed from the pause menu, with the Magic Metronome.
For the harder difficulties, if you are finding it a little too taxing, a lower difficulty option will show up if Arthur dies too many times in one area. However, you can’t adjust the slider outside of this option, unfortunately.
A lower difficulty option will show up if Arthur dies too many times in one area. However, you can’t adjust the slider outside of this option, unfortunately.
That being said, if you’re one of those hardcore, speedrunner-type players, there are even more challenging, shadow versions of each level to try out when you complete Ghosts and Goblins Resurrection for the first time.
Decision
So, does Ghosts & Goblins: Resurrection live up to its long-lasting legacy? Well, for a short, 7 level, 5-hour experience, I’d say it does just enough to be worth a shot. The levels are quite fun to play, the music is good as you remember and the game’s difficulty will have you sweating bullets. Though it does have its fair share of design problems, they can be ultimately overlooked in the grand scheme of things.
Good
More of a remix than a reboot, Ghosts and Goblins Resurrection is a good action-platformer overall, but it probably won’t be remembered as fondly as the originals.
This game was reviewed using a download code provided by Capcom. The Beta Network uses affiliate partnerships, however, this does not influence reviews or any other content published. The Beta Network may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links that are on the website.
