Video Games
[Trailer] Fan Project ‘Castlevania: Seal of the Eclipse’ Takes Inspiration From ‘Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon’ and ‘Dracula’s Curse’
We’ve gotten a bunch of Resident Evil, Silent Hill and Dino Crisis tribute games/remakes from fans. But what about Castlevania, you say? Well, since you asked, a group of fans have decided to do just that with Castlevania: Seal of the Eclipse, a free fan game that’s a tribute to the classic 8-bit titles.
Per The Castlevania Dungeon forums, the team have designed Seal of the Eclipse in the vein of Inti Creates and ArtPlay’s Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon games, as well as Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. Namely, players will have access to Julius Belmont, alongside other characters, with each having their own strengths/weaknesses and special abilities.
The group stresses that this is a free-to-play project, and does not have Konami’s involvement. Several commenters on the trailer below have expressed concern that Konami would slap the project with a DCMA, to which the group responded:
“Assuming we’re ignorant of risk is a misjudgment of our intelligence. A conscious decision was made based on all the information we have, and we chose to make it anyway. ‘Hiding’ isn’t as effective as some might think it is, and is a gross underestimation of any given company’s online awareness. You’re all free to disagree with the decision and even think it’s foolish, that IS your right and prerogative, but please don’t make the mistake of thinking we just put this up carelessly without a thought as to what MAY happen.”
Nothing ventured, nothing gained, as they say. Regardless, there’s no release date as of yet for the game, so fingers crossed that Konami borrows a bit from Capcom and lets this project be for the time being. You can follow the group’s progress from their official Twitter page.
Ahead of its participation in the upcoming June Steam Next Fest, developer Genie Boy Games unveiled the 30-minute Steam demo for their upcoming psychological horror title T.W.I.R.L., a horror game about growing up in 2006 and harboring a deep secret that must be protected for life. The developer’s debut title will launch on Steam later this year, followed by releases on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and Nintendo Switch.
Routines, rituals, and relationships may define us, but T.W.I.R.L. asks: what’s your deepest, darkest secret? Stay silent as a nine-year-old boy creeping out of his bedroom at 3:00 a.m. while everyone’s asleep. Feel the weight of every step forward while being followed by a demon…? A Person? Or is it something else?
Tiptoe through the haunted nostalgia of 2006, where a presence beyond evil draws players through P.T.-inspired loops, changing the environment to unveil the life story of a boy who grows up hiding a deep, dark, and potentially sinister secret.
In the new demo, players will roam through a 30-minute-long experience introducing a family, their house, and the unspoken mystery hiding within.
“Of many things, T.W.I.R.L. is a challenge to look fear in the eye, and see it for what it is: nothing,” said Ben Escobar, founder of Genie Boy Games. “Through our story about childhood secrets, the loss of innocence, and growing up in 2006, we hope that our game inspires you to embrace a rediscovery of self, and an acceptance of your lifelong fears.”