The original Castlevania games on NES continue to have an amazing influence on modern-day developers, with streams of studios pulling ideas from the classic titles for their own individual projects.
An excellent example of this is 2nd Boss's Darkest Abyss, an upcoming homage to the early Castlevania games that we only recently discovered after stumbling across a video of it on Twitter, earlier in the week. From what we've been able to gather, Darkest Abyss is a "Classicvania"-style title that features a whip-and-bow-wielding protagonist (and three other mystery characters) battling against waves of demons while traversing various 2D locations. It features some truly stunning pixel art and also has a few cool twists on the formula, like the addition of the bow and multiple characters, to keep it from feeling like a total retread of the past.
It's still in active development right now, but one of its developers Abdel Oliveira has been sharing a few progress videos on Twitter, and we can't get enough. The latest video, for instance, showed a gigantic horse-shaped demon head chasing the player through a tense platforming stage filled with enemies. It looks to be a ridiculous set piece, and one we can't wait to experience firsthand.
Here's the description of the game from Steam:
"It's time to use your bow and your whip!
Cadenced battles, special weapons, magic points, and all the feel of the classic battle against evil are here.
Play as Countess Lucy, a demon hunter seeking a cure for her curse, traveling through infested lands in search of an ancient evil. Countess Lucy will meet other travelers who can help on this journey.
But be aware: in these lands, everyone has their purpose.
Switch between these characters to use unique abilities. Summon skeletons, set traps, heal yourself and much more."
Sadly, at the moment, there's no firm release date yet, but you can follow its creator Abdel Oliveira on Twitter and wishlist the game on Steam to keep tabs on its progress!