English
Castlevania, like most of its predecessors, is primarily an
action-adventure and
platforming game. The Japanese logo for the game even includes the words "real action adventure" in English.
Combat is slightly more complex than in older entries. A basic
targeting and lock-on system has also been implemented. Players have the
use of both a long-range attack (the whip for Reinhardt, homing energy
balls for Carries) and a close-quarters attack (dagger and rings
respectively). Each weapon has strengths and weaknesses. For example,
the Cerberus hounds can outrun Carrie's orbs, and Reinhardt must jump to
land blows when fighting the vampire in the Castle Keep. Both
characters can acquire sub-weapons, of which only one can be used at a
time. In past
Castlevania titles they were powered by red hearts,
but in this game are instead powered by red jewels. The sub-weapons are
series mainstays: the axe, knife, cross, and holy water.
A large part of the game's challenge is also based on jumping from
platform to platform while avoiding environmental hazards such as
enemies and traps. Platforms are usually stationary, but some may rotate
out from under the player, move through the environment like a
rail shooter
(the gondola in the Tunnel level), and crumble or fall away underfoot.
There are also some invisible platforms that either afford players a
strategic advantage or lead to hidden items.
Castlevania also includes elements from the
survival horror
game genre. In addition to the trappings and narrative devices of
Gothic horror, players are often placed in situations that evoke
feelings of stress, anxiety, and vulnerability. Players may be trapped
in caged fights with monsters, such as the battle with the Cerebrus
hounds in the Villa when the screen darkens to near-black. Some caged
battles are timed, such as the boss battles in the Duel Tower level,
where the gamer will be crushed by a falling ceiling should they not
best their enemy in time. Vampires are also often fought in caged
environments, with the added complication that they can latch onto
Carrie and Reinhardt to suck their blood. If the player doesn't break
free by rapidly rotating the control stick, the character's status
changes to "vamp" and they will not be able to use their primary weapon
or healing items. Unless a specific item is used to recover, the game
becomes exponentially more challenging.
Castlevania also features
two high-stakes survival horror sequences: In the Villa's maze garden,
players must follow Malus through the labyrinthine hedges while strong,
unbeatable enemies give chase. In the Castle Center, players must
carefully carry the
"magic nitro"
item through a nerve-wracking obstacle course to its destination. One
fall or hit can cause the volatile chemical to explode, resulting in
immediate death.
Although progression through the game is relatively linear, with
characters unable to revisit completed levels, there is also an emphasis
on exploration. Most levels require only occasional backtracking, and
are relatively straightforward in how players progress. The Villa and
Castle Center levels, however, are sprawling environments that require
in-depth exploration. This sense of exploration and discovery is
enhanced by the fact that there is no in-game map, requiring players to
rely on memory alone to navigate. Occasionally boss battles will not
occur at end of a level, but rather in the middle or even at the
beginning (such as in first level, where players must fight a boss
moments after starting the game). The Duel Tower level memorably
consists only of boss battles. Both styles of levels include light
puzzle-solving, such as the astronomical puzzle in the Castle Center's
planetarium. Puzzle solving often involves
non-player characters
such as Charlie Vincent, Rosa, and the lizard man. Conversations with
these characters may yield insights or items necessary to progress in
the game.
Castlevania features an internal clock that results in a
day/night cycle. In a few choice areas the time of day will affect
events in the story: characters may not appear or be unwilling to talk
at a certain time of day. For example, in the Villa level players must
meet Rosa at sunrise in the rose garden and Charlie Vincent will be
asleep at night. Also, if the player takes 16 or more in-game days to
beat the game, the game will give them a bad ending in which Dracula and
his dark forces prevail.
The time of day also affects whether or not the player can access
certain areas of the game. Doors sealed by magic and bearing a sun or
moon crest can only be opened during the corresponding time of day.
Additionally, timed events can occur which grant access to secrets, such
as the pillar in the Villa's courtyard fountain. Players can use sun
cards to advance the time to sunrise (6 AM) and moon cards to sunset (6
PM).
Finally, the strength of certain enemies can fluctuate based on the
time of day. For example, vampires are much harder to defeat at night
than during the day.
Castlevania has different settings to adjust the challenge
posed by the game. In "easy mode", the player will only be able to play
until the end of the Castle Center level, at which time the game will
prompt them to try "normal mode" to advance to the subsequent stages.
Upon fulfilling certain conditions "hard mode" will be unlocked. In this
mode enemies take more hits to defeat and subweapons require more red
jewel points to use (e.g. 2 jewel points for the knife instead of 1).
Currency, in the form of moneybags, can be used to purchase items
that are not dropped by enemies or found hidden in the environments. The
heroes may also need to battle Renon, the demon salesman, should they
spend over thirty thousand gold. An inventory on the pause screen
displays items, such as health-restoring meat, restorative ampoules,
keys, etc.
