Defunct Games reviews Heidelberg 1693 by Andrade Games, available now on PC.
Heidelberg may be a lovely place to visit these days, but you wouldn’t want to be there in 1693. Inspired by the 16-bit Castlevania games, this challenging new side-scroller is packed with expertly-crafted level designs, memorable boss fights, a haunting soundtrack and more blood and guts than you know what to do with. Sure, I wish that the hero had a few extra moves and the checkpoints gave you full health, but the gorgeous pixel graphics will keep you going during the most frustrating moments. As far as throwback experiences go, Andrade Games is three for three, with Heidelberg 1693 being their best release yet.
NOTE: Defunct Games received a digital code from the developer/publisher of this game for review purposes. For more information about the Defunct Games review policy visit www.defunctgames.com
Join our brand-new Discord Server: https://discord.gg/6pCvtET
Defunct Games is on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/DefunctGames
Defunct Games is on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/defunctgames
Defunct Games is home to thousands of reviews, articles, comedy pieces, podcasts, features and more:
www.defunctgames.com
#Heidelberg1693 #Review #IndieGame
source
29 comments
This game calls to me and I ordered the physical and plan on playing it when I get it. I grew up being good at snes and nes side scrollers so the difficulty probably won't be an issue.
I'm happy to hear they still make good old side scrolling adventure games in which I don't have to look at a map and groan about backtracking all the time.
Very thorough; great review!
This game was just released on PS4/PS5. Now I have to try it out.
How hard is this? Does it have difficulty levels?
This game looks great, but too slow. Needs 50% more overlocking and I'd give it a righteous nod.
I want this game on SWITCH!
This looks amazing, hope it comes to PS4.
QOTD Favourite Castlevania wannabe? Sadly I've never played Castlevania games 🙁 but I will definitely check castlevania collection on sale one day. So I don't know if I ever played action Castlevania wannabe. But I love good metroidvania,if that counts 🙂 From Guacamelee to Strider reboot..
Just bought the OST, Amazin!
As a current resident of Heidelberg I can confirm that not much have changed since 1693
…just kidding;-)
Looks interesting and gory. I'll give it a shot. Thanks for the review.
This game reminds me of the PC platforming game called Claw.
Looks very cool. I’m always a sucker for any Castlevania kinda games
There is a great song: "the Vampire from Heidelberg" by basszilla 😀
In other news: i really don't like this type o lightning in pixelgames, it kinda look cheap
QotD: yokus Island express! Its wonderfull; and classic castlevania like, it has to be slain back Form hell
The style itself seems enjoyable on its own, replicating a gory 1600s fiction far more bloody than a castle vania game. None of the characters, however, seem to have the lasting impression that Castle vania has, maybe b/c everything is gory. Legion, zephyr, and death in castlevania always stuck with me vecause of their horrific simplicity. The musket thing seemed fine until you mentioned the floating head resurrecting the dead.
.
Feels a little too challenging for my taste, but it seems nice.
Heidelberg 1693 > Cyberpunk 2077
Pretty sure we are not allowed to say rapier any more. Nor eat woppers.
I categorically denounce and condemn those that murder infants. And I don't care who knows!
This looks fantastic, about darn time we get a proper musketeers-vs-zombies title!
QOTD; This really depends on what counts – for example, I always saw DMC as 'Capcom's Castlevania'. However, if we stick to the side-scrollers, Bloodstained is the way. Miriam carries the Belmont torch valiantly in this dark timeline where the Forces of Darkness took over the Castle Konami. With the sequel leaked via the investor updates from 505 Games, I can rest easy knowing there's more 2D monster slaying to be done.
I guess my favorite Castlevania wannabe is the freeware game inspired by Greek Mythology as much as our favorite vampire-hunting series: Curse of Issyos. Maybe Master of Darkness on the Master System is a close second, but I'm not keen on some of the decisions they made. I guess it's because I'm not that familiar with too many Castlevania clones.
Edit: It seems I was a little rigid in my assessment of "Castlevania clone." People are choosing all kinds of "Metroidvanias" that I never would have considered to really be all that Castlevania.
Looks more like Splatterhouse meets Contra than Castlevania.
What a night to have a musket.
… seems like the character models are much more detailed than the environments …
This does sound interesting. May have to check that out. As for the question, "Castlevania Wannabe", huh? Like Simon's Quest? 😉😂 Couldn't resist, but seriously, Hollow Knight, I think that was a pretty fun game, so think I'll go with that.
Here's hoping this comes out on consoles. This looks like it could be fun.
I like the artwork but the animation of the protagonist looks stiff and weird. The guy looks like he's on the run for the next bathroom and part of his business already took place in his pants… Dracula's Curse is the best Castlevania. Never liked the Metroidvania ones too much although I Iove the genre. By the way for me the Wonderboy in Monsterworld games are the true inventers.
Qotd I really liked the 8 bit bloodstained games. But I been playing a game called wallacha reign of Dracula. Which I've been really liking. Funny story I waited like months for you to review it, because like it seem like something you would review like I was positive you were going to review it…but you never did lol. But I ended of buying a physical copy at vgny's website and bought it and been liking it. It is hard though
I can't answer the QotD cause I'm not familiar enough with them.
I must say it sounds like you wanted to compare this to Record of Lotus (the last metroidvania you reviewed), lol. But that got me thinking: you typically don't like to make comparisons
-even if it's to another game in the genre-DO you?? 🤔😎This is bloody enough to have its own style. The more you showed the less I thought it was like castlevania. That's a lot of blood. That dude was tossing dead bodies at you. How does the music hold up?
QOTD, Probably have to say the bloodstained games for obvious reasons.
QotD: If we are looking for classic -style Castlevania rip-offs, the new Bloodstained "8-bit" games are a good place to start. Metroidvania-genre is trickier, I'll just say that Touhou:Luna Nights is a really fun one, and available on Gamepass, so if one has access to that, it really is a win-win situation!
Comments are closed.