Konami hasn’t made a new Castlevania, so like a child who’s drawn Dracula with crayons and decided it’s canon, Chronicles of the Wolf has arrived to fill the coffin-shaped void. From the creators of Wallachia: Reign of Dracula, comes this moody love letter to classic 2D gothic action games – except this time, your nemesis is a massive wolf instead of a thirsty aristocrat in a cape. Which is either progress or a howling step backwards.
Gaming Heaven
At first glance, Chronicles of the Wolf looks the part. It channels the visual spirit of Symphony of the Night if you squint a bit and ignore the frequent frame stutters. The world is interconnected and dotted with charmingly obtuse secrets. Combat has potential, with everything from swords to rifles to helpful spirit summons – if only any of it felt smooth. The soundtrack deserves a better game, with a few bangers courtesy of Oscar Araujo, bravely carrying the experience like a bloodstained bard trying to keep morale up during a poorly-planned Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
Gaming Hell
Unfortunately, Chronicles of the Wolf plays like a cover band trying to recreate Castlevania with garden tools and an old copy of Photoshop 7.0. The save points are rarer than polite drivers in the rain, and death – whether by vampire, housecat or decorative puddle – is a one-way ticket back to the start. Enemies kill you out of nowhere, exploration punishes curiosity, and the game’s idea of challenge is “what if the floor was lava, but also a maze, and you can’t remember where you last saved?”
Weapon switching is a chore, menus are a slog, and there’s a certain grim joylessness to the whole affair – as if the game is as fed up with itself as you are.
Final Judgement
Chronicles of the Wolf is a frustrating, occasionally charming knockoff that wants desperately to be Castlevania but ends up being more Castlevaguely. It’s not unplayable, but unless you’re nostalgic and masochistic, you may want to let sleeping wolves lie.
