Chronicles of the Wolf: A Bloody Ode to Retro Darkness
Chronicles of the Wolf review – The Beast lurks in the shadows, waiting for its next prey! Step into the boots of Mateo Lombardo, the last apprentice of the Rose Cross Order, as you embark on a thrilling platforming adventure packed with intense battles, unforgiving exploration, and rich storytelling. Brace yourself—this gothic journey is one you won’t forget!
Chronicles of the Wolf Review Pros
- Decent graphics.
- Download size.
- Platinum trophy.
- You get the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation 5 versions of the game, so you could potentially earn two Platinum trophies.
- Action platformer gameplay.
- Opening the tutorial section where you do each action.
- 2D game world with animated backdrops.
- A Game heavily inspired by the Castlevania series, from the theme to the actions and gameplay loop.
- Boss battles are a plenty.
- Meet many different characters, and some will give tips, backstory, or sell you things.
- Save points can be triggered, and these act as checkpoints and respawn points.
- 3 save slots.
- The map uncovers as you play, save rooms and points of interest will be marked, and the map has an overall completion percentage.
- The game offers these great-looking still images and text for the cutscenes and interactions.
- Find hidden rooms by hitting walls.
- Big boss battles.
- Metroidvania, so there is a lot of getting a new ability and then going back on yourself to find new areas.
- The menu in-game shows how much exp you have and how much you need to level up.
- Full inventory management system where you can swap items in and out and see how it changes your stats.
- Collect relics to store them in the menu and find them all for story references.
- Clever and varied monster designs, each with unique styles and attacks.
Chronicles of the Wolf Review Cons
- When you die, you go back to the checkpoints, which are far apart, and you end up replaying huge chunks of the game.
- No dedicated pause or menu button, so you cannot check the settings or controls on anything.
- Enemies respawn when you leave and re-enter a location, which can be good but can also be frustrating.
- Some very obvious and long-winded fetch quests.
- The saving is broken. I got to a point where I had a new power, did some levelling up and stickpiling and then saved multiple times only to die on the boss and not have anything I did.
- The jumping and attacking are sluggish, and if I had to describe it, I would say it has a delay between the actions.
- You can get stuck in a section with no other way out than to bang your head against a boss or room layout until you do it.
- It’s funny as the game is hard, that’s fine, but then they purposefully put many little things in to make it cheap hard.
- Hit detection doesn’t always feel great.
- The game took a lot longer to go through as the saving issues made me not want to play for large chunks of time.
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Chronicles of the Wolf
Developer: PQube Limited
Publisher: PQube Limited
Store Link:
Chronicles Of The Wolf
Summary
Chronicles of the Wolf – The Thrills and Highlights of Gameplay:
Chronicles of the Wolf delivers a gothic action-platformer experience deeply inspired by the Castlevania series. Players step into the role of Mateo Lombardo, a Rose Cross Order apprentice navigating hostile 2D landscapes filled with varied enemies, boss battles, and unlockable abilities. The game leans into Metroidvania design, requiring players to revisit previously explored areas with newly acquired powers. Save rooms, a percentage-tracked map, and rich inventory and relic systems enhance exploration. Interacting with NPCs reveals lore, tips, and shops, while stylish still-image cutscenes and animated backdrops provide narrative flavour.
Chronicles of the Wolf – Where It Falls Short: Key Negatives:
Despite its ambition, Chronicles of the Wolf stumbles in critical areas. Checkpoints are sparse, forcing large chunks of repeated gameplay upon death. Saving is unreliable, sometimes failing to preserve key progress like new powers or level-ups. Combat and movement suffer from sluggish controls and questionable hit detection. Enemy respawning can feel tedious rather than challenging, and fetch quests detract from the pacing. Some players may find themselves stuck in unfair sections, and a lack of a dedicated pause/menu system limits accessibility and convenience.
Chronicles of the Wolf – Immersive Story and Narrative Elements:
Storytelling in Chronicles of the Wolf combines moody still imagery with text-driven interactions, capturing a bleak and mystic tone. Through Mateo’s journey, players uncover mysterious relics that enrich the game’s lore while interacting with numerous townsfolk and characters who provide both utility and narrative depth. Though minimalist in its delivery, the structure encourages discovery and rewards curiosity, aligning well with its Metroidvania foundations.
Chronicles of the Wolf – Visual and Performance Aspects:
The game presents decent visuals with a distinctive gothic flair. Animated backdrops complement the moody tone, and monster designs offer variety and creativity in both style and behaviour. While not pushing graphical boundaries, Chronicles of the Wolf maintains a consistent aesthetic. However, technical shortcomings like sluggish responsiveness and save bugs hinder the overall fluidity of the experience, and the absence of UI conveniences like a proper pause screen detracts from its polish.
Chronicles of the Wolf – Overall Verdict: Is It Worth Playing?:
Chronicles of the Wolf is an intriguing homage to classic gothic platformers, offering a layered gameplay loop with secrets to uncover, powers to unlock, and bosses to conquer. Yet, frequent frustrations—from broken saves to unresponsive controls may diminish the enjoyment for all but the most patient or retro-inclined players. With its rewarding structure marred by cumbersome design choices, this beast might be worth the hunt if you’re prepared for the bite.
Back of the Box Quotes:
“For those who crave Castlevania chaos, Chronicles of the Wolf howls with style and challenge.”
