Going back to the NES 8-bit days of Castlevania is not as easy as it should be. It’s doubly not as easy when something modern is made that way on purpose.
Saint Slayer: Spear of Sacrilege from developer Lillymo Games is a title that reaches back to the NES days when games like Castlevania ruled the earth. The joy and torture of those games back in the day relied on rigid controls, unforgivable and repeating enemies, and once the player lost, well, they lost for good. All of that is where Saint Slayer: Spear of Sacrilege falls into place.
Saint Slayer: Spear of Sacrilege brings that same type of unforgivable gameplay that is driven by ugly, yet beautiful, 8-bit, limited color scheme graphics. The game will harken back to the days of being at home in the 1980s, saying your first curse word, and rage-quitting, but being up for that because you bought that ticket to this ride. Because you bought that ticket, and you understand what the devs were aiming to bring to the table in all the game’s far from perfect majesty, it’s hard to sympathize and/or criticize when Saint Slayer: Spear of Sacrilege gets unruly. This game mimics the games of old, as the controls feel less than accurate, and all the little things that made NES gorgeous, yet terrible, crop up in the gameplay.
Now, that said, there are two ways to look at Saint Slayer: Spear of Sacrilege. Players can go into it with a heavy dose of nostalgia leading the way, which is how I approached the game, or they can go into admiring the game’s shape and structure, but hating the way it performs. Respectfully, if anyone goes into it with the latter in mind, they just don’t understand what Lillymo Games was trying to accomplish.
Saint Slayer: Spear of Sacrilege is a straight-up homage to old 8-bit action-adventure side-scrollers. It does everything it can to maintain and preserve the imperfections of that time and isn’t striving to make this an easy experience or modernize the gameplay. The devs wanted to bring that old, unforgiving feel back to life, and they did that very well. I mean, they really nailed it. From graphics to gameplay, this title brings what is promised, and it doesn’t shy away from irritating the shit out of you.
So, how does it irritate the shit out of you? Well, the gameplay controls are a wonderful place to begin. Saint Slayer: Spear of Sacrilege features an accurate design of the NES control pad scheme and works like an old Castlevania title, which I assume the developers were shooting for with this game. Jumping is a one-button affair, while directional jumping is stiff at best. This means that when players jump from one platform to another, they are not forgiven for inaccuracies with their jump. If a player misses, then they fall. If a player falls, then an enemy could be below, ready to violently pounce. There is no double-jumping, and/or edge to grab onto. None of that exists within this game because it replicates the accurate and irritating controls of an NES experience back in the day. Again, that as advertised with Saint Slayer: Spear of Sacrilege, so no surprises with intention.
The controls also feature the d-pad working along with buttons to pull off special moves for our hero, Rudiger. This could mean pushing to the left with the d-pad and hitting square to throw a spear. This could also mean pressing down on the d-pad to use the spear as a pogo stick to cross dangerous and spiky territories. One slip of the thumb on the d-pad and none of this works. And even when it does work, sometimes it’s hard to maintain and get it right when you need it to be right. The controls are frustrating as they are fun.
What is paired well with those controls is the frustrating design of the levels. The levels come in many forms, shapes, and sizes. Some feature multi-tiered levels, which players will have to work the d-pad to access, and others are just dangerous creativity on their own, with obstacles that are hellbent on taking Rudiger out. For example, there is a level featured that relies on a kitchen atmosphere. With that atmosphere, the player must navigate around boiling pots, some with lids, some without, avoid or take down angry demon cooks, and run across the occasional burning stove that shoots flames up from below. The controls paired with these types of levels make for a rage-quitting good time.
As for enemies, I was taken aback by the fact that Lillymo Games went so far with enemies as to have them repeat. Should the player kill an enemy and then reverse course, the enemy will reappear because that part of the screen resets. That is so darn accurate when it comes to replicating the feel of a side-scrolling game from the NES days. Its inclusion was the icing on this classic cake.
The enemy types are also neat to see. The developers seemed to have fun creating gruesome, gross, and wacky creatures to throw at the player. From hopping death dogs to swooping ravens, and even the occasional chef that throws multiple eating instruments at players all at once. The designs fit the scheme of the game, but also feature some modern thought and some well-placed strategic movements, given their placement on levels. There are lots of nostalgic and creative thoughts put into this game’s enemies.
Staying with enemies, the boss fights are also reminiscent of boss fights from an 80s side-scrolling adventure title. They’re chaotic, quick, and powerful. The first boss players will meet in the game is a holy priest who enjoys resurrecting creatures from the dead. He has a fiery wall to protect him and sends out troops of creatures that players must take down. After taking down said creatures, the fight shifts from creatures to 1-on-1 and becomes a jumping, dodging, sliding, and attacking fest. It’s fast, wildly unfair at times, but entertaining and enjoyable should you come out the victor. Of course, just in classic form, Rudiger will earn a new weapon at the end of it, which just creates motivation for the player to keep pressing on in the face of difficulty. Anyway, that is the first boss fight, but they get more ridiculous as they continue. The second fight is a man on a donkey who is quick, dumb, and funny as hell. Taking him down requires a bit of spearing and boxing (dropping boxes on his head). This fight showcases the variety of boss designs and the creativity of the devs, and sets player expectations that they will see more creative bosses with differing fighting styles as the player continues the difficult journey. It’s a testament to the developers trying to make things accurate with their nostalgic intentions, and at the same time, fresh.
All the above said, the game also features visuals that are pixelated and limited in color range, and sports MIDI music that could only make NES owners back in the 80s happy. Ultimately, the devs at Lillymo Games went all out to design a modern video game with all the attributes of an 8-bit side-scrolling adventure. Seriously, mission accomplished. They hit every note they studied and researched from that gaming era and brought it back to life for Saint Slayer: Spear of Sacrilege. Again, it’s as advertised.
Now, having said all of this, the game isn’t for everyone. It’s challenging, it’s rigid, it’s frustrating at times, and it’s very unforgiving. This is just like Dark Souls had they made it for an 8-bit console. It is purposely designed to irritate the hell out of the player. Not all players will enjoy that type of journey, so this is kind of a niche audience of gamers who love being tortured by their purchases. This one will guarantee torture, which is part of its nostalgic charm.
Anyway, I do recommend this game for anyone wanting to play a modern game with an old 8-bit structure driving it all. It’s a short and fun experience, and the price is right on point at $9.99. That’s a steal with the amount of love that went into building this game.
On that note, let’s wrap up this review.
Conclusion
Saint Slayer: Spear of Sacrilege from developer Lillymo Games is a tip of the hat to an 8-bit era that featured fun side-scrolling adventure titles, while also sporting some rage-quitting encouragement through challenging gameplay. The devs brought that nostalgic gameplay to life on a modern console and delivered on promises of an 8-bit NES experience.
