Book Review: Resurrection of Ghosts’ and Goblins

Jump, play, dive, dive and avoid

Ghosts’ n Goblins it’s an absolute retro classic.

It kind of incorporates the old school, without barriers, the feel of some old game development philosophies: you’re either in or out. And even if you’re in, you can end up after the game tells you to repeat the entire story to see the “real final boss”.

It was maddening at the time, but it was a rallying cry and a direct challenge. Resurrection of Ghosts and Goblins captures a lot of that same raw spirit, while making things a little more accessible in the process.

Resurrection of Ghosts and Goblins (Light switch)
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Released: February 25, 2021
MSRP: $ 29.99

Resurrection it is an interesting revival in that it adheres to the pain of its predecessor, but it also allows for concessions and accommodations so that people are not left out. There are four levels of difficulty: Legend (the most difficult), Knight (normal), Squire (easy) and Page (beginner, but with the exception that you cannot see the entire game). It tells you everything you need to know: this will not be a “veterans only” revival.

It also adds the cooperative aspect of two players to the mix, which makes things even more accessible, as the second person can control three ghosts who can protect, raise or build platforms for the first player, who is in full control of the protagonist Arthur. Nicknamed “the three wise guys” (and skillfully called “Archie [arch platform], Barry [barrier]and load [well,  he carries you]”), the co-op element is a really fun way to activate the script Ghosts’ n Goblins. In fact, I completed a full game using cooperative functionality; and my partner and I had a lot of fun in the process.

You may need a little help from your friend too, like Resurrection of Ghosts and Goblins it can be brutal. Most checkpoints are somewhat close, but some sequences require a ton of subtlety and attention to complete. At the highest setting, without using checkpoints or co-op for the highest possible score, it can look just as overwhelming as the original.

I say “come on!” And that includes all the sliding scale options. I love the adaptive difficulty settings, and even winning in Squire and Knight mode can bring the same sense of accomplishment as the original. In addition, the “Magic Metronome” can slow down or speed up the game. All of these levers are great, but they can’t always hide the lowest points of Resurrection.

Some parts of the stages don’t seem so inspired and follow the “throw tons of enemies at you” school of thought. Sometimes it is done with elegance, in other points, it seems designed at random, especially for some types of enemies that waste time. But then you get to the next checkpoint and everything is fine for now.

It is slightly more reproducible than a normal platform game. Resurrection has a magic system involving a small skill tree (with two branched paths) to add a small level of replayability to the mix. Play the idea of ​​”Shadow” worlds (remixed versions of levels that appear after they are completed) and you will have a platform game that is worth searching for at least an entire week; not just a weekend.

I know the aesthetic is probably on your mind: I’m with you. I constantly wonder if I like the new art style or not. In the initial trailer, I thought that at times it looked putrid. But in practice, seeing how much the mechanics adhere to the original, and witnessing all the unique character models within me, it grew in me. This is double for environments, which are often full of life.

Resurrection of Ghosts and Goblins it’s not firing at all cylinders constantly, but when you’re on pace, in any difficulty, or even with high-speed co-op, it reminds me of why I started liking this series in the first place. Capcom did a great job of preserving it and taking it to a new generation.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

Resurrection of Ghosts and Goblins reviewed by Chris Carter