Grimoire of Souls lays down the Castlevania lore

The Grimoire of Souls has awoken! After being revealed early last year and having a closed beta in Japan, the newest entry in the Castlevania series, Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls, has now soft-launched for Android. Let’s crack open this little mobile tome and see what’s been inscribed.

First off, here’s the latest trailer for the title (Japan-focused):

The Grimoire of Souls, a bloody tome that’s bloody fun

As a disclaimer, this title is currently in soft-launch, and is only officially available in Canada for now.  So, what’s exactly going on with Grimoire of Souls?

Essentially, Genya Arikado,  everyone’s favourite dhampir-turned-secret-agent, receives word that an anti-Dracula organisation is having some serious trouble. Their books containing the history of Dracula and his allies has somehow manifested into the real world, and they need Alucard to enter these documents and stop the threat from within. Prepare for more than a mere paper cut.

In terms of gameplay, GoS hearkens back to the Super Nintendo days, being focused on linear levels in which you beat down creatures of the night and engage in some light platforming (at least in the beginning). Characters such as Alucard and Simon Belmont fight in different ways, having access to various combos and special attacks that suit different scenarios.

Of course, things start off pretty straight-forward, but soon enough you’ll need to acquire better equipment and abilities to combat the ever-strengthening forces. This is done through the use of materials that are found in-game, meaning even starting equipment can pack a punch if treated right.

As for the controls, everything is done via buttons and gestures, allowing for some free-flow combat where you can initiate a combo, dodge an attack, and then counter with some heavier moves. It takes time to get a feel for it all, but when you do, you can do some pretty neat things. And for those who hate touch screens, controller support is thankfully included.

“You don’t belong in this year!”

So of course you want to know about the gacha, right? Well, thankfully it isn’t too bad here. Gems allow you to summon more powerful equipment and weaponry, but I’ve yet to feel a true need to use it. The early game offers enough of this currency to get a good collection going, and that ought to carry you for quite a while, especially when factoring in the aforementioned levels mechanic.

The characters themselves also grow via experience, and it isn’t long before you unlock some impressive moves to compliment your moveset (Seeing Simon use his whip to helicopter himself is a sight to behold).

You can also breathe a sigh of relief when it comes to actually meeting new characters too, as it appears that newcomers arrive automatically as you progress through the pages of the Grimoire. In about an hour’s play, I’ve allied with Simon Belmont and Maria Renard, with many more to come in time.

Mankind ill needs to wait this long to play!

So, as stated, Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls is not currently available to play here in Australia, at least officially. That being said, provided the soft-launch goes smoothly, we shouldn’t have to wait too long to see a global release to sink our teeth into.

The game is slated to arrive on both Android and iOS, and will be free to download from the store. For more information, be sure to check out the official site here.