Lords of Exile

Lords of Exile is a blast of the past and feels like a spiritual successor to the original Castlevania. It looks and plays like the popular title, including those cheap knock-back deaths. It’s another hidden gem you’ll want to pick up. Draw your blade and take revenge!

Indie throwbacks don't get much better than Lords of Exile with its genuine presentation, constant variety, and pitch-perfect gameplay.

Lords of Exile offers an exciting journey through its world made up of a mix of gothic and medieval, combining nostalgic elements with agile and rewarding gameplay. With a well-crafted retro aesthetic and an exceptional soundtrack, the game captivates players looking for an authentic experience inspired by the era of 8-bit and 16-bit consoles. It's the kind of game that would be worth that weekend cartridge rental.

While I can’t recommend stopping and starting this game, it’s best to approach it as you would any NES game. Get fully immersed in the darkness and the frustration and just enjoy that momentum that comes from singularly reliving a time where gaming was simpler. Just rock out to the violence and know that not every game has to be a sixty hour long campaign. For just a handful of hours, be Vengeance, and then go back to your spreadsheets. It’s worth it.

A throwback to the classic likes of Castlevania and others with a few modern flourishes

Lords of Exile, the 2D adventure from Squidbit Works, captures the essence of playing a classic from the NES catalog but with some of the advantages of modern gaming. A fun arcade game that captures the essence of the classics of yesteryear without tripping over the layers of artificial difficulty of those titles. Throughout 8 levels it presents a simple and straightforward challenge, with a linear progression and a good dose of old-school action.

Lords of Exile is a relatively fun, but not particularly noteworthy, NES-like. If you're itching for some old-school Castlevania gameplay, you'll probably find something to like here, but for the rest of you, there are more robust offerings out there.