A brand new side-scrolling Castlevania game was just (re?)released called “Grimoire of Souls”. It’s a modern 2D platformer/Metroidvania that was previously available in 2019 on smartphones via iOS and Android, but was removed from the stores about a year later. It’s now back and available exclusively on Apple Arcade. Also, tvOS and Mac’s seem to be supported, allowing it to be played on larger screens without tethering.
Direct Link: https://apps.apple.com/app/castlevania-gos-arcade/id1552347138
Xbox Series X Controller: https://amzn.to/3lFN5TS
Xbox Elite Series 2 Controller: https://amzn.to/3hIHn2g
Main Page: https://www.konami.com/games/castlevania/gos/global/en/
While I’m certainly interested in playing a new 2D Castlevania game, I’m not sure how I feel about it being locked to Apple Arcade. I can at least understand exclusivity, as that’s been a part of gaming since the first console release. The fact that it’s tied to a subscription service is where the mixed feelings come in: If you already subscribe to Apple Arcade, then this is excellent news as you can get the game for free. If not, would you want to subscribe to this service for $5 per month? And what if you’re the type of gamer that plays when you can, but sporadically? Are you going to subscribe for three months, just because you like to take your time playing?
I decided to sign up for a free month of Apple Arcade and try it out. Will it be laggy? Will I appreciate other games on the platform? I initially purchased my Xbox Series X controller on launch day, just to find out tvOS didn’t support it yet. When support was officially added, I tried to purchase Bloodstained – The entire reason I bought that controller for my Apple TV – Just to find out that game is only supported on iOS mobile devices, not the Apple TV. I’ll cross my fingers and hope this is a less disappointing experience.
