Based on a 1987 game that never existed, The Eternal Castle Remastered is a retro-inspired 2D platformer with an effective 2-bit color design that’s as striking as its attempt to convince of the supposed original’s existence. Seemingly stealing a leaf from the Polybius playbook for creating noise out of thin air, it’s a clever attempt at standing out in an industry that loves a remaster more than Mario loves spacing out on mushrooms.
Despite its dated color range suggesting otherwise, TEC has all the functionality of a decent 2D platformer with enjoyable gameplay mechanics and some tremendous animation. The story, on the other hand, is utterly superfluous but, according to the wall of near-illegible text in the intro, places the main character on a space colony created to ‘re-establish a self-sufficient ecosystem in space’, only for war to break out during the project and potentially claim victim to the protagonist’s partner. It’s a largely pointless preamble as the story offers nothing beyond the intro, but it does provide a decent excuse for its sci-fi dystopian setting with levels that range from a mad scientist’s mansion with experiments roaming the grounds to the front line of a war zone.
You might wonder how one could differentiate such dramatically different environments based on the screenshots, but while the basic design might lower your expectations, its animation will blow them out of the water. The difference between them is so stark that judging the title’s visuals from screenshots is virtually impossible, making a video (like the trailer above) the only way to do it justice and convey the game’s visual strengths. As someone who would watch flash videos of stickmen shooting each other with metal music blaring in the background during school breaks, this visual style is very appealing to me, even if it lacks the heavy soundtrack and super-fast action that also accompanied them.
Combat provides its kicks with hand-to-hand combat and an array of weapons (such as axes, assault rifles, swords and shotguns) that satisfies as you dismember your silhouetted foes with smooth movement and nice sound effects. Adding this to the great level design and scenarios that highlight the action’s qualities, and it comes together brilliantly, keeping you on your toes with sections such as chasing a sniper while a helicopter attempts to mow you down with bullets or a nightclub full of enemies that turns into a mass strobe-light brawl. Great little details are also peppered throughout these levels that give the NPCs character (such NPCs conversing over a game of chess) and it’s this method of storytelling – through the characters – that might’ve made more sense than how it was actually implemented.
These aspects alone should be enough to play to the retro-esque indie crowd, but in my opinion, TEC, like many other indie games, tries too much with too little, seemingly attempting to create an ‘impressive’ laundry list of features for its Steam description. Overreaching instead of doubling down on the enjoyable core gameplay, its saddled with average-at-best boss fights, with style but no substance (oddly flipping the switch from TEC’s formula of minimalistic design and enjoyable gameplay) and forgets what makes the preceding action fun. This consequently bookends all the good stuff with unsatisfying set-pieces, making its worst impression with the nonsensical ending.
New Game + is also included, but its existence is more prominent as a representation of the many features that lack any real explanation and no real investigation helps – apart from being forced to the internet to find other bemused players. Perhaps you could call that its online features?
My biggest issue, however, is a soundtrack that simultaneously misses the mood the game offers and also fails to enhance the gameplay in any way, leaving half the experience on the table when the gameplay is left to play against an almost silent background.
Two unlockable modes are made available after completing the story – Duel and Sacrifice – and they are most welcome additions as they cut the fat weighing down the main story. Duel hosts 1-on-1 battles and Sacrifice acts as a separate and more difficult ‘story’ mode without save points. Both of these use TEC’s best points and run with it – minimal to no story and a focus on action. I personally would have liked to have seen this greater arcade focus in the main mode. I think it might have dulled the perplexing ending and made it a more consistently entertaining title.
The Eternal Castle Remastered is a short and wonderfully stylish 2D platformer with a enjoyable gameplay loop, but a few issues that weigh down the title hold it back from being much more than a unique title that excels in spurts. Ultimately, the game achieves its goal of remaining a mystery, but it’s debatable whether or not that’s a good thing.
