Fast collectathon with basic graphics, janky mechanics and a lot of charm.
Because this is a sequel, the story may feel a little strange because you're tossed in with no prior knowledge. You play the part of Dracula. He wants to reach his maximum potential, so he casually enters a portal leading directly to hell. Just as he's about to make the deal with the devil, a strange man jumps in and takes control of hell. Despite the diabolical subject, the whole vibe is rather humorous. While most characters are voiced, some are left quiet and only provide a few lines of text.
The graphics may not be to everyone's liking. Large blocky architecture and broad open areas are used to construct stages. They're brightly colored, but there's not much to see. The only details worth mentioning are flat 2D pictures of items like trees or candles. These images always turn towards the player, which can be weird if you’re not used to classic shooters. Another strangeness is that you can walk right through them. Because the pace is so quick, you don’t have time to enjoy the sights anyway.
It all starts with the main hub, from which you may access several stages. As usual, most of it is locked since you don't have the skill to overcome the obstacle. The game is described as a collectathon, which means there is a lot to collect.
Shards, which are utilized to open new stages, are the most important. Stages conceal shards under a variety of activities. Some are discovered by simply exploring a stage, while others are tucked behind puzzles, and the last ones are reserved for locating all collectibles. A list of all available shards, as well as a little clue, are quite helpful in locating them all.
The ability to explore a stage is dependent on another collectible: goop. There are puddles of goop all over the place, and walking into it can be dangerous. Fortunately, cleaning it is simple because you only need to shoot at it. Collecting goop allows you to restore elements of the stage, such as opening a door or building stairs.
There are nine stages, each one entirely unique and crazy. Enemies are annoying but not difficult. The only thing you need to keep an eye on is your ammo bar, which must be restored by collecting ammo boxes. There’s no reloading. Death might come quickly, especially with all the annoying insta-deaths, but it is not harsh. When you collect around half of the shards in a stage, you unlock a boss fight. They're really bad because the fight takes place in an arena with traps that instantly kill you. Bosses are also indestructible until they reveal a weakness.
There are no checkpoints because the stages are open and you can unlock shortcuts. Each death simply takes you back to the stage entrance. Enemies also respawn, but this is normal stuff. Everything else, such as collectibles and restored objects, will stay as you left them. Although you can revisit any unlocked stage and explore with new powers, finding that last collectibles is always a hassle.
Unlike other games where you acquire additional powers by fighting bosses, you must purchase them within a stage. The same applies to new weapons. That means money is another collectible that can be found everywhere. When an item is purchased, it is available for the entirety of the game.
However, powers are not used in a fun way. Rather than using them automatically, you must push a button at the start of a mechanic associated with a specific power. Green arrows, for example, indicate wall-running paths. You can't just wall-run anywhere you want. On the other hand, too much freedom might break the flow of the game.
What I don't like is that enemies respawn when you enter the shop menu. Because there is no "use" button and you interact with items by merely bumping into them or getting very near, this can be inconvenient. I also dislike short sub levels that take place on a different map. Although they only take a minute or two, enemies respawn after you return to the main stage. Another issue is that those mini-game doors don’t always turn white, which indicates that they’re completed. You have no way of knowing if you already did them or not.
Depending on how you look at it, you might see bugs as part of the game. They're not. There are cases of graphical glitches, enemies dropping through floors, clipping issues and entirely broken stages, like the one where you ride a giant bee or when you end up in the wrong portal.
Achievements work, but they unlock when you exit the game.
