Candle Knight

Candle Knight is a medieval Metroidvania-style adventure game set in a dark fantasy world. You play as a unique knight with a candle on his head that serves as both a powerful weapon and your only guide in the darkness of the castle. Along your journey, you will explore dungeons, engage in combat with monsters, solve challenging puzzles, and fight through the darkness using your trusty abilities.

As much as the game recaptures the magic of titles like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, one can't help but feel like the game could have been so much more. Still, as a spiritual successor to the Castlevania series, Candle Knight shines bright as an even more worthy heir than Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.

The Flame of Mystery

The puzzles in Candle Knight required imagination, requiring you to strategically direct torchlight and even venture into pitch darkness at times. Figuring out how to escape hazards and unlock each room's secrets felt clever and satisfying.

Your knight's candle also indicates many of your character's current power levels, including his abilities and overall fighting prowess. Exploring the castle also means unlocking new skills that will allow your character to reach new heights – or, in this case, new depths – as you venture onwards into the depths of this sinister castle.

Risk and Reward

A rather unique aspect of Cadle Knight's gameplay has to do with the game's difficulty. Dubbed the "Ignis Adaptable Difficulty System," the game allows players to customize how much of a challenge they want to face in the game. You can choose to "overclock" your character by giving him enhanced speed and attack, at a cost: this also benefits your enemies.

The game then becomes a game of risk and reward. By increasing your own powers, you'll also be doing the same for your opponents. Is it really worth it to make the game significantly harder just to reap better rewards? That's something that's up to the player.

Beautiful Darkness

Though simple at times, Candle Knight's visuals can be an undisputed thing of beauty. Thanks to the game's handling of different light sources – including the candle in your character's head – things can get quite beautiful in Candle Knight's world.

Worthy of note are the many 2D puzzles you'll face as you explore the castle. While the game is mostly a 2.5D affair, these puzzles are entirely 2D, rendered in a hand-drawn style that fits surprisingly well with the rest of the game.

The 2.5D point of view also allows for some rather intense platforming areas that will put your reflexes to the ultimate test. Combine that with the game's superb combat, and what you'll get is an outstanding Metroidvania title that any fan of the genre must play.

Pros

• Gorgeous visuals
• Exciting platforming sections
• Great and responsive controls

Cons

• Can feel a bit short