[TGS 2019] Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls - Our Hands On Impression

Dropping by Konami’s booth, we managed to check out a bit of Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls which you can watch in the video below:

First, an overview of the game from the official website as follows:

About

Iconic characters from the classic Castlevania series return! A new entry in the beloved franchise arrives exclusively on mobile.

Gameplay

Take on the demonic horde as your favorite characters from the Castlevania series! Master each character’s unique combat style to overcome even the fiercest of foes.

Hack, slash, whip, and blast your way through Dracula’s army in real-time, action-packed combat!

A roster of iconic characters spanning the entire series, each with their own unique abilities and skills!

Navigate deadly traps and explore the world written within the grimoires!

Face off against devastating bosses! Work together to emerge victorious!

Multiple game modes.

Experience an ongoing, original story spanning across the Castlevania universe!

Bounty Hunt

Introducing a new multiplayer mode! Fight alongside your friends to defeat as many enemies as possible within the time limit!

Explore Dracula’s sprawling castle!

Defeat the enemies and collect as many coins as possible!

Watch out for tricks and traps!

Use items strategically to turn the tide of battle in your favor!

Beat the competition and aim for the top!

Story

Many years have passed since the defeat of Count Dracula, and humanity has entered an age of peaceful prosperity.

Until one day, Genya Arikado receives a mysterious letter.

“The Grimoires have awoken, and the world is being consumed by darkness. I implore you, please come to our aid!”

Wary of what may be lying in wait before him, Genya Arikado ventures forth into the moonlit night.

Characters

The core narrative is centered around Genya Arikado. Within the narrative, you will be able to play as, and alongside many iconic characters across the Castlevania series.

Genya Arikado – A dignified figure working in the shadows of the Japanese government. Few are aware of his existence, or his role as one of the few remaining safeguards preventing the resurrection of Dracula. He is a man with astonishingly beautiful features, but a cold temperament that few can overcome.
Other cast members include Alucard, Simon, Charlotte, Shanoa, and Maria.

For the lack of a better description, this is pretty much just Castlevania with all the trimmings, although some tweaks have been made to facilitate the experience on mobile devices. The dreaded stamina system is present on this game, so you will not be able to play as much as you like naturally, but we suspect that is what the item shop is for.

The leveling system here means you will be spending a lot time and points to boost the overall potency of your favourite character in battle. Multiplayer is present, but as we were trying at the show floor, we were not actually able to get it going.

Controls felt smooth for the most part, but the overall pace of the game is fairly slow, as if to compensate for the skill level of the audience that would be interested in this. There is the usual concern of monetisation of course, and this being Konami, let’s just say you should not be surprised of what that is going to turn out.