Played on PC. There will be some occasional framerate stutters but nothing too bad. Anyway, here's a full playthrough (normal and shadow levels) of the new Ghosts 'n Goblins game on the hardest difficulty with no damage taken. I originally thought this would take me a couple of months to record considering how brutally difficult the game can be but surprisingly, it only took a week. Resurrection seems to have fallen under a lot of people's radar despite coming out this year so I feel like it's my duty to get the word out for this underappreciated game.
0:00 - Intro
2:20 - Graveyard
9:35 - Execution Grounds
17:25 - Crystalline City
24:59 - Hellfire Hamlet
32:03 - Caverns of the Occult
41:27 - Citadel Approach
48:24 - Shadowlord's Citadel
54:11 - Congratulations
59:45 - Shadow Graveyard
1:08:33 - Shadow Execution Grounds
1:16:27 - Shadow Crystalline City
1:26:04 - Shadow Hellfire Hamlet
1:33:25 - Shadow Caverns of the Occult
1:42:20 - Shadow Citadel Approach
1:49:31 - Shadow Shadowlord's Citadel
1:55:40 - True Ending
Mini-Review:
"Kaettekita Makaimura" (Return of Demon World Village), known by its western name, Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection is my Game of the Year for 2021. I think what makes this game stick out in my mind as one of the best action platformers out there is just how well designed a lot of the encounters are. Like previous G'nG games, there's an emphasis on memorizing level and enemy patterns but what makes Resurrection stand out is how it layers both fixed and randomized enemy patterns on top of one another, so much so that encounters feel both chaotic and tight, keeping repeated playthroughs feeling fresh. Foreknowledge of a level can only take you so far. It requires good intuition and quick decision making to get a slow-ass knight from point A to B unscathed and that's what I love about it. In a way, it's more a game about thinking on your feet rather than just memorization and good execution.
A few tips:
- Don't always use the Dagger. I know it's sort of a meme to "GET THE KNIFE" but the Dagger isn't the only good weapon. Crossbow is arguably the best weapon since the upgraded version can clear entire screen of enemies and quickly destroy big enemies that take more than one hit (since you're landing more shots on them). Golden armor + Crossbow + Doppelganger will demolish most bosses. Other great weapons include the Spiked Ball which can roll uphill and ignore the Flying Knights' shield, and the Shield which deflect all projectiles and can faze through walls. The point is that every weapon has their advantages and disadvantages so don't expect the Dagger to be the answer to every situations.
- Don't be afraid to use the skill tree. I'm not too big on skill trees in games but there are a lot of really useful skills and magic. It won't make the game any easier but it'll help take the edge off. Kitted Out lets you carry up to three weapons. Transmogrifrog and Medusa is good for dealing with annoying enemies like the Magicians. Doppelganger is good for boss fights and clearing screens of enemies. So on and so forth. You can remove umbral bees from one branch and place into another branch for a different set of skills/magic.
- Learn the chest locations. Every third chest you spawn will contain Golden armor, assuming if you still have your regular armor on. It's often better not to open chests as it sometimes can spawn a Magician or a weapon you don't want. You can use a chest as a temporary platform (standing on a chest too long will cause it to break).
- In every G'nG game, you have a rigid jump arc. This may seem like a flaw but it's designed that way for an important mechanic. Because you jump in a fixed arc, you're able to shoot backwards while jumping forward without altering your direction midair. This "fadeaway" shooting mechanic is what helps gives you space to avoid projectiles and enemies while staying on the offensive. Also, Arthur doesn't seem have a pill-shaped hitbox so he's able to jump and land on edges without slipping off.
- Always be thinking a couple steps ahead. This may seems obvious but you shouldn't just be reacting to every projectile and enemy that comes at you. The more you play, the more you realize that the game is always trying to punish you for making impulsive decisions. For example, a Sickle Weasel is coming straight at you. Your first instinct is to jump over it. You jump, but then he stops just so you land on him and take damage. It may seem like a coincidence but there are multiple situations like this that are design just to catch you out. Analysis each situation you come across and plan out your route accordingly rather than just react.
- Enemies takes a second for their hitbox to be active when spawning in. Some enemies will take longer. Use that to your advantage.
This playthrough is dedicated to Suzuhara Lulu, one of my favorite Vtubers. G'nG Resurrection was the last game she played before graduating/retiring.