Review: Darkstalkers Resurrection

Darkstalkers can easily be overlooked if for no other reason than the sheer quantity of other fighting games out there. The series first appeared on the beat-em up radar in 1994 in Japan, but it wasn’t until 1997 that it hit UK shores in the form of Darkstalkers 3 for the PlayStation. Back then we already had Street Fighter, Tekken and Dead or Alive, so what makes this gothic piece so special? Dare you embrace the dark?

You might think that Darkstalkers is a game that doesn’t stand out from the rest; it might even be the case that you’ve never even heard of the series. But there’s a good chance that you’ve come across some of the cast before in other fighting games. The Darkstalkers characters used most by Capcom are sexy vampire Morrigan and feline catgirl Felicia. They both appeared in Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds. See? Now you remember! How can you forget about those two?

As a direct result of Darkstalkers‘ gothic and ghoulish setting, the characters are a random and frightening bunch of misfits. Not only does it have cute catgirls and big bosomed vamps (the aforementioned Felicia and Morrigan), but there’s also mummies, werewolves, a sasquatch, mermen, zombies, Frankenstein’s monster, Little Red Riding Hood (but not your typical adorable one) and a possessed puppet! In other words, this isn’t your usual lineup of gruff-faced pugilists and makes a nice change from an old kung fu master who decided to come out of retirement for one last tournament.

So, here we have an old school scrolling beat-em up retailing at 1,200 MSP for not one, but two games; Night Warriors: Darkstalker’s Revenge and Darkstalkers 3, which made its way onto PlayStation 1 back in 1997. That kind of value – two fantastic and oft overlooked games – should already be piquing your interest.  Thankfully, swapping between the two games is easy; a mere touch of the select button brings up the next game without skipping a beat. Both titles also have identical off- and online functionality.

Graphically, Darkstalkers Resurrection still uses the 2D, cel-shaded sprites that are a hallmark of the series; some of the mechanics in the game will also remind you of the older Capcom classics like Street Fighter II, right down to destroying the environment. Those damn oil drums! But the game has been made into HD, so it looks fresh, but still sadly somewhat dated.

That’s not to say all of Darkstalkers Resurrection is stuck in the past – there’s a range of character-specific tutorials, that walk you through basic and advanced moves and also explain how they can be useful. In other words, you won’t have to go in button bashing and hoping for the best (unless that’s your thing). Aside from polishing your pugilistic proclivities, playing through the tutorials also help you level up. Each action you perform in battle tallies up and gains progression towards completing challenges – which, in turn, level you up once you’ve met their requirements.

Completing challenges and levelling up allows you to unlock the typical beat-em up items such as artwork and movies. Sadly, there aren’t any alternative costumes up for grabs through levelling up – the vast majority of beat-em ups now include this feature, and it’s sad that this feature wasn’t retrofitted into the game somehow. Here’s hoping it manages to shuffle its way in for future Darkstalkers games.

There’s several ways in which you can view the on-screen action – and the one that stood out for me was “Over Shoulder”. It’s like being back in a 90’s arcade, but minus the sticky floor and kids shouting at each other. You play the game as normal, but from the perspective is of someone admiring your fighting skills (or wondering at the lack thereof). We’ve all been there and, if the opportunity arises, still continue to watch over another player’s shoulder, much to their frustration and annoyance. But if this über-retro viewpoint isn’t to your taste, don’t worry – there’s plenty more to choose from.

The multiplayer (both on- and offline) of Darkstalkers Resurrection is where the real fun is to be had, allowing you to create a lobby of up to eight people. Darkstalkers offers up local matches, ranked matches, a ‘quick match’ and a full-on tournament mode. Another nice online feature that Iron Galaxy Studios have included is “Replay.” Here you can watch other players’ fights and rank their abilities. You can also save your own replays and upload them – and this can be done via YouTube – for others to view and judge. It’s refreshing to see online being included with retro games such as this and gives the player a new challenge to face.

Some might take the point of view that Darkstalkers Resurrection is no more than the application of an HD paint job over the top of two old games. But if you’re a fan of the series, or want to try out a new series in the fighting genre, then Darkstalkers is something you should really consider. Being able to play online with this game is a nice bonus and allows old school players to compete with the next generation. It also would have been nice if Capcom had bundled in the first Darkstalkers title either in addition to or instead of one of the other instalments in the series.

Tags: Capcom, Darkstalkers, PlayStation, Xbox 360