The successful outing of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night a few weeks back has left me somewhat inspired for the future of other games inspired by Castlevania, and as such it’s welcome to hear an announcement from publisher Another Indie and developer Glass Heart Games regarding their newest title. Called Vigil: The Longest Night, this 2D action platformer is planned to release sometime early next year for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, with a Nintendo Switch port coming at a later date. The announcement for Vigil: The Longest Night came with a trailer, which you can watch below.
Looking at the trailer, it’s easy to see the inspirations from Salt and Sanctuary, although the Castlevania implications are a bit more reaching. I guess it makes sense for some of the monsters, which take on quite the form as well as this rather colorful aesthetic, but other than that, the gameplay and other important aspects and elements scream "2D Souls-like", a title best embodied by Salt and Sanctuary.
In any case, this 2D action platformer is characterized as having precise, technical combat backed by a strong narrative. Expect a decent amount of challenge to be had, with the hint of eldritch horror mixed in there to intrigue and capture anyone who’s in love with the genre. In some aspects, Vigil: The Longest Night also shares some thematic elements with Bloodborne, in particular to some of the menu screenshots shown in the game’s Steam page.
Vigil: The Longest Night follows Leila, a member of the Vigil, as she sets upon a quest to save her hometown from the nightmarish evil and horrors infesting it and the surrounding countryside. Involved in these horrors is her sister, who is integral to the mystery of the longest night and the entities that are invading the world.
Vigil: The Longest Night features four weapon types, with multiple varieties available for each. The game also has some RPG elements with the inclusion of a complex skill tree, as well as multiple endings to unravel through Leila’s interactions with the world and its characters.
Vigil: The Longest Night will be released for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC in early 2020, followed by a release for the Switch sometime after.
