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"Did I miss Beyond the Ice Palace 1 somewhere?" I wondered to myself after discovering Beyond the Ice Palace 2 in Steam Next Fest. I couldn't find it on Steam or any other modern storefronts, and after a bit of research, I understand why: I was approximately -5 years old when it came out.
This is a direct sequel to 1988's Beyond the Ice Palace, a 2D platformer available for the Commodore 64, Atari ST, and similarly formative gaming hardware. Developer Storybird Studio has given the IP a crash-course in modern gaming with gorgeous pixel art, a pitch-perfect soundscape, and some light RPG features, but Beyond the Ice Palace 2 is still a proudly retro experience emulating the pacing and intensity of the original Castlevania games. To top it off, the whole thing is built around our undead hero's whip-like chain.
The story starts with the death and subsequent resurrection of a heroic king in a fantasy land rendered in a lovely Gothic style. Understandably miffed about the whole betrayal and curse thing, he sets out to reclaim his glory and kingdom wielding the very chains that once bound him.
The chains are the star of the show. Hooks placed around levels are used for all manner of whip platforming and puzzles. There's a wonderful sense of tactility to it all – yanking open chests and doors by latching on and flicking the analog stick back, or hitting flying enemies and treasures with a diagonal slash. Basic attacks land with punch, and your shield-breaking heavy attack is worth the stamina you have to sink into it.
Combat is exceedingly deliberate, with most enemies going down in just a few hits but taking a bite out of your health bar if you let them. It has that '80s and '90s quality where one bad mistake can burn your health bar down to cinders in seconds, though it isn't quite as punishing moment to moment. The demo bosses have more meat on their bones than, well, the bony skeletons I've crushed so far, but bring a similar focus on careful positioning, timing, and the deflecting ability that I constantly forget about. This is even more old-school than the new Gal Guardians, which I've also enjoyed this Next Fest.
This is about as close to the original Castlevania games as you can get without licensing the IP, from the tricky enemy placement to the punishing health economy fueled by chicken embedded in walls. Beyond the Ice Palace 2 feels pretty linear so far, but each level brings secrets and resources to discover, rewarding exploration on a micro scale. The most alluring treasures are crystals and fragments used to upgrade your health, stamina, damage, healing, and God of War-style rage mode – a shot of RPG juice to get the king up in the morning. Eventually we'll find celestial arrow fragments that unlock the powers we once wielded, tidily covering the Metroid half of the genre.
So far, Beyond the Ice Palace 2 largely succeeds in its vision as a game ripped out of time, but there is some jank to it. Vertical inputs work well in combat but aren't nearly as clean when grabbing ledges or moving up staircases in the environment, which can be finicky. There is a nice dodge with good invincibility frames, but perfectly dodging enemy attacks triggers a slow-mo effect that is so absurdly dramatic, so over-the-top in its zoomed-in cinematography, that K-drama producers are taking notes. It feels like someone physically yanks the camera out of your hands, and this happens all the time. I thought the game was bugging out at first. It's genuinely disorienting and it makes it easy to bump into enemies and take chip damage when you return to a normal perspective.
The demo for Beyond the Ice Palace 2 is predictably a little dated, but I'm actually really enjoying it. Faster Metroidvanias like Hollow Knight and Ultros (and, one day, maybe, Hollow Knight: Silksong) have changed my expectations for the genre, but this is an admirable riff on an older era. The full game is out March 10 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam and Epic).
