Cast of the Seven Godsends Reviews
Cast of the Seven Godsends Redux could only be more old school if it actually was made in 1991.
Cast of the Seven Godsends is an old-school homage that sadly falls short of delivering a completing experience that lives up to the seven godsends mechanic. The six levels are extremely challenging (and a little unfair); bosses will blissfully bash you in merciless, over and over until you either somehow manage to reach them with Kandar fully-upgraded or get the dreaded 'Game Over' screen. Despite some potential, it's hard for us to recommend this game considering the plethora of superior 2D action platformer games already available on Switch. Perhaps the Gods should have better left Kandar rest in peace on his tomb instead of demanding such an infuriating quest of him (and you).
Cast of the Seven Godsends will find its audience among those wanting that Ghouls n' Ghosts experience, but in its current state it is largely unplayable thanks to the frame-rate working against you all the time. But its biggest sin is that it has two extremes: hard as a rock, or a piece of cake. There's no middle ground that would have made my time with it more enjoyable. I admire the art style to a point and the game had some great ideas, but it's no Ghouls n' Ghosts.
So, what's the final word on Cast of the Seven Godsends? It's tough to say; while I'm a fan of nostalgic throwbacks, this title isn't bringing much that's new or innovative to the genre. Still, with a low $6.
Cast of the Seven Godsends is a nice homage back to 2D arcade platformers. The story isn't that interesting, but the simplistic gameplay makes up for that. The varying attacks and Godsend abilities are fun, but without them, things can get rough.
With random difficulty spikes, strange controls, and almost mandatory hidden power-ups constantly halting my progress through the poorly translated story, I didn't see much reason to keep playing Cast of the Seven Godsends: Redux. I also don't see much reason for anyone else to play it either.
An emotionless take on the genre, with little but its reliance on nostalgia to sustain its brief running time.
The 'Godsends' are probably one of the only redeeming factors in the game. They transform the player into awesome-looking gods and do a lot of damage
I suspect I'm not in the audience that Cast of the Seven Godsends is targeting. I think speedrunners will get a lot of mileage out of this game, and if you somehow managed to enjoy Super Ghouls and Ghosts back in the day take the Cast out for a spin. As for me, I'm moving on to less painful pursuits, like sorting out E3 rumors.
Cast of the Seven Godsends is not without its frustrating and/or unfair moments, but it manages to provide a rewarding feeling in small doses, when an obstacle is finally overcome with enough perseverance. However, the uninspiring visuals and a soundtrack that doesn't quite manage to do its job of reinforcing the hectic and sometimes heavy atmosphere, prevent it from truly landing its grip on gamers who will not be compelled to come back for more afterwards. Fans of Ghosts 'N Goblins-like titles may want to have a look at this, but wait perhaps for a sale to do so as, indeed, it lacks some replay value after finally seeing the ending.
It's a game made for people who are willing to play and replay the same levels over and over again because they simply won't let it beat them, and while that might be a niche audience today, it's hard to argue that Cast of the Seven Godsends doesn't do it in style.
Average and exhausting game with very hard difficulty and mid and end-of-level bosses.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Cast of the Seven Godsends is a fun 2D action platformer on Nintendo Switch that you should check out if you're a fan of games such as Ghosts ‘n' Goblins. With its solid enemy and boss design, tight gameplay mechanics and varied stage types, this is one 2D game I recommend you check out for Nintendo's hybrid console.
In conclusion, Cast of the Seven Godsends is aimed at a specific group of people. There is no innovation of the genre and the story is quite average, but if this sounds like something you would enjoy then you will have fun. It took me around 5 hours to beat the game on normal, but as I mentioned there are several difficulty levels and additional achievements for beating the game under certain conditions that will keep you busy. For $12.99 this seems fair in my book, but then again your enjoyment will be based on how much you like this genre.
So how do you feel about Ghosts & Goblins? It's not a comparison I make lightly. Cast of the Seven Godsends feels like nothing less than a complete and total love-letter to that franchise, borrowing several of its key stylistic elements and core mechanics to form something that is very, very much pulling from the classic arcade franchise...for better and for worse.
Cast of the Seven Godsends - Redux suffers from random difficulty spikes, poor controls, and inelegant implementation of a number of baffling design decisions, rendering it defenceless against the classics of the genre.
Cast of the Seven Godsends is a flat attempt at bringing the retro era of arcade games back to life, with a poor artstyle and shoddy visuals it's almost too bad to look at. The only saving grace is its gameplay design. Feeling just like Ghost N’ Goblins did back on the NES, Cast of the Seven Godsends does well in its attempt to mimic the combat and difficulty of a bygone era.
Overall the Cast of the Seven Godsends isn’t terrible, there is much to be applauded for the small team that made the game. The trouble is, it’s all just a bit basic. A bit forgettable. Eventually, after a few playthroughs, you’ll kind of just ‘get it’ and all the trial and error moments will be remembered to make the next play through a bit more of a smoother experience. The trouble is, one playthrough is enough, it’s just a bit of a none event so it’s unlikely you’ll go back for more, and I’m not sure that you would want to. 2D platform games are everywhere at the moment and many of them are much more fun than this, and I would recommend you try one of those.
Cast of The Seven Godsends is one of the weaker titles I've played this year, which is even sadder considering it's also a remaster. The few redeeming qualities are buried by poor design, resoundingly clunky mechanics, and rough controls. Retro games always had some rough spots, but this is inexcusable.
If you’re up for an old school challenge, and some frustration as well, Cast of the Seven Godsends will generally deliver all of the above. Sharing elements with some classic arcade titles for both better and worse it delivers some fun of its own with its various power armors, but understand that they can show up with frustrating inconsistency for the most part. When it clicks and gets rolling it can be a lot of fun, just don’t be surprised by some frequent aggravation when it doesn’t.