Throwback Thursday: Dracula Resurrection DVS Gaming – DVS Gaming (registration) (blog)

Welcome back to this weeks edition of our Throwback Thursday series! This week we will be revisiting the first game in the beloved Dracula series: a title that holds a massive cult following to this day.

Dracula: Resurrection is an unofficial sequel to Bram Stokers Dracula.Set seven years after the end of the eponymous novel, Mina Harker finds herself inexplicably drawn back to Transylvania, and, convinced Dracula has returned, Jonathan Harker sets out to save her. The game was followed by a direct sequel later in 2000, Dracula: The Last Sanctuary. A third game with an unrelated storyline was released in 2008 as well as a 4th in 2013.

The gameis a point-and-click adventure developed by Index+ and published by DreamCatcher Interactive for Windows and Mac OS. Published by Microds, it was ported to the PlayStation as Dracula: The Resurrection in 2001.In 2011, a slightly modified version developed and published by Microds was released in a three-part episodic form for iOS. The game was met with critical acclaim and holds a score of 67/100 on Metacritic, and maintains a cult following today.

One of main complaints that Dracula: Resurrection received was concerned with its storytelling. The resurrection of Dracula himself is never really explained and some critics said that the story was too close to the novel and therefore lacked originality. There was also no means by which the player could die, giving offering little to no difficulty. Despite this, the game was highly praised for its puzzles and its graphics, and many critics claimed that it had the best-looking rendered human characters to ever appear in a PC game.

The game begins with the final scene from thenovel: Draculas gypsies are attacked byJonathan Harkerand his men, and Draculais killed, releasing Harkers wife,Minafrom her psychic enslavement to Dracula. Despite Draculas apparent death, Harker remains skeptical as to whether or not he is really gone. The game then cuts to London, seven years later, with Mina feeling an irresistible force drawing her to Draculas castle inTransylvania. She leaves a letter for Harker, begging him not to follow her.

Harker arrives at the Crown Inn in theBorgo Passlate at night and is advised by the innkeepernot to go to the castle until morning, as it isSaint Georges Eve, a night whendemonsare believed to walk the earth.As Harker explores the grounds he is drawn to an old cemetery in which he finds a tomb that seems to be emitting a blue light that looks like flames. He decides to dig, and finds an old ring emanating a mysterious power. He takes the ring back to the innkeeper and she explains that the discovery of the ring makes sense, as Draculas gypsies have recently returned to the area. Whats more, the blue flames only appear at the grave when the demonlocked within has broken its chains and has been once again released upon the world.

Harker tries relentlessly to cross the bridge to the castle, but continues to find his efforts futile. His first attempt to cross the bridge is halted by a gypsy who does not allow him to pass. He then finds a pan flute, which he discovers is how the gypsies communicate with one another. He then tries to lead the gypsy away from the bridge so he can pass undetected. His plan works, but the bridge collapses before he is able to make it across. Harker returns to the Inn once more in search of advice, and is told of a treacherous secret tunnel leading to the castle. Outside of the Inn, the gypsies have congregated after realizing Harkers trickery, so he is forced to take a passageway through the Inns basement. Harker doesnt realize that the gypsies had caught on to his plan and are now watching his every move, along with Dracula himself.

Upon arriving at the castle, Harker meets an old woman locked in adungeon, she claims she once ruled the castle withDraculas father, but now Dracula has no need for her and has banished her to the dungeon. She vows to help Harker find Mina if he helps her to escape. She says Mina is in a secret tower guarded byDraculas brides, and explains Harker must find an amulet to open the tower. In the library, Harker finds a note from Dracula, who is now in London, congratulating him on getting so far, but taunts him about his imminent failure. As he searches for the amulet, he finds another letter from Dracula in which he talks about meetingLeonardo da Vinciand how he has built a flying machine of his own.

Eventually, Harker finds the amulet. He returns to the old woman, who takes him to Mina, but she betrays him, locking him in the tower in an effort to regain Draculas trust. However, the tower in which Harker and Mina are locked is also the tower where Dracula has stored his flying machine. As Harker attempts to escape using the machine, he is attacked by Draculas brides, but is able to elude them and flee, with an unconscious Mina beside him. As he leaves the vicinity of the castle, Harker muses that Mina can never be safe whilst Dracula lives, and as such, upon returning to London, he must defeat the Count once and for all.

Be sure to check out very own Cat Brody as she walks us through a bit of Dracula: Resurrection and gives us a peek into the game.

Dracula: Resurrection is still a hit with fans and a classic in many gamers libraries. Are you a Dracula fan? Let us know in the comments below or onDiscord, on ourFacebook page, orTwitter!

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Throwback Thursday: Dracula Resurrection DVS Gaming - DVS Gaming (registration) (blog)

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero