Vlad Circus: Curse of Asmodeus – A Thrilling Prequel

“Memory was a curse, yes, he thought, but it was also the greatest gift. Because if you lost memory you lost everything.” – Anne Rice

Overview

Vlad Circus: Curse of Asmodeus is the new prequel to Vlad Circus: Descend into Madness (2022). It recounts events alluded to in the first game, another dark and sinister tale, this time following Josef Petrescu, co-heir to the circus.

Narrative

The protagonist in Vlad Circus: Curse of Asmodeus is the brother of the titular Vlad Petrescu, Josef. In the first game, we learn that Josef burned the circus to the ground in 1921 and was later sentenced to death by electrocution. In this new instalment, set before the events of Vlad Circus: Descent into Madness, Josef awakens in a hospital, burnt, unable to speak, and suffering from amnesia. The game follows him as he explores the building, revisits his memories via a series of mirrors and uncovers the truth about his past.

The story is intriguing right from the start and full of mysterious twists and turns. It is told largely through conversations, internal monologues, a journal, and some environmental storytelling. The descriptions are detailed and delightfully disturbing, and the dialogue is believable and varied, giving a good indication of the different characters’ personalities and pasts. The small but eclectic cast of characters includes a delusional priest, a fire-breathing lady, and Josef’s sceptical brother. The back-stories of some of the NPCs are revealed through the gameplay, adding an extra dimension to the narrative and, in turn, the game world as a whole, which increases the player’s sense of immersion.

Gameplay

Vlad Circus: Curse of Asmodeus takes its gameplay from a range of genres, including horror, interactive fiction, and adventure games. Despite being best played with a controller, its puzzle aspects play very much like a point-and-click game with a lot of inventory-based conundrums. Objectives include things such as finding keys, fetching a dead rat, and gambling. The puzzle solutions, whilst sometimes tricky and requiring some thought, are quite logical and incredibly satisfying to solve.

This instalment of Vlad Circus still includes a journal that is useful for keeping track of the story as well as current objectives. There have, however, been some changes from the first game, such as the removal of limitations on inventory space and resource management. For example, matches and lighter uses are infinite, as opposed to in Descend into Madness, where the lamp required regular kerosene refills. The protagonist is still capable of taking damage and even dying; this can be countered with medication that can be found in bags around the hospital. Threats that Josef faces include rats, gas leaks, and a fearful beast.

Styling

Set primarily in two locations, the hospital in which Josef awakens, and the town in which the circus is visiting in Josef’s memories, Vlad Circus: Curse of Asmodeus is depicted in intricate 2D pixel art using dark, muted colour palettes to depict eerie scenes and often visceral and disturbing imagery. The game uses atmospheric lighting to create a tense and creepy ambience and also features more detailed portraits during dialogue.

The music is varied and suits the different locations and events well, ranging from melancholy to sinister, sometimes frantic and even a little jaunty at times. This really helps to immerse the player and create a deeper connection with the game’s narrative and characters. Teamed with the well-implemented and often unsettling sound effects, the scenes are really brought to life by the effective sound design.

The overall aesthetic is quite distinct, with the visual and audio elements working in tandem to portray a variety of environments and convey different aspects of each scene or event, whether that be pure gore, hopelessness, even occasional silliness, or the indisputable sense of foreboding that persists throughout the experience.

Summary

Vlad Circus, Curse of Asmodeus is a fantastic game that expands on the first instalment whilst bringing something new to the table. It will take 4-6 hours to play and features the best elements from a range of game genres, blending them seamlessly to create a unique and atmospheric experience. Horror is delivered through creepy narrative elements, disturbing hospital exploration, gruesome imagery and tension-building sound design. The story is both engaging and intriguing, keeping the player on their toes with unexpected progressions and well-constructed characters. The pixel art is top-notch and depicts the various aspects of the narrative perfectly. Overall, this is a brilliant example of a horror-adventure; the point-and-click style of gameplay suits the game and narrative very well. I believe this game will appeal to a wide range of players, and I highly recommend it and the previous title.

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