Adult oriented games tend to get a bad rap, usually because said mature content takes preference over the game itself instead of both being worked on equally, which leads to the final product being lacklustre as a result: at that point, many would simply choose to look up what they want to see on the Internet and not bother to play the game. Midnight Castle Succubus DX isn’t like that: it’s an adult game that delivers its adult material throughout a well-crafted and fun experience.

The game’s a 2D side-scrolling metroidvania through and through, and one specifically inspired by one of the earliest pioneers of the genre all the way back on the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), which is Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest. The open-ended level design encourages exploration, and the map is comprised of various areas with diverse locales for the players to go through as they make their way towards rescuing the captive girls and to face the final boss.

It’s worth mentioning that the game’s structure isn’t the only thing the creators took inspiration from: the game itself is basically a throwback to the third console generation. The graphics, which carry a moderately anime aesthetic, look just like those of the 8-bit era, albeit of better quality but visually appealing nonetheless and running flawlessly. Similarly, the music also has retro acoustics, yet that doesn’t stop it from providing a great soundtrack. Some of my favourite compositions are Afterlight Confrontation, Shrouded in Twilight, Crisis at Evenfall, Deadlock and Flames in the Dark.

Gameplay-wise, the heroine uses a whip as her main weapon to fend off any threats in her path and can progressively become more powerful via the acquisition of some of the collectibles and by purchasing upgrades, from stronger whips to tomes that improve her mobility and versatility. Said upgrades are bought with coins, which also serve as ammo for the different sub-weapons found across the levels. Finally, while not directly playable, four companions can be recruited on the journey which, when selected, will tag along with the playable character, primarily helping to dish out more damage although some like the thief can also be useful by pointing out secrets, for example.

There are different types of collectibles throughout the adventure which will be beneficious in one way or another, either right after grabbing them, during the playthrough or upon starting New Game Plus to purchase extras such as new character sprites, an OP (overpowered) mode, or a gallery that shows a large collection of erotic pixel portraits, a topic which I’ll get more into right away.

The player will always be asked to select which version they wish to play before the game boots up, either SFW (Safe for Work) or NSFW (Not Safe for Work), a very thoughtful feature on its own that ensures the game can be played anywhere without risk. The content within the game will change depending on what’s chosen, either uncensored or censored: for example, both loading and game over screens will display erotic pixelated art and animated sequences respectively or be blank, bosses will appear in more feminine and sexualised figures or more genderless and monster-like looking, and the captive girl sprites will either be sexually engaging with monsters while naked or all dressed and standing up.

It took me just a little over eight hours to finish my first playthrough of the game, though I’m pretty sure seasoned players need less than that. In addition, the game’s difficulty can be toggled at any moment from the Settings menu, and you’re allowed to save anywhere, anytime, so it’s as convenient as it can be. As briefly mentioned with the collectibles, completionists will be provided with extra rewards that are sure to serve as a nice incentive for replaying the game and trying them out.

Just as with any metroidvania, the sensation one gets from looking back at the starting point once they’ve advanced and become progressively more powerful and capable, enough to breeze through previously challenging sections and be prepared for whatever comes next, is one of the main goals games of this genre should strive for and Midnight Castle Succubus DX delivers it in spades: it was that pleasant sensation that made me not mind backtracking to previous areas for one reason or another and showed me how far I came since I began playing.

Needless to say, I’ve very much enjoyed my time playing Midnight Castle Succubus DX and would love to see more adult games made like this; it proves they can be of quality and just as good as any other game you can think of. I believe the asking price is very much worth it as is, though I’d still encourage those curious but doubtful to pick it up while it’s on sale: hopefully, more people will purchase it and support good adult games and their creators.

Specs of the machine I used to play the game:
- Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro
- Processor (CPU): Intel® Core™ i3-4005U @ 1.70 GHz, 1700 Mhz
- Graphics Card (GPU): Intel® HD Graphics Family
- Memory (RAM): 4 GB