Throughout the years, several cartoons from The Disney Afternoon have been successfully adapted as video games. Some of these like Darkwing Duck were a natural choice given the crime-fighting nature of Drake Mallard’s alter ego, while others like Duck Tales seemed like the transition would be less straightforward. Nevertheless these games were all well received in their era, but one show seemed perfect for video game adaptation and that’s Gargoyles. Originally released for Sega Genesis in 1995, Gargoyles was an action platformer where players got to control Goliath. Now that a new century has began, it’s once again time for Goliath to break from his stone prison and fight the forces of evil in Gargoyles Remastered.
Those who are familiar with Gargoyles will recognize the story instantly, and for those who aren’t, it’s highly-recommended viewing. Based on the show with some liberties taken for the sake of game progression, Goliath seeks out to destroy the Eye of Odin. This corrupted talisman possesses great power, so naturally it is highly desirable by the evil doers of the world, both in Goliath’s original era and in present day when the castle has risen above the clouds.
Goliath’s battles span one thousand years. The first two stages take place in the year 994 during an attack on Castle Wyvern where the rookery is in danger. During these introductory stages Goliath must defend his home from Viking raiders that prove to be no match for him. But fans of the series know how this conflict ends, and before long Goliath finds himself in a strange new world in present day 1994. Human enemies are a thing of the past as Goliath now faces more powerful machines for enemies as battles across buildings, the horrors of public transit and ultimately into the searing heat of the forge. There isn’t much variety to the foes Goliath faces but given when this game was released that isn’t too surprising. They do offer enough variety to keep encounters interesting enough.
One of the things that makes Gargoyles an interesting game is the different abilities Goliath possesses. Based on his physical appearance one can assume he is monstrously strong which allows him to defeat his enemies in unarmed combat and even throw some of them. Besides his combat prowess he can perform a double jump with the flap of his wings to get to those hard to reach areas. His last ability of note is that he can use his claws to climb up sheer walls and crawl across ceilings.
Players have a choice in how they wish to experience Gargoyles Remastered. With the press of a button they can instantly switch between the original Sega Genesis version or the modern remaster. The remaster is gorgeous with graphics appearing to have been taken straight from the animated series. The inclusion of the original graphics and sound is great for nostalgia sake but outside of that it’s suspected most people will prefer the modern graphics. Gargoyles does have a decent amount of challenge to it and the new rewind feature lets players go back a few seconds of gameplay which is helpful if they meet an untimely demise through carelessness. The last addition is a save feature, no longer forcing players to destroy the Eye of Odin in one sitting.
Gargoyles as a television program aimed at children was ahead of its time, and similarly the game adaptation tried to incorporate the same philosophy. The general gameplay is a mix of Goliath using his inhuman strength to fight enemies in both man and machine but also explore the world in a way unique to gargoyles. It’s honestly not the greatest game, or even greatest game based on a Disney IP, but good enough where fans of the show would enjoy facing the challenges it has to offer. The way environments can obscure enemies can make combat frustrating and the outdated controls can make traversing through areas of downtown and the forge that require acrobatics more frustrating than fun.
While graphics and sound have received a major improvement in the remaster, the gameplay mechanics remain as they were. This is an area of the game that doesn’t hold up well. When removing nostalgia filters it’s often found that the controls and mechanics of older games are somewhat on the clunky side and Gargoyles Remastered is no exception. The idea of having Goliath travel by jumping from lamppost to flagpole was a great idea in 1995 and helped make it feel like Gargoyles and not just a generic action platformer. The problem is the controls weren’t great then but more forgivable in the era. Given how much game controls have improved since then these mechanics feel very archaic and would have benefited from being tightened up. Of course if they did there are some who would complain that it is no longer an authentic port of the original game, so I guess the developers couldn’t win either way. Given how well some retro IPs have been revisited in modern games, it would be great to see a new game based on Gargoyles with modern gameplay mechanics.
Closing Comments:
For better or worse, Gargoyles Remastered remains a product of its time. The remaster was handled in a way where all remasters of classic games should be handled which is add quality-of-life features like being able to save and modernizing the graphics and sound while giving the player the option to switch to the original version. The remastered graphics are beautiful and it’s like watching the animated series as game. The game mechanics are antiquated, however, and don’t hold up well. Players who enjoyed this title on Sega Genesis will find that it plays exactly how they remember it and can still have fun with this one. Newcomers who don’t have the benefit of nostalgia will likely be less forgiving of the gameplay in Gargoyles Remastered.
Gargoyles Remastered
