The third and final sub-weapon, the bomb, bursts and leaves the ground in flames dealing ongoing damage to enemies within. The knives shoot out in a straight line, and the axes are lobbed outward in an arc that can travel through level geometry. The sub-weapons in Castlevania, like the throwing axes and knives also make their way into Elderand, and they function exactly the same. The Castlevania influences in Elderand run deep with its gothic tone, grim and gory art, and level design.

It's far more feasible to have one load-out geared toward magic and one towards melee. This is compounded by the fact that ammunition is limited, especially when enemies soak up several shots. Players will get used to one arrangement, switch weapons, then instinctively press the wrong button, only to leap back and loose an arrow ineffectually. Having the ranged spell attack and the close-up bow attack relegated to the same button creates a problem, though, resulting in many lost arrows. This is a great feature that makes changing up strategies on the fly easy and helps keep combat fresh. Players will have two load-outs equipped at once, and can switch between them with the push of a button. Ultimately, the bow is functional but not very useful, far from the best example of a bow in video games. And players will likely opt for magic as their ranged attack, as their MP will refill eventually. This can be good for creating distance in a tight spot when pressured by enemies, but the shot isn't accurate on moving targets, and, again, players are almost always better served by equipping a melee weapon and shield. Bows also have a secondary function, relegated to the same button as the spell shot, where the mercenary leaps backward while firing off an arrow at close range, angled downward.

This is fun in theory, but the combos, with their weak physical hits and long execution times, are almost always outclassed by using a more powerful melee weapon instead.īows have the advantage of going through enemies to hit multiple foes, and they're the only true ranged option, as spells fizzle after a certain distance.

They also each have a combo move that provides a more powerful melee option: two physical strikes followed by the spell attack become a close-up magical burst. The magic weapons - all staffs - can be used as melee weapons, but their primary function is a ranged attack that fires a mid-distance ball of energy.

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