Publisher 2124 Publishing in conjunction with developer The Deep End Games has finally unveiled the release date of upcoming Metroidvania-meets-dating-sim Romancelvania. First announced in 2020 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, and PC, Romancelvania is now set to release on March 7 for PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S, with the PS4 version having been canceled and the Switch version to launch at a later, currently undisclosed date.
Originally titled Romancelvania: BATchelor’s Curse, the game lovingly stitches dating sim elements into the time-honored Metroidvania genre to create a game that is part action-platformer, part dinner for two by candlelight — with, of course, a heavy helping of monsters on the side.
Romancelvania’s cast is a splendid showcase of the supernatural. Characters range from emo sirens to genie bartenders to “spicy, curvaceous pumpkin witches,” to quote a press release from Romancelvania’s narrative director, Amanda Gardner. “With Romancelvania,” Gardner states, “The Deep End committed to realizing the most fleshed out, quirky, and irresistible characters for Drac to fall for or befriend.”
Drac is the game’s fanged protagonist and player character. A casanova vampire with the capacity to make or break hearts, Drac is roped by the Grim Reaper into starring in a The Bachelor-style dating show alongside twelve viable monsters, each of whom vies for Drac’s undead, unbeating heart. With players being able to select Drac’s body type, voice, romantic interests, orientation, and narrative pathway, what ultimate romance means for Drac is something that will depend entirely on player choices.
Gameplay flirts between dating action and side-scrolling adventure, with the latter allowing players to level up Drac’s skills in combat, magic, and even romantic prowess. Having spent a century nursing a particularly brood-worthy heartbreak, Drac’s powers are initially lacking in almost all departments. However, as Drac begins to develop stronger relationships with the monsters of Transylvania, these monsters’ abilities will become available to Drac in the game’s action-platforming sections and will ultimately help restore Drac’s former glory, long since lost to that one bad break-up.
Romancelvania is set to be the second release from independent developer The Deep End Games, whose first title, the sound horror Perception, released on PlayStation 4 in 2017. Founded in 2014 by former Bioshock and Dead Space developers, The Deep End Games primarily funds its projects through Kickstarter — and at the time of writing, the Romancelvania project has amassed a significant 3,000 backers and long since exceeded its funding goal.
