After the opening hour of Mina the Hollower, I discovered myself dropped right into a hostile world with no clearly “appropriate” path to comply with and roaming enemies that would kill me in only a few hits it doesn’t matter what route I selected. That’s about after I realized this retro RPG was hiding way over I anticipated beneath the floor – and as soon as I burrowed on in, I by no means needed to return again up. Mina is a tricky-as-nails journey gorgeously performed up in the fashion of the Recreation Boy Colour’s finest, and it isn’t shy about these influences. It borrows The Legend of Zelda’s open-world construction, provides a wholesome quantity of Castlevania’s horror setting and haunting chiptunes, and peps issues up with a stunning dose of FromSoft’s Souls video games in its fight and development. However someplace in that blend, Mina turns into greater than the sum of these elements, cleverly riffing and remixing them them with constant brilliance. Its blocky exterior disguises wealthy fight programs, a few of the finest puzzle fixing ever put to display screen, and a humorous, deeply bizarre world I cherished to discover.
Developer Yacht Membership Video games is not any stranger to retro tributes, with its standout Shovel Knight sequence drawing closely from NES classics like Mega Man. Whereas Shovel Knight caught to its supply materials fairly carefully, Mina makes use of Zelda video games like Hyperlink’s Awakening and the Oracle duo as a basis for a a lot deeper, extra trendy tackle a high-down motion-RPG: You could have a leap that can get you over small gaps however by no means as much as a better ledge, an overworld that partially scrolls however has distinct edges between areas, and naturally begin out with a stubby little weapon (truly, a number of to select from). These will not be the Zelda video games you often see builders intention their sights at, however I like how the seemingly-limiting constraints of imitating the early handheld Zeldas conceals Mina’s interior complexity.
Nonetheless, very a lot not like the Recreation Boy video games it attracts from aesthetically, and extra like The Legend of Zelda for NES (or Breath of the Wild many years later), Mina has a very open world. There are not any paths blocked till you get some particular merchandise, and nothing however your personal talent degree conserving you from going to any one among its 4 preliminary dungeons first. You simply must battle your manner there. And in the event you can’t reduce it, there’s most likely one other space to attempt as an alternative, a intelligent place to grind for cash and ranges, or some aspect quests that result in elective upgrades.
Mina’s world is usually surreal, dreamy, and uncanny. Constructed round the central village of Ossex, the Tenebrous Isles are an entrancing mixture of gothic fantasy and magically-infused steampunk tech. There are many cute animal denizens, like Mina, but in addition constructing-busting giants, completely pleasant abominations, and a complete lotta possums – that are a kind of monster. Cutesy overworld sprites are typically subverted by ghoulish character portraits if you cease to talk. All of it smacks of the David Lynch-impressed characters that make up the otherworldly island of Hyperlink’s Awakening in simply the proper manner (and that’s not some snooty artwork college connection I’m making, Twin Peaks has been broadly cited by the devs as a serious affect on that 1993 Zelda sport). Moreover, these characters all have lives which are affected by your actions, and lots of find yourself holding a higher function in the bigger story, which has some enjoyable (if predictable) twists and turns, however actually saves the good things for the finish.
Mina herself is a little bit of an enigma. She’s a monster slayer, but in addition one thing of a mad scientist who has outfitted Tenebrous Isles with tech that’s being mysteriously sabotaged. The plot follows whether or not her machines are literally good or dangerous, and whereas courageous little Mina appears to behave heroically on this kill-or-be-killed overworld, usually fixing issues for the Islefolk, she additionally causes a number of: With out spoiling something, these can come again to hang-out you. This little white mouse explores plenty of gray areas, and I like that!
There are six most important dungeons unfold throughout the Tenebrous Isles, every with an identical space that leads as much as it – a swamp, a seaside, a crypt… you’ve performed a online game earlier than. There’s even a small however very cool nod to Castlevania right here, with brief establishing pictures displaying the boss towers silhouetted in the distance for each space – after which these creepy spires displaying up in backgrounds as you climb, similar to Dracula’s perched lair. Whereas most of Mina’s artwork selections are restricted to blocky tiles, these sweeping scenes and backdrops exhibit some gorgeous pixel artwork that helps set the temper.
(After which there’s the soundtrack: Pure Castlevania! Baroque jams carried out on a wonderful, beepy boopy NES/Recreation Boy soundalike instrument set. I’ve been associating this kind of gothic Casio sound with tense horror motion video games since 1987 and it nonetheless feels completely rad when executed this nicely in 2026.)
All six areas are stuffed with appeal and problem, however one referred to as Septemberg particularly stood out as a chunk of storytelling I’d by no means skilled earlier than. It’s a area frozen in autumn, with gusty winds that blow you round, piles of fallen leaves, pumpkins, and a common Halloween vibe. All of it’s out to kill you. You rapidly study of a lurking terror in your midst there, and the escalating nightmare of attempting to handle that risk via a hedge maze, a lightning storm, and extra is a fully bonkers, adrenaline-inducing sequence I couldn’t cease speaking about with others who had seen it; simply an unbelievable amalgam of schlocky, spooky-season enjoyable.
Whilst you might go to Septemberg as your first space or not discover it till a lot later, there are areas you possibly can’t entry instantly, however the method to attain them isn’t a dungeon-primarily based improve. It’s a secret passage, a aspect quest, or, in some circumstances, by utilizing a particular Sidearm (secondary weapon) or Trinket (potential-modifying tools) that you simply discover whereas exploring the overworld. That is the finest and most pure sort of open world, and it’s executed excellently right here. Mina dangles a prize simply out of attain to problem you: Are you able to get to that treasure chest from one other display screen? Are you able to survive lengthy sufficient in the water to succeed in that hole below a bridge? Do you have to go in that creepy gap in the floor proper now with no save level in sight?
Mina’s transfer set as you meet these challenges is all her personal, and it’s a ton of enjoyable to study and grasp as you discover. Her potential to burrow beneath the floor after which pop up for an aerial leap is multipurpose: It’s a splash, a dodge, a protracted leap, and finally a swish method to dance round an enemy like a furry lil’ ninja. There’s a studying curve for positive, and successfully working this transfer into my hacking and slashing took time. There are not any counters or dodge rolls right here, simply sliding below an enemy to get the higher of them. However as soon as I received the hold of burrowing, it turned a flexible fight software that made Mina really feel additional nimble in comparison with, say, a sure squat, little Hylian.
There are two different facets of Mina’s arsenal that can absolutely catch Castlevania followers’ eyes – and ears – immediately. First off, the whip: Mina’s Nightstar (truly described as a mace on a series) is one among 5 attainable weapons to select from, and it’s a unbelievable go-to choice (and, in fact, any aspiring Belmont’s selection of weapon). I caught with the Nightstar for many of the roughly two-dozen hours it took me to succeed in the credit, however I ended up additionally falling in love with the daggers, Whisper and Vesper – extra of an Alucard factor. The Nightstar is sweet for delivering quick, heavy harm at a protected distance (and you may improve it to do the ineffective, dangling chain factor, ala Castlevania IV!). However the daggers, when boosted by a Trinket that provides an assault multiplier for touchdown hits with out lacking, turned an superior boss killer.
The opposite system ripped straight out of Castlevania are the Sidearms, which offer you quite a lot of secondary assaults relying on which Sidearm pickup you grabbed final (all of that are in predictable areas you possibly can keep in mind to return to). Choices like the sword and axe operate virtually precisely like sub weapons in Castlevania, and are even replenished the identical manner, with a useful resource referred to as Joules that’s spent every time you utilize one (similar to so many Hearts in basic Castlevanias). There are some bizarre Sidearms, although, like the Iron Steed – a bicycle with a kind of jousting rod connected that serves each as a fast choice to sprint round and a method to leap over large gaps to succeed in secret areas. Different Sidearms I preferred have been slightly ghost that attacked enemies and drained Joules over time, and a demon pet on a leash that acts as your personal private Chain Chomp.
You may increase most of Mina’s strikes via swappable Trinkets, which offer buffs that enhance your motion, assault, or protection in useful and typically wacky methods. I used to be in a position to increase my Trinket slots to activate 5 directly, and my most popular combos for exploration (lengthy jumps, elevated burrowing time, wall grabs) have been very completely different than these for fight (DPS multipliers, a revive, well being extenders). As an example, one Trinket allowed me to drift slowly down after a leap, and that turned important to how I moved via this world – however it was ineffective in most boss battles, so I’d substitute it with an assault buff that shocked enemies at the save room proper earlier than a giant battle. There are dozens of trinkets to seek out – some extraordinarily helpful on their very own, and others that solely add as much as large outcomes when used collectively. Not like many video games the place I have a tendency to stay to a method I discover that works, I used to be all the time excited to experiment in Mina.
The opposite method to improve your self brings us to Mina’s third main affect: FromSoft heavy-hitters like Darkish Souls and Bloodborne. The “Souls” forex equal listed below are Bones, and so they serve the very same function: Expertise factors gained from each fight and exploration that you could both spend or threat shedding upon dying. Mina isn’t almost as punishing, nevertheless, as you possibly can rapidly acquire a number of Sparks that can forestall you from shedding your Bones on dying, getting caught inside the enemy that killed you or in the room the place you died till you possibly can get well them. This results in a loop acquainted to Souls gamers that’s simply as exhausting to withstand right here: Do you delve deeper on this outing, getting extra Bones and objects, or do you run again to the nearest save level and “Bone Up” first?
Boning Up lets you spend an escalating quantity of Bones to degree up both your most important weapon assault, protection, or Sidearm assault, with a fourth choice to retailer the Bones for safekeeping in a “financial savings account” of kinds, which is impervious to dying. I discovered that going all in on assault was the finest wager early, and did a good quantity of grinding to take action.
Discovering grinding spots proved a serious part of Mina, which I had plenty of enjoyable with in the late sport particularly. It was cool to really feel barely OP at instances if I discovered a extremely great spot, although that does imply pushing via the already powerful intro first. Dumped into the open world after the on-rails opening space, you’re nudged in the route of the Crypt to the east of Ossex as your first dungeon, however the path there may be actually, actually exhausting at beginning ranges. As soon as I hit an space with a very invincible-feeling set of knight enemies, I used to be caught a bit off guard by Mina’s issue curve. However concern not: This primary hurdle can also be the largest, and it may be solved just by spending a while to degree up your assault, perhaps some protection, and search for secrets and techniques.
It’s because Mina begins to throw a lot extra Trinkets at you, in addition to alternatives to attain Bones naturally as you discover. On this manner, Mina, which is a really exhausting sport, units itself other than one other latest 2D motion sport infamous for toughness: Hole Knight: Silksong. In Silksong, your major choices are often to “get good” or simply go elsewhere. There are objects and upgrades to seek out, however grinding simply to degree up your stats doesn’t exist, and that limitation made that individual Metroidvania-with-bugs really feel much less open than one thing like a Castlevania: Symphony of the Night time.
In distinction, Mina let me clear up issue checks like bosses in a number of methods, which I appreciated lots. You may definitely study a difficult boss’s patterns, or you possibly can grind for Bones to up your assault after which completely roll it. Alternatively, you may play together with your Trinket construct till you discover some combo that makes that individual boss a breeze. All of those upgrades actually matter: Enemies that take 10 hits might take half that after a Bone Up, after which half that once more, so simply discovering a intelligent grinding spot could make issues a lot simpler. Crucially, that grinding feels completely tuned to permit for a number of playstyles, not like a slog you’re pressured into.
Your therapeutic and life bar additionally owe a debt to Darkish Souls, however there’s a extremely enjoyable and twisted… twist to it. You could have a inventory of well being potions referred to as Plasma Vials, however you possibly can solely replenish your well being bar in the event you assault enemies. Every hit you land fills in the lacking part of your bar with a yellow half referred to as Plasma, and that Plasma can then be transformed into good quaint pink well being if you use a Vial. So meaning if you’re getting low on well being, you have to go on offense. There are a number of environmental objects that may assist you heal, and Trinkets can as soon as once more play with Vials and Plasma in cool methods, however the core therapeutic system presents an amusing gamble that I ended up loving – and making loads of improper bets on.
In fact, each Souls-impressed sport additionally has its model of a save level that each heals you and restores all the enemies to the world. Mina’s is cute and intelligent: A tiny “Underlab” particular spots allow you to burrow all the way down to the place you should use saved Bones to degree up, swap Trinkets, and alter weapons. The principle loop of Mina turns into centered largely on whether or not or not you can also make it to (or discover) the subsequent Underlab, or whether or not it is best to retreat to the final one you visited. This units up that extremely-tense, threat-vs.-reward model of exploration that makes so many video games so interesting and exhausting to place down, from Resident Evil to Metroid. After every profitable outing, you’ll suppose, “Only one extra attempt – at the very least I do know the place the enemies at the moment are!” A neat twist to Mina’s Underlab is you can outfit it with issues like a method to retailer Sidearms, replenish your Joules, and even take a look at a rudimentary map that tracks collectibles by area.
Talking of maps, Mina doesn’t have an in depth, room-by-room one to pore over for secrets and techniques. Whereas this makes it much more like Darkish Souls and Bloodborne by way of the sheer, terrifying unknown of what’s forward, it cuts out Zelda, Metroid, or Castlevania’s potential to always probe the edges of a pause-display screen map to smell out some collectible hidden previous a breakable wall. There are many secrets and techniques on the market; you simply should probe each ingredient of a room with a purpose to discover them. This helped me give attention to the fight, platforming, and survival, which I did recognize, however filling out a map is one among my favourite actions in any sport. Nonetheless, I didn’t miss it as a lot as I assumed I might because it considerably ups the problem of discovering secrets and techniques in a enjoyable manner. (And over at IGN Guides, you realize we’re exhausting at work on a map, so you should have an choice I didn’t!)
A sport with so many disparate influences like this all the time runs the threat of turning into a mishmashed hodgepodge, however Mina’s inspirations are all superior selections that blend nicely collectively. The result’s a kind of Breath of the Wild second for high-down journey video games: Mina takes a bunch of concepts present in the hottest open-world video games of the trendy period and squishes them into the ‘90s Zelda mould. What comes out is a sport Nintendo can be too scared to make, FromSoft has already tried, and Konami gave up on for twenty years.
And regardless of being so referential, Mina is definitely fairly unpredictable, and steadily performs up the ingredient of shock. These surprises might be small: A large hand pulls you into a store; some creep simply reveals up in your Underlab; a freaky clown leap scares you solely to inform a dad joke. Or they are often actually massive. Whereas I clearly gained’t spoil something right here, Mina’s triumphant ending is its largest shock of all. It might arrange extra questions than solutions, however this conclusion and the run as much as it’s undoubtedly one for the books, full of wonderful twists I didn’t see coming. And darkness – “Tenebrous Isles” is correct. Look it up.
To get to that ending takes some time, too. After 23 hours, I rolled credit with 72% completion and instantly began into New Recreation+ to seek out all the stuff I didn’t the first time round. These 23 hours have been greater than sufficient for me to fall head over heels for Mina, however there’s much more, too. You may go for 100% completion inside your authentic save due to a clearly labeled level of no return – however what’s attention-grabbing is that, since your completion fee and all the treasure you’ve discovered will carry over into New Recreation+, you possibly can proceed to chip away at that 100% objective in your new save as nicely. Returning to boss fights with all of your gear or noticing that crack in a wall you forgot to delve into the first time round is a blast. I’ve by no means performed a sport that lets you do a second playthrough with a bunch of chests sitting there open, whereas others stay undiscovered. It’s extraordinarily cool.
On high of that, every New Recreation+ via the seventh run has distinctive permutations: The preliminary model I’m on now has far fewer save spots, making runbacks an absolute killer (which, blissfully, just isn’t a priority in any respect in the base playthrough). And for you oldschool cheat code followers, there’s an enormous menu of modifications to activate and off, which vary from goofy to useful. You may even toggle on a kind of “God mode” for if you get caught – simply do not forget that this disables the “Feats” (achievements) system. I left it alone for that purpose, however began a brand new save up simply to fiddle with it, and it’s unbelievable for making Mina extra accessible.