An official Stokerverse release titled Dracula: Dark Reign is coming to Game Boy Color from publishers Incube8. Developed by Game Boy veterans Spacebot Interactive, lead writer for Stokerverse Chris McAuley explains how the collaboration came about. “Spacebot came to my attention when I was reviewing Dragonborne. I adored the mix between RPG and Pokemon, the graphics were incredibly detailed and the experience was fun. I reached out to studio head Chris Beach and he was a massive Dracula fan, we both liked the idea of a Metroidvania-style title so that cemented our relationship.”
The game is due for release next year, and so far we only have a few screenshots and Chris’s brief story explanation to go on. Some might ask why a new Dracula game, given its fan base, is being developed for the Game Boy Color. Chris answers: “[I’m] a Game Boy fan. I owned one and played it to death. It’s also important to me to see its new title selection grow, not just from a nostalgia sense but because the boundaries can still be pushed on its tech. We see this clearly from Spacebot Interactive’s work!”
When asked what we can expect from Dark Reign, Chris excitedly explains that it’s a “Metroidvania title which incorporates aspects from Bram Stoker’s notes and previously unseen aspects of Dracula. These were portions removed by the English publisher Archibald and Constable before release. Something I can tell you is that, in the prologue, you play as Jonathan Harker as you escape the castle; you then encounter creatures detailed in Bram Stoker’s notes and finish the prologue in the way that Bram originally intended. We then move the action to 1911.”
The game will blend seamlessly into the other media, such as books and comics, of Stokerverse. Chris says, “It fits in perfectly as a prequel and a sequel to not only the Dracula narrative but with our RPG title from Nightfall games and the Graphic Novel from Scratch Comics. Within the next few months, we will have created titles which stretch from a timeline of 1890 to 1925. I’m also a massive retro gamer so it was important for me to ensure that those like me were represented. Let’s be honest, the Game Boy versions of Coppola’s film were very disappointing. Maybe I am righting a wrong of my youth?”
