This had an influence on gaming that tends to go unnoticed. It is hugely ambitious: a gothic steampunk setting where you play a soul-devouring vampire in a quest for vengeance which unfolds into an epic about time travel, fate and free will. It has themes of cosmic horror and morality. As if that doesn't sound spectacular enough, it has flawless and eloquent dialogue delivered by excellent voice actors including the great Tony Jay. In terms of gameplay it's a puzzle platformer with interesting combat and navigation dynamics revolving around soul consumption and traversing between the material and ghost realms. Vampire weaknesses have to be exploited to defeat enemies. Gradually you acquire new abilities in a Metroidvania-style progression. The only weaknesses are the occasionally frustrating jumping areas, which were tolerable for an early platformer in its time but haven't aged well - the gamepad-enabled remastered PC versions are therefore a dream come true. If you like H.P. Lovecraft, vampires, philosophy, original fantasy - you must play this series.
