Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Bram Stoker’s Dracula adopts a first-person perspective that was relatively rare in console games of its era, immediately setting it apart from the side-scrolling versions of the same license. You step into the shoes of Jonathan Harker, armed with a trusty knife and a limited supply of bullets, as you fight your way through maze-like corridors in three sprawling stages: a haunted cemetery, the foreboding Carfax Abbey, and Dracula’s own castle. Combat feels weighty and deliberate, with each swing of the blade and every carefully aimed shot feeling consequential—miss too often and you’ll find yourself running low on resources, forcing a more tactical approach to each encounter.

Central to the core loop is the purification of Dracula’s coffins. These unholy resting places serve as spawn points for ghouls and vampires, so until you place a holy wafer inside each one, monsters will keep reappearing. This mechanic adds a clear objective to every area and pushes you to explore every nook and cranny. You’ll often find yourself backtracking, reloading your gun or blade, then plunging into another wave of undead. It’s a simple yet effective framework that keeps the tension high and gives each room a purpose beyond mere decoration.

Puzzle elements are woven throughout the levels, breaking up the combat with key hunts, lever-pulling, and the occasional teleporter or rotating portal. The tile-based map system will remind you of early first-person RPGs: you’ll mark your map, retrace your steps, and try to remember which door leads where. These environmental puzzles never grow overly complex—mostly involving hidden switches and pressure plates—but they do require a careful eye and sometimes a bit of trial and error. All told, the gameplay strikes a balance between action and exploration that will appeal to players who enjoy methodical horror experiences.

Graphics

Visually, Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a product of its time, with sprite-based enemies set against static, pre-rendered backdrops. The color palette leans heavily into deep reds, murky browns, and shadowy grays, creating an atmosphere of constant gloom. Textures can appear blocky and repetitive by modern standards, but for a mid-’90s console title, the game does a commendable job of conveying a sense of dread—corridors flicker with torchlight, and cobweb-strewn walls feel convincingly ancient.

Character and monster sprites are detailed enough to be recognizable, with Dracula’s various forms—ranging from a towering vampire lord to a bat-shaped specter—standing out against the otherwise drab environments. Some boss arenas even feature subtle background animations, like rolling fog or flickering candles, which heighten the sense of occasion when you finally face off against a stage’s end-boss. However, these effects can tax the hardware, leading to occasional frame-rate dips during the most intense fights.

While the graphics may not rival contemporary PC titles of the same year, they capture the gothic aesthetic of the source material adequately. Loading screens sometimes display stills or art inspired by the 1992 film, offering brief but welcome flavor. If you’re looking for cutting-edge visuals, this isn’t the game for you—but if you value atmosphere and thematic consistency, Dracula’s moody presentation remains effective.

Story

Loosely adapting the 1992 film, the game’s narrative casts you as Jonathan Harker on a desperate quest to stop Dracula’s reign of terror. The plot is delivered primarily through a short prologue and occasional text panels between levels, rather than in-game cutscenes. This sparse storytelling approach keeps the focus on gameplay, but it can leave you wanting more in terms of character development and dramatic tension.

Despite its brevity, the storyline does a solid job of motivating your actions. Each new location is tied to a clear goal—purify the coffins, defeat the undead, confront Dracula’s next form—so you always know why you’re clearing that oddly arranged room or searching for another key. The occasional diary entries and letters you find in hidden corners hint at a larger world of gothic horror, though these snippets never coalesce into a fully realized narrative experience.

Fans of the film will recognize certain elements—the names of supporting characters, the visual design of Dracula’s lair, even the promise of a climactic showdown—but the game stops short of retelling the movie’s full arc. If you’re approaching this purely for its story, be prepared for something more minimalist. However, if you enjoy piecing together lore from environmental details, Dracula’s world offers just enough mystery to keep you engaged.

Overall Experience

Bram Stoker’s Dracula stands out as a unique console adaptation of a classic horror property, offering first-person action and puzzle solving in a way that few other licensed games attempted at the time. Its blend of tense combat, coffin-cleansing objectives, and simple environmental puzzles creates a consistent rhythm that will appeal to players who appreciate methodical exploration over run-and-gun chaos.

That said, the game’s repetitive structure—three large but similarly designed stages, each with the same coffin-purify-fight cycle—can feel a bit monotonous by the end. Resource scarcity ramps up the tension but occasionally leads to frustrating backtracking when you’re low on ammo or healing items. The navigation can also be tricky: without an in-game automap, it’s all too easy to get turned around in the twisting corridors.

Ultimately, Bram Stoker’s Dracula offers a solid dose of gothic atmosphere and a novel gameplay hook that sets it apart from other movie tie-ins of its era. While its graphics and storytelling may feel dated today, the core experience of exploring haunted ruins and facing down the Prince of Darkness retains a certain nostalgic charm. If you’re a retro horror enthusiast or simply curious about an early example of first-person console horror, this title is worth a look—even if it’s more of a historical curiosity than a timeless classic.

Retro Replay Score

6/10