Game Overview

Gameplay

Calturin wastes little time on busywork. You move through the Gauntlet of Portals, face a lineup of deadly opponents, and try to earn the freedom promised by the necromancer holding power over you. That boss-rush focus gives every encounter weight: the game is built around surviving intense bullet-hell pressure rather than wandering through a large world.

There are eight distinct boss fights, along with two painful routes and a battle against an army. The important choice is whether you want to simply push toward the ending or deliberately take on the tougher red and black portals. Those routes give skilled players a reason to test themselves.

Character growth adds a needed layer beyond pure dodging. Choosing how to improve your skills lets you shape your approach as you grow stronger, and it should make repeat attempts feel more purposeful than banging your head against the same fight unchanged. The speedrunning angle also fits the format well: once a boss pattern and a build choice click, shaving time becomes a satisfying extra goal within the boss-rush format.

Graphics

Calturin uses a 2D, diagonal-down viewpoint suited to a direct-control shooter. That framing puts the action in a familiar arcade-style space, where your attention stays on positioning around enemies and incoming danger.

Story

The story has a strong motive from the opening premise. You are resurrected into the necromancer’s control, then offered freedom in exchange for obedience. It is an uncomplicated reason to keep entering portals, but a good one: every battle carries the basic tension of whether this bargain will actually lead to release.

The journey through unknown lands gives the setup some fantasy adventure flavor without pulling attention away from the fights. Calturin does not need a sprawling premise to make its goal clear. You have a captor, a task, and deadly beings standing between you and the end of the deal.

Fully voiced characters are a welcome touch for a game this focused on combat. They give the story a chance to land as more than a thin excuse for another boss, especially for anyone who wants a little personality and context around a tightly structured challenge.

Overall Experience

Calturin knows what kind of game it wants to be: a concentrated fantasy bullet-hell boss rush with room for both a straightforward completion and more punishing repeat runs. Its biggest strength is that it does not dilute that premise. If you enjoy learning hard encounters, refining movement, and seeing a cleaner strategy pay off, the gauntlet has a clear pull.

Frustration is part of the deal. Boss-rush games live or die on your willingness to retry, and the tougher portal choices are explicitly aimed at people who want pain along with progress. You should not come here expecting a leisurely action adventure with long breaks between major tests. Come for the fights themselves.

For the right player, that narrow focus is worth it. Calturin has enough structure to reward improvement, enough challenge options to extend a run beyond the basic route, and a story hook that gives the action some momentum. If that sounds like your kind of focused action game, Calturin on Steam is the right place to pick it up.

Retro Replay Score

7.2/10