What’s On The Shelf | Games, Music & Culture

Welcome back to the Race to Git Gud, where the FromSoftware catalog is being tackled with all the grace and efficiency of a jackrabbit with its legs tied together. Day 7 drops Katia into Castle Whyt, a location that immediately trades cramped corridors for towering spectacle. Let’s get into it.

Castle Whyt feels less like a fortress and more like a cathedral. Gothic architecture stretches upward into high ceilings, with long corridors lined by solemn statues. It’s a striking contrast to the tight, suffocating design of Castle Grayl. Unfortunately, the vibe shift doesn’t extend to the inhabitants—most of the soldiers here are already dead or on their way out, suffering the same fate as those before them.

Talking to these dying soldiers provides a bit of lore and, more importantly, cards. The tone is unintentionally hilarious. With their final breath, these guys are basically handing over something like a Flying Ray card as if it’s a treasured heirloom, before immediately keeling over. Gratitude feels optional here, especially when those cards are mentally earmarked for resale at the Apothecary the moment Katia gets the chance.

Progress through the castle relies heavily on lifts, switches, and side paths. There’s a baseline level of exploration required to open chests and move forward, but it never quite evolves beyond that. For a setting this visually interesting, the gameplay feels a little flat. Eventually, pushing upward leads to the boss encounter: the Chaos Knight alongside two Ghost Armors. It’s a noticeably easier fight than the Brenden Field bosses. Functional, but not particularly memorable.

After the fight, Katia enters the throne room, where a small, suspicious area sits just behind it on the map. This is where things go sideways. Instead of figuring out how to access it, the run ends prematurely thanks to an accidental conversation with a nearby dying soldier. That interaction ends the level—and permanently locks off the area behind the throne. Lost Kingdoms doesn’t allow immediate re-entry either, so that missed section stays missed until a full playthrough is complete.

The result: no Chaos Knight pickup. A self-inflicted loss, though not a devastating one given there’s likely already one sitting unused back in the deck. The real takeaway is simpler—don’t talk to anyone unless fully prepared to leave.

With Castle Whyt cleared, the runestone hunt continues. The actual target isn’t here at all, but instead located in the nearby Grenfoel Church.

Fool me once, fool me twice.

If Castle Whyt felt like a cathedral, Grenfoel Church removes all ambiguity. This is the real thing. Stained glass windows cast color across rows of pews, and the space leans fully into the aesthetic. Progress here revolves around collecting candles to unlock the rear portion of the church. It’s another task that feels more like busywork than meaningful progression, but the enemy design helps carry things forward. Nightmares—massive, poison-spewing demon horses—and Great Demons provide some visual and mechanical variety.

Before advancing, there’s a small but worthwhile detour. A piece of sheet music near a piano unlocks a secret when played. Despite earlier oversights, this one isn’t missed. Katia sits down, plays a short piece, and—depending on interpretation—either performs something appropriately gothic or accidentally channels Runaway. Either way, the result is a hidden passage containing red fairies and the Lich card. A solid recovery moment.

Back at the altar, lighting the colored candles opens the boss chamber, complete with a faintly pleasant, almost out-of-place vanilla scent. A bit of light reading from the surrounding books sets the stage before Helena makes her appearance. She delivers the classic “meet me elsewhere” villain exit—specifically the Coliseum—before disappearing and leaving behind a problem to deal with first.

That problem is, quite literally, Dracula.

The inclusion of a full-on Transylvanian-style vampire in this world is both ridiculous and oddly fitting. The fight itself is straightforward, and this time the reward cooperates. Dracula gets added to the inventory, marking the end of a brief run of bad luck.

With the church cleared and the path forward established, Katia moves on to confront Helena directly. The hooded woman, the runestone, and whatever comes next are waiting.

Stay tuned.