I have an obsession. The kind that eats you up and spits you out. The sort of addiction that you just don’t want to get rid of. And what is that gosh darned beast, you ask?

Why, the Castlevania franchise, of course!

Castlevania centers around a family of monster hunters: the Belmont clan. With their signature strut and adequately muscular physiques, the Belmonts were born and bred to take down one man, one evil‒Count Dracula. He’s cruel, yet dignified. Vulnerable, yet powerful. He also refuses to get rid of the holy water and crosses scattered around his castle, but no one’s perfect. It is the duty of the Belmont clan to find this man and kill him before it’s too late.

If there was one word to describe characters, music, and overall atmosphere of Castlevania, it would simply be “fun”. In your effort to take down the Prince of Darkness, you must explore the treacherous labyrinth of Dracula’s castle. On your way, you’ll find classic monsters such as Frankenstein’s monster, Cerberus, the Wolfman, and Medusa. Well, Medusas. You will frequently encounter waves of floating Medusa heads. You’re not really supposed to question it.

If you would like to simply ease into the games, I highly recommend the monster-slaying goodness of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night for the PlayStation, where you play as Dracula’s son, Alucard (subtle, I know). It’s one of the easiest games in the franchise and features an incredible soundtrack, beautiful art, and charmingly terrible voice acting.

The series does not only have to be enjoyed in video game format, however. Recently, the game was adapted into an incredible animated Netflix series. You follow Trevor Belmont, Sypha Belnades, and Alucard in their desperate fight to save humanity from Dracula and his demonic forces. The show is both action-packed and character-driven, and newbies can easily enjoy it. Even my dad liked it, and he thinks that all cartoons are just for distracting idle toddlers.

Castlevania is a franchise that offers not only intriguing and exciting lore but also pure, campy fun. With its wide variety of content and characters to fall in love with, it remains a classic and loved series.