Summary
Enotria: The Last Songis a Soulslike set in fifth-century Italy and is heavily inspired by the culture and folklore surrounding it, turning the ‘Land of Wine’ into a place with a dark and brooding secret looming within. Everything from its setting to characters to enemies has been carefully crafted to take advantage of its setting and time period.
While the challenge of a Soulslike is here and to be expected,the overall vibe and atmosphere in Enotria are vastly different,making for a nice change of pace.The music, towns, enemies, and NPCs are not what you’d expect in a game like this, but they all strengthen the game’s core inspiration and premise, making it shine bright.
6Dancing Townsfolk
It’s no secret that Italy has a deep and rich history of theatre, dance, and comedy, which was greatly popularized and emphasized with commedia dell’arte, a type of professional theatre centered around conovaccio. Conovaccio is an improvisational comedy with a list of acts and scenes, but the rest of the details are left up to improv.
And, in the town of Quinta, you can see the enemies dancing around the streets, playing instruments, all while wearing masks, which was another crucial aspect of commedia dell’arte and the conovaccio plays. Unfortunately, the moment you get too close to them, they will snap out of their act and begin attacking you.
5The Force Of Change
Speaking of conovaccio, one of the most prominent aspects of Enotria: The Last Song is your ability to dawn different masks, changing your loadout and playstyle to a slight degree. The first boss you will encounter is The Force of Change, highlighting the commedia dell’arte inspiration and set play.
Upon defeating The Force of Change, you will receive his mask, allowing you to equip it and assume control of some of his actions, essentially forcing you to improv your way through the rest of the game with his playstyle if you choose to wear his mask. It’s a neat and clever way to tie everything together.
4Pulcinella
While not exactly an enemy, one of the few NPCs you will meet when first arriving in Quinta is Pulcinella, who is seemingly not too much of a threat, at least not yet. Historically, Pulcinella is seen as very self-absorbent and unsightly, always trying to further themselves at the cost of others.
So, despite Pulcinella not being a clear-cut villain in the demo of Enotria: The Last Song, we certainly do not trust them and feel it’s only a matter of time before they betray us for their own personal gain.Think of him as this game’s version of Patches,and you will quickly understand why we have him on this list.
3Curtis, Prince Of Laughter
Curtis, Prince of Laughter, is the second boss you will encounter in the Enotria: The Last Song demo and is based on Antonio De Curtis or Totò if you’re more familiar with his stage name. He was a performer known for his excellent comedic and cynical characters in the early 1900s.
Totò received the nickname ‘Il Principe Della Risata’ or ‘Prince of Laughter’ and is one of the most famous and respected Italian actors of all time, making this boss fight a perfect addition to a game centered around conovaccio. Nonetheless, it’s cool seeing a nod to Antonio De Curtis in a soulslike game.
2Monaciello
Next up are the robed figures you will bump into directly in the area just outside of Curtis' boss arena, which is a reference to the legend of the Monaciello. While the Monaciello are often depicted as being short and benevolent, they seem to have become a bit of the opposite in the world of Enotria.
We thought they could be a reference to the Befana (Witches). Still, Monaciello is said to live in ruins and monasteries, and considering you stumble upon these figures near the Monastery of Maja tells us they are likely inspired by them, as opposed to witches.
1Vermiglio, The Red Prior
Finally, we have Vermiglio, the Red Prior, who serves as the demo’s final boss. While it might be possible that she is named after the commune in Italy, it is far more likely that this character’s name is based on the name of the Caravaggio painter Giuseppe Vermiglio from the late 1500s to the early 1600s.
Their works are unsettling and oddly beautiful at the same time, which is how we would also describe this boss encounter. While it’s clear this boss is likely also based on Monaciello, her name and the general vibe and atmosphere surrounding her are reminiscent of Giuseppe Vermiglio!
