Last Updated on July 23, 2021
Published by: Konami
Developed by: MercurySteam
Release Date: October 28th, 201
Available on: Xbox 360, Playstation 3
INTRO: I got a few suggestions and a bit of heat when I wrote my ‘Top 5’ games list for this year for not including Castlevania, so I’d like to make it up to my loyal readers by providing the with a review. Now, I’m probably not the best guy to be doing this because I am not a huge fan of the series. Sure, I played a few of the games on the NES but I’ve never really been into the games.
The fact of the matter is, I’m not huge into games that are really hard. I like a challenge but I’m not good enough to spend hours and hours trying to repeat areas in a game over and over again until completion. With that said, I’ve played this one for my dear readers and I hope I won’t be skewered for my thoughts.
Alright then. The company’s wordy synopsis is as follows: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow takes place at the end of days. The Earth’s alliance with the Heavens has been threatened by a dark and malevolent force – the mysterious Lords of Shadow – darkness reins the world. Across this shattered land, the souls of the dead wander unable to find peace, whilst creatures of evil roam free wreaking chaos and death upon the living. Gabriel is a member of the Brotherhood of Light, an elite group of holy knights who protect and defend the innocent against the supernatural. His beloved wife was brutally murdered by the evil forces of darkness and her soul trapped for eternity. Neither living nor dead she realizes the horrific truth of what is at stake and guides Gabriel to his destiny – and hopefully salvation for the world… but at what cost? Thus, Gabriel must travel the destroyed world, defeating the evil tyrants in order to use their powers to bring balance back to the world. Armed with the versatile Combat Cross – the world’s last hope must encounter the three factions of the Lords of Shadow and end their unholy rule.
Whew, did you get all that?
GAMEPLAY:
From what I understand, this is a game that doesn’t exactly fit into the typical Castlevania mold, but I’m not really going to complain. This is pretty much an action game through and through and seems as though the story isn’t as important as the hack and slash. This isn’t to say that the plot is useless; it’s silly but manages to eel your attention and keeps you playing for long enough. Belmont is a compassionate character and shows a lot of emotion through the game, which may have you relating to him a bit better than the typical ‘angry stoic’ guy. +
As you hack through levels as Gabriel Belmont, you may be reminded of God of War. Our hero is equipped with a combat cross, which is a chain whip with some weighted bit on the end. When you spam attack buttons, you’ll notice yourself stringing together combos that are reminiscent of Kratos’ fun days. That’s not where the comparisons end though because you’ve also got to deal with the gems, the camera, grappling onto little shiny orbs, quick-time events, and mini-games.
But that isn’t to say that this is a God of War clone. Boss fights are terrific and difficult, and the secondary characters are well done. Level design really starts to take off around the third chapter, with elaborate and fun challenges, as well as some gorgeous scenery. This game is hard. You can’t just attack mindlessly and grab health, because you will die and die quickly if you do. You’ve really got to learn to block and avoid when you play this game. On top of this, choosing your combo and attack pattern is really important too because you’ll be torn to shreds in no time.
There’s magic to use too, and it comes in the form of two meters which fill separately. There’s light magic, which heals you when active and you damage enemies, as well as dark magic which increases your damage. Each magic type has a bunch of special moves you can unlock. You can run through your magic pretty quickly, but luckily, defeated enemies drop little bits of magic to refill your meters. You choose which meter is filled, so you have to balance which you want more, based on your play style and ability. Frustration will set in when you try to drain magic from foes but end up losing everything when your multiplier is ruined by a hit from an enemy. Get used to asking yourself whether or not you want to heal, or go balls out because it’s a decision you’ll be faced with many times.
I don’t want to make this sound like pure gush though- this game has a frustrating mechanic that drove me a bit nuts. This game doesn’t feel as smooth in its progression as God of War of Devil may cry and suffer because of it. In the latter games, you may have different options when it comes to your path, and in Castlevania you have only one. For example, when you get your grappling hook you can see where you’re supposed to go, but the game waits until you are directly underneath it in the exact spot it wants you to be before it ‘lights up’ and allows you to use it. This is frustration, and a complaint worth nothing although it most certainly isn’t a gamebreaker. There are also moments when enemies don’t spawn when they’re supposed to and you’re left having to reload at an agonizing checkpoint because you have nothing to do to advance.
Gameplay: 8/10
GRAPHICS:
I must admit, Castlevania’s graphics are absolutely beautiful. It is a change from the usual Castlevania game that have traditionally been inside a Victorian-style castle. The backgrounds, the characters, the buildings, everything is just gorgeous. The only small complaint about the graphics is that is difficult to see Gabriel’s whip while it is in use, but that’s a very minor detail to mention in comparison to the stellar world the developers have created.
Graphics: 8.5/10
AUDIO:
This game’s soundtrack comes from a full on orchestra and a choir, and it’s very fitting. It can build to a fever pitch although can be a bit soft at times. Gabriel’s in-game grunts and groans are extremely repetitive, but the voice acting is stellar from big names like Robert Carlyle and Patrick Stewart. The sound effects and ambient noise are pretty spot-on.
Audio: 8.5/10
FINAL VERDICT:
This is an entertaining and challenging game that requires a lot of careful thought and is full of gothic action. The game is really well made and has a ton of memorable moments and beautiful scenery. For a series that I’ve barely touched, I basically understood what was going on and enjoyed the story for the most part. I would definitely recommend this solid title.
Final Score: 8.5/10
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