Konami’s latest gorgeous 3D installment in the long-running franchise is a real button-masher that seems more content on borrowing bits and pieces from others.
I am a long-time fan of the Castlevania series, despite the fact that most of Konami’s previous forays into the third dimension weren’t so noteworthy. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (LoS) has been called a series “reboot” by its creators. It’s definitely a step in the right direction, although it heavily borrows favored gameplay mechanics from other titles that you’ll easily recognize once you start playing it. If it weren’t for the title being emblazoned on the pause screen, you would actually forget that you’re playing a Castlevania game.
The protagonist is Gabriel Belmont, who is a member of the Brotherhood of Light, an elite group of paladins who keep supernatural creatures at bay. His personal mission is to defeat the Lords of Shadow that are responsible for both his wife’s death and the pestilence and evil that plagues the world. By defeating the Lords of Shadow, Gabriel will obtain the God Mask required to resurrect his wife, Marie.
Please note that I am reviewing the XBox 360 version of this title.
Graphics: 9/10
After watching the opening cutscene, I was pleasantly surprised to find that what I was seeing was in-game graphics. LoS has the frame rate of an interactive movie, and every environment is richly detailed. Levels range from vibrant landscapes and abandoned ruins to dark castle corridors and deserted wastelands. Its charm became lost on me once I found the invisible walls. Just because you can see a location does not mean you can get to it; too many times I saw flat surfaces that the game would not allow me to jump upon.
Nonetheless, LoS is downright gorgeous, even the character models. Every monster seems to have been meticulously designed and crafted with love. The same can’t be said of any people in the game other than Gabriel, however; while his outfit is vibrant and colorful, everyone else seems drab and somewhat monochromatic. Perhaps this was meant to draw the attention to Gabriel, because it worked.
Story: 8/10
Gabriel has set upon himself the task of defeating all of the Lords of Shadow who are responsible for his wife’s death and the evils of the land. He is joined by a fellow Brotherhood knight, Zobek (voiced by Patrick Stewart, who also narrates the story before every level). Gabriel’s drive to avenge his wife’s death is what drives the story, and he is helped along the way by the god Pan and a telepathic girl named Claudia.
Writer David Cox has stated that since this game is a ‘reboot’ of the series, the story of this game is not canon to other titles in the franchise. Although Gabriel’s name is Belmont, this means he is in no way related to other members of the clan in other games. (source)
I don’t want to spoil too much, as the plot takes quite a few twists and turns.
Gameplay: 7.5/10
If you liked God of War, then you’ll love the combat mechanics of LoS. If you liked Shadow of the Colossus, then you’ll love half the boss fights. I wish I was kidding. I guess if you’re going to borrow great gameplay mechanics, though, why not borrow from the best?
First, the combat. Castlevania’s trend of subweapons is still intact, with the inclusion of daggers, crystals, holy water, and fairies, but substituting for the whip is the Combat Cross. This is Gabriel’s vampire-slaying and landscape-traversing bread and butter. Like God of War, your attacks and combos consist of heavy straightforward strikes or wide-area but weaker strikes. Linking them together with Light Magic increases your health after each successful blow with the spiked chain, and augmenting with Shadow Magic makes your attacks hit harder. There are a lot of useful combos to be unlocked, although I found myself lost in button-mashing and still being successful.
The Combat Cross is also used as a grappling hook, which adds a new layer to the Shadow of the Colossus-type platforming you do in levels and fighting against titans. Oddly enough, this weapon gains the name of “Vampire Killer”, in spite of the fact that it’s not a whip.
LoS also contains an element of puzzle-solving, a creative addition to the game. You actually have the option of bypassing these puzzles and forfeiting the experience point reward you would get for solving them. They’re all not too much of a challenge, and the reward is worth the attempt.
Level trials are unlocked after you beat them, and demand that you fulfill a specific requirement before beating the level. Some of them are downright hard, and the only reward seems to be an Achievement for conquering them all. I’m not sure if it’s worth it. However, it does give the game some replayability once you’ve traversed the main storyline. Going back to previous levels to gather missed or unreachable items is highly recommended.
Sound: 8/10
All the voice acting in this game (especially the protagonist’s voice, Robert Carlyle, and Stewart) is done superbly. The script is a bit over-the-top, but what would a Castlevania game be without that? A miserable little pile of secrets. The orchestrated score is masterfully done as well, as each piece fits its respective setting. Every blood spurt, bone crunch, and chain slice is very satisfying, even when it happens to you.
Overall: 8/10
They could have removed Gabriel’s last name and the “Castlevania” connotation, and I would have been taken in. Like I said before, it’s all too easy to forget that you’re playing a Castlevania title if it weren’t for it being on the damn pause menu. Despite the sometimes inconvenient fixed camera angle, clonky platforming, and somewhat copycat combat system, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a great pickup for people who would like to see the series go in a separate direction. However, I’d be more apt to recommend it to those who enjoyed God of War.
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