Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Review

The Monster Action Series Is Reborn in 3D

Castlevania has had a long and tenured life-cycle in video game history. Since the early NES days, Count Dracula and his goulish minions have been causing havoc for gamers for more than 25 years. After finally attempting to tread new ground in 3D territory, Castlevania has never been able to find it's footing in that extra dimension. Games like Lament of Innocence, Curse of Darkness, and even the cringe-worthy Castlevania 64 were all sub-par games that failed to meet the vampire killer's expectations. It's been four years since Castlevania tried to chain-whip its way back into 3D, and thanks to the help of Madrid-based developer Mercury Steam, along with the guidance of Kojima Productions, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a satisfying 3D breakthrough that restores the franchise's integrity.

Story and Presentation (9)

Players assume the role of Gabriel Belmont, a member of the Brotherhood of Light, who is tasked with destroying the a powerful evil entity known as the Lords of Shadow. This evil incarnation has put a curse on the land, preventing the souls of the dead from reaching heaven. Among these souls is Gabriel's recently deceased wife Marie. She serves as the catalyst for Gabriel's journey, giving his mission meaning and purpose. The story here is a bit on the cliche side, but it ultimately works, and that is thanks to the excellent voice acting. Robert Carlyle, Patrick Stewart, and even the impeccably evil Jason Isaacs, lend their talents to the game, giving it a massive thespian boost to its credentials. Despite the talent, the story tends to feel slightly broken up due to chapter introductions for each level. In all there are 12 chapters, with more than 50 levels. Stewart, who plays Gabriel's mysterious ally Zobek, narrates our hero's journey, and introduces each chapter with a voice over that sets up the events of the level. I don't know if it was a lack of development time, but these introductions would've helped the narrative flow nicely had it been done as a cut-scene.

Since it was first announced at E3 '09, Lords of Shadow has been touted as a reboot to the franchise. Since the release of Symphony of the Night, the Castlevania series has embraced its identity as a so called "Metroidvania" play style. Players navigate a large castle, filled with twists and turns, while picking up new items that allows them to explore rooms that were once unreachable. You won't find any of that here in Lords of Shadow. The folks at Mercury Steam decided to take a more linear, action-adventure approach with their game, similar to God of War or Devil May Cry. The game is much more linear than SOTN, but the combat is so much fun, and every time you upgrade a new move it changes the way you battle the hoards of undead you come across.

The most appealing and beautiful part of Lords of Shadow is its art style and level design. The atmosphere of the game is stunning. Players traverse through swamps, forests, dungeons, villages, mountains, and of course, castles throughout this 15+ hour game. My only complaint with the game is you aren't always inside of a castle. Much of the first few chapters takes place in forest areas, ruined cities, and murky swamps. You'll trek snowy mountains, dimly lit and bloody dungeons, as well as other surprise locations, but the mainstay castle areas aren't really prevalent. It's a bit of a shock for Catlevania veterans, but if you keep an open mind there's much to enjoy. Music has always been a key part in past Castlevania games, and the sweeping orchestral score in Lords of Shadow adds a pinch of cinematic flavor to the game's presentation. I personally would have liked to have heard more of the old Castlevania tunes in the game's score, but it's only a minor complaint.

Gameplay (8)

Combat is the main focus of this game, and veterans of action titles like God of War will feel right at home. Gabriel is equipped with a combat cross, which really works as a chain whip. You have light attacks and sweeping area attacks, as well as secondary items like daggers and holy water. There's also a light and dark magic system, which assists players with regenerating health or inflicting additional damage. The combat is fluid, and while it does take major inspiration from God of War, Lords of Shadow executes much better than a similar God of War clone, Dante's Inferno.

Throughout the game you can upgrade your attacks, items, and magic using an experience point system, but during my playthrough I didn't find myself using every available purchase. You can stick with upgrading the cheaper, basic attacks and you'll get through the game without a hitch. The only thing that felt a little awkward with the controls was the dodge/block mechanic. In the PS3 version, you hold down L2 to block, but while pressing the button down, if you move in a certain direction, Gabriel will do a dodge roll. It's a bit jarring at first if you're a God of War vet, but once I got used to the new mechanic, I actually preferred this version over Kratos' move-set.

Boss fights have always been a mainstay of Castlevania games, and Lords of Shadow presents "Colossal" thrills for each encounter. Besides the regular boss battles, Lords of Shadow also introduces titan boss fights. For as big of a Castlevania fan as I am, these are clearly 'Shadow of the Colossus' re-hashes. The battles look impressive, and offer a unique challenge to players by involving a mix of platforming elements and combat, but I couldn't help but laugh when I was forced to use the "grip" button as the colossus was trying to shake me off its back. Again, it's executed well, and I did have fun with it, but it felt out of place within the context of the game.

Lords of Shadow plays like a hybrid of other popular games, but the game breaks down into three different core mechanics: combat, platforming, and puzzles. Mercury Steam does a great job balancing between the three, keeping the game's pace moving along rather well. I never found myself getting too bored with combat, and right when I was getting tired of mashing the attack button, a complex puzzle comes up to save the day. The puzzles are nothing new to shine your holy water at, but the game presents it very effectively within its atmosphere. I particularly had a blast with the music box puzzle. However, with every puzzle in Lords of Shadow, there is a bit of frustration. A lot of times I found myself not understanding the hints, leaving me running around in circles a couple times. It happened a few times, but didn't really break the game for me.

As for the platforming, Lords of Shadow takes a cue from the Uncharted and Prince of Persia series. Maneuvering Gabriel through the dark and ominous cliffs felt natural and gratifying, and many times you're forced to use your combat cross as a grapple hook to swing you from place to place, adding a sense of adventure and flair to traversing the environment. It's all very fluid, and it's always a treat trying to look for your next platforming maneuver. I did tend to die a couple of times during the platforming elements, but Lords of Shadow includes a very generous checkpoint system. Plus, it's called a platformer for a reason. You're making timed, accurate jumps, which is part of the challenge.

Puzzle Elements are surprisingly creative in Lords of Shadow

Final Thoughts

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is not Metroidvania, but that's a good thing. Mercury Steam wanted to get down to the essence of a Castlevania experience and went back to the action/platforming style of the pre-SOTN days. Still, there are moments where the game doesn't feel very Castlevania-ish due to some of the environment selections, but I think that's only a minor gripe. Combat and exploration is fun in Lords of Shadow, but don't expect anything genre defining. The story is satisfying, but as far as gameplay elements go, you can safely call this a God of War/Uncharted/Shadow of the Colossus hybrid...but it's executed with grace and precision. The whole game will take you about 15 hours to complete, but there is some replayability thanks to the inclusion of hidden gems, trials, and achievements. Overall, my favorite part of Lords of Shadow came with the game's ending. There will be much debate amongst hardcore fans as to what's next for the series, but I found it to be a brilliant twist in a seemingly predictable storyline. Fortunately, Mercury Steam has promised future DLC packs that will continue the exploits of the new and improved Castlevania universe.

LONG LIVE THE BELMONTS!!!

• The Good -
• Combat mechanics are familiar to players, but they mesh well.
• A seemingly cliché storyline that’s wrapped up with a great surprise ending. Be sure to wait until after the credits.
• Platforming and puzzles break up the combat and offer some fresh air to the pacing.
• Beautifully detailed and lush environments.
• Epic orchestral score that you’ll want to buy immediately.

• The Bad -
• Not many castles to explore.
• Upgrade system could’ve been better. You don’t really need to buy everything.
• Doesn’t feel like a wholly original game. May be a pet peeve for some gamers.

• The Ugly -
• Shadow of the Colossus gameplay moments feel unnecessary within the context of a game like this.

My Epic Score of Epicness: 8.5 out of 10

You're Kidding me, Right?