Castlevania: Shadow Lords

Release date: October 5, 2010
Publisher: Konami
ESRB Rating: Mature

Castlevania: Shadow Lords It owes a huge debt to its ancestry from third-person shooter games. The game starts off slow, and I’d have to forgive someone after an hour if he thought he was playing Kratos goes to Dante’s Inferno to find a Celestial Sword. However, as I progressed through the epic two-disc story, I realized that this game has a few legacies of its own. Castlevania it may wear its influences on its sleeve, but the little things that MercurySteam and Kojima Productions borrow from other franchises are well done and in some cases even bettered.

Take some of the battle sequences. The game incorporates quick-time events similar to what you may have seen in any action game of the last decade. I’m usually not a fan of these because I’m so busy figuring out which button to press that I can’t actually see the big cinematic fight in the background. Castlevania: LoS it makes use of a visual cue that requires a timed button press, but does not specify a specific button. Simply pressing any button you want at the right time makes it a little easier to see the action.

The rest of the fight is the usual hack and slash action. Button mashers may survive, but the combo system is deep enough to be rewarding for experienced players as well. Your combat cross (read: whip) will be your best ally, but you’ll also make use of a couple of secondary weapons. Light and dark magic will also be at your disposal in combat and will be needed in some of the frequent puzzles.

Most of the puzzles are quite intuitive and manage to be challenging without being frustrating. If you get stuck or are afraid to activate your brain muscle, there is an option to unlock almost any solution to the puzzles that stand in your way. Of course, this will cost you some valuable experience points, not to mention real-world embarrassment.

I like to keep my reviews spoiler free, so I won’t touch on the story too much. It works well, but comfortable gaming devices may not be the only things the game’s designers borrowed. Some of the plot seems a bit stale and predictable. Anyway, about two chapters in I got hooked. Although he could see many of the twists and turns coming, he was determined to see this journey through to the end. I can also tell you, without revealing too much, that you play as a guy with the surname Belmont, and that there are vampires.

The game’s writers have also made it clear that this is a reboot, and the events that unfold here differ from classic lore. Basically, what happens in this Castlevania stays in this Castlevania. (That is, until the release of a potential sequel hinted at in the post-credits epilogue.)

The game is rated M for free gore. Fact: Did you know that when hit with a silver dagger, werewolves explode? As in, bring your galoshes and an umbrella-style blast! The game also contains some partial nudity, but it’s strictly of the creepy demon-monster-lady variety.

There is also a good replayability here. There are multiple branching areas to explore throughout the 50 levels. Some recoil will also be required to fully upgrade all your weaponry and abilities. In addition, there are specific challenges for each stage that are unlocked after playing for the first time. Almost all of the scenarios are less than an hour long, allowing Gabriel Belmont’s story to be played out piecemeal for those of us with restricted free time.

Of all the games I’ve compared Castlevania: LoS none is probably a better match than Vigil Games’ Darksiders. often described as God of War satisfies Zelda’s Ocarina of Time, was an underrated gem from last year that got lost in a holiday season saturated with quality games. Let’s hope Castlevania: LoS doesn’t share the same fate as it definitely deserves your attention. The worst I can say about it is that it draws heavily on some great games, and ultimately I think that’s forgivable when the result is such an immensely satisfying adventure.