Castlevania: Lords of Shadow ditches the Metroidvania blueprint for something bolder—and ends up revitalizing the franchise in the process.
Ever since Castlevania 64, 3D has been a dirty word for the Castlevania franchise. Three-dimensional integration has long been a problem for Castlevania, which has struggled to update exploration, combat and modern graphics, opting instead to repeat the 2D finesse of Symphony of the Night. However, MercurySteam’s collaboration with Kojima Productions has finally resulted in a great 3D installment in the series — simply by adding their signature style.
Still, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is not necessarily a game that you look at and think “Castlevania”. While the latest entry in the series bears a strong resemblance to Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest, the core gameplay feels almost indistinguishable from games like God of War, Devil May Cry, and even Shadow of the Colossus, but behind it, all is a good and surprisingly traditional take on Konami’s demon-hunting franchise.
For once, though, you’re not explicitly hunting Dracula himself. Instead, your protagonist, Gabriel, seeks to avenge the death of his wife by destroying the Lords of Shadow, gathering their power, and then attempting to resurrect his lost love. While the story isn’t exactly gripping, Patrick Stewart’s narration adds tension to each chapter.
Gabriel’s weapon of choice is the Combat Cross — a giant chain concealed within a crucifix-shaped hilt. Players have access to a familiar suite of light and heavy whip attacks, which can be supplemented with new attack combinations as the game progresses. Light and shadow magic add another dimension to the fluid combat: Gabriel’s health is restored with each successful attack when light magic is activated, and shadow magic makes the whip more powerful. Alternating between light magic, shadow magic, dodging and blocking is a rush, and the engaging boss battles later on force players to switch tactics.
“Castlevania: Lords of Shadow definitely encourages players to return to previous levels to acquire secrets and upgrades that were previously inaccessible…”
Battles occasionally boil down to quick-time events, and while Castlevania: Lords of Shadow has the usual “press this button repeatedly” type of combat, it also incorporates a new and interesting concept: instead of requiring a specific button press, the game asks you to press any button at a specific time. It’s a small change, but it means you can watch the action on the screen without having to wait to see what arbitrary input the game wants you to make next.
While the majority of your deaths will likely occur in combat, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow’s platforming sections can also be incredibly difficult. It’s as if the developers were trying to emulate the same platforming characteristics of the early Castlevania titles on the Nintendo. Expect repeated deaths. So, while the gameplay can be tedious, it will provide a more fulfilling experience for longtime fans of the series. Exploration, on the other hand, is sparse compared to past Castlevania titles. However, Lords of Shadow definitely encourages players to return to previous levels to acquire secrets and upgrades that were previously inaccessible — which feels like a nod to past entries in the series.
“While the majority of your deaths will likely occur in combat, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow’s platforming sections can also be incredibly difficult.”
Aside from platforming and combat, the third obstacle in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is the game’s love for puzzles. Most of the puzzles involve unlocking certain doors or discovering various platforming secrets. However, they do break up the pace nicely, and the game thankfully gives puzzle-hating gamers a chance to solve the solution automatically — at the expense of some skill-buying experience.
As Castlevania: Lords of Shadow has been released on both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, it’s worth noting that the Xbox 360 version has some frame rate issues, as well as a few instances of freezing. Neither are serious problems — the freezing is infrequent and only lasts a few seconds, while the frame rate occasionally stutters when killing enemies. Overall, these do not prove to be a hindrance in any meaningful way — just a few hiccups.
While Lords of Shadow may feel like a blockbuster ripoff at first, it is anything but a generic action game. The few complaints can’t compete with the game’s engaging combat and unapologetic march through danger. If you’ve grown tired of Castlevania’s previous Symphony of the Night formula and were hoping for a restoration of the timeless quest, then you’re in for a treat.
