Ever since the first Castlevania title was released by Konami back on the Nintendo Entertainment System, I've been a fan. For 24 years I've been cracking the whip and slaying vampires across gaming systems, in 2D both and 3D. On the 2D side of things the experience has been riveting and rewarding, with fun gameplay mechanics and rich content. On the 3D side of that coin, things haven't exactly been what I'd call stellar. Does Konami's latest release, Lords of Shadow, change that?

Story

For starters, let's just point out that Castlevania: Lords of Shadow has nothing to do with the rest of the franchise. This break from canon leaves the developers free to do new things and explore a world that hasn't been established yet. Does it work? For the most part yes, and despite not being canon players still step into the shoes of a Belmont for all its worth.

The tale follows the adventures of a Brotherhood of Light member named Gabriel Belmont (voiced by Robert Carlyle). Gabriel is on a quest to save the world and in order to do so he needs to talk to his dead wife at the Lake of Oblivion. Her spirit has a clue as to what's going on and how to stop it, but the only way to find his way there is to talk to the old god Pan (voiced by Aleksander Mikic). What transpires is an introduction to a dark world where the dead can't ascend to heaven thanks to the actions of the Lords of Shadow.

The Lords are powerful demons who herald the end of days. They unleash evil on the unsuspecting populace and it's pretty much up to Gabriel to put a stop to their antics. Joining Gabriel along the way is his mentor, Zobek (voiced by Patrick Stewart), and the plot thickens as the game progresses. Things aren't quite as cut and dry as one might think and ultimately the story becomes rich and complicated with plenty of twists. Is it any better than what we've seen in the main Castlevania series? Not necessarily, but it's a solid narrative and interesting just the same.

Gameplay

Obviously being a 3D Castlevania title means the gameplay is inherently different. I'm sure by now you've heard comparison to God of War or the like, and in all honesty there's some truth in that. Lords of Shadow gives Gabriel a whip that he slings around him like Kratos does his blades.

Combat yields orbs and experience, as well as a move upgrade system. These upgrades come in the form of combat maneuvers, weapons, and magic. The variety is nice and players get a clear sense of progression as they spend points and learn more things. A couple of hours into the game you're also given Light and Shadow magic, which affect gameplay in a variety of ways. Shadow magic boosts Gabriel's damage, while Light restores his health, and there are other benefits as well.

Ultimately I'd say that anyone who has played an action title within the past five years Lords of Shadow will feel instantly familiar. Thankfully that doesn't diminish the quality of the systems at work here.

The gameplay is ultimately refined and the frequent battles are a joy to plow through. Gabriel's moves are put together nicely and they never leave players feeling short-changed in combat since there's a great deal of polish here. Attacking groups of enemies, dodging, jumping, and pulling off magic become second nature after a while and any death faced while fighting is purely your own doing (though, admittedly, the game is rather challenging).

Boss fights are on the epic scale as well and there's a great feeling of tension as players square off against monsters of varying shapes and sizes. While these elements still feel as though they are borrowed from God of War, the game also features Titan battles that have a very similar vibe to Shadow of the Colossus. Climbing aboard giant beasts and knocking out specific ruins feels a little contrived, and yet somehow they work within the setting of the game. Just be prepared to die a lot while trying to figure things out.

Death based on platforming, however, is another beast entirely. The game features tons of platforming as Gabriel is forced to use his whip to scale walls and jumps from edge to edge ala Prince of Persia. He's not quite as nimble though and the game isn't anywhere near as forgiving when it comes to exploration. Falling to your death is commonplace and getting stuck looking for the way out of a stage happens more often than one would like. It's not enough of a detractor to hurt the experience, but rather it hampers with the pacing somewhat. Fortunately the environments stay fairly linear throughout, so getting lost doesn't happen all too often.

The game unfolds itself as a collection of chapters with missions taking Gabriel from point A to B. The progression is more or less presented as a straight line and the only bumps in the road will be repeated death at the hands of a boss or wonky camera mechanics that make areas you need to explore borderline invisible.

Still, the combat is rich and rewarding and ultimately Lords of Shadow makes its mark as a Castlevania game that's a big success in 3D. Similarities to other franchises aside, Lords of Shadow is a finely polished beast that offers a lot of play time and challenge. Fans of Castlevania will want to add this one to their collection and should consider it highly recommended.

Achievements

Achievement mongers will have to spend a lot of time with Castlevania: Lords of Shadow in order to net all 1,000 points. Beating all twelve chapters, and inevitably the game, will give upwards of 300 points depending on what difficulty you chose at the beginning. There are also points for completing trials in each level, purchasing upgrades, and earning experience. Luckily players can revisit past stages in order to help achieve these points, and there's even an Achievement for getting a 110% completion rate in all levels.

Graphics

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a gorgeous game. The characters are nicely rendered, monsters look the part with plenty of detail, and the environments add an incredible amount of atmosphere and personality to the title. In motion the game is an explosion of color and awesomeness. Watching Gabriel deal a hand of death to lycans or goblins never gets old and the screen erupts in a shower of blood and flashes of light. Unfortunately not everything is sunshine and kittens. The camera problems hamper the atmosphere a bit and the framerate drops considerably at times. Both of these elements, combined with the fact that you can't look around your environment, have a way of removing players from the experience. Overall the game is stunning, but nitpicks keep it from being epically so.

Sound

Like the visual display, Lords of Shadow is easy on the ears as well. With an incredible voice cast that adds weight to the narrative and cut scenes Castlevania's plot really comes to life. Add to that some great music and enveloping sound effects and the game quickly becomes an aural tour de force. Crank the volume up on this one and you won't be disappointed.

Conclusion

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a great game packed with a wonderful sense of adventure and addictive combat. When it's pushing players forward with all cylinders running the game offers an experience that rivals some of the more prominent action titles on the market. Unfortunately inconsistencies in pacing, an obnoxious camera, and "die, restart, die, restart" gameplay wears on the patients. These stand out as blemishes in an otherwise epic experience. It's not a masterpiece by any means, but it's a worthwhile game that's highly recommended.


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