Developer: Mercurysteam
Publisher: Konami
Release Date: Out Now
Platforms reviewed: PS3, Xbox 360
Players: One
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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is Konami’s attempt at a reboot of the long running series. Unlike the Castlevanias of old this one is set in a 3D world and the gameplay is not too dissimilar to games such as God of War and Ninja Gaiden. You take on the role of a knight called Gabriel Belmont, who’s a member of the brotherhood of Light, a group that protect the world from the forces of evil. The story, narrated by the unmistakable voice of Star Trek queen Patrick Stewart, is set in the year 1047, a time in which all is threatened by the Lords of Shadow who have separated the earth from the heavens. Gabriel has been tasked with defeating these Shadowy Lords in order to gain a great power which will reunite the earth with the heavens and could also bring back his recently deceased wife.
The game starts straight in the action, with you defending a village from werewolf -like creatures. This level plays like a tutorial, introducing the player to the basic combat controls, which for any of you who have played the God of War games will be instantly familiar. The controls are relatively easy to get the hang of, with the face buttons being used for attacks and jump, and the left analogue stick for movement. There are also around 40 different combos which can be unlocked by spending XP gained from killing monsters. The game features a set camera angle, generally viewed from behind the player, but it can alter sometimes during platforming sections. This set camera angle works fine most of the time but as with the God of War games there are occasions when it causes a nuisance. It often disguises where you need to continue to, with blue grapple points being hidden against a blue sky, and often when changing area the camera angle changes but the controls don’t seem to change as quickly, so if you end up going in circles, or heading back the way you came.
Gameplay-wise it improves later on when you gain the use of magic. There is both light and dark magic in the game, which is unlocked when you find a necklace for each. These magic powers can be used for various combos with the normal controls, but also have uses themselves for platforming sections, such as activating switches or breaking down walls. Each magic has a limited bar which depletes quickly when activated. The bars can be refilled with neutral magic, which is found in some breakable objects and sometimes as a remnant when killing monsters. Later in the game you acquire the focus ability which allows you, once getting a certain number of hits on monsters without being hit yourself, to obtain more neutral magic orbs from enemies. Light magic, when enabled with a press of the L1 button, allows you to refill your health with each successful hit on a monster while dark magic, enabled with the R1 button, causes more damage with each hit. Sadly they can’t both be activated at once and when refilling the bars you can often only fill one, leaving you with a choice on which is more useful. One slight problem with the gameplay was the difficulty. Even playing at normal difficulty I occasionally found myself stuck, unable to beat a certain boss or monster, which started to get frustrating. Normally the solution was to unlock some more combos or to use more magic but sometimes it just needed repetition to find the monster's weakness in order to beat it.
The story is played out with occasional cutscenes and is broken down into chapters. The storyline is engaging and helps draw you in. Each chapter features different monsters and you’ll encounter huge bosses, such as the titans near the beginning, or smaller bosses in the middle of a level, such as a troll guarding a castle walls. The main bosses featured in the game are the Lords of Shadow, and these are where you will need the most skill. The battles with them often feature more than one section, so after you think you’ve defeated them they turn into something else. This is where the combos and magic you unlocked earlier come in handy. With 12 chapters the game will give over 20 hours of gameplay just to complete the main story. The only problem with the levels is although there are a large range of worlds and areas to go, the levels themselves are very linear, often giving you only one path towards a set end objective. There are also a number of upgrades which can be found, such as enhancements for your combat cross or gems to increase your magic or life points. These upgrades are often hidden and sometimes can’t be accessed until you unlock a new ability later on in the game, encouraging you to replay levels. After completing a level a trial is unlocked, where you have to replay the level and complete a certain challenge while doing so. All of these will add hours of replayability to the game.
The graphics are also stunning, with beautifully drawn monsters and scenery. The attention to detail is also very good, with vampires burning when they go into the sun. There are the occasional glitches here and there, with rocks not having complete textures, but considering the number of levels and the sheer variety of landscapes in the game this is only to be expected.
Overall Lords of Shadow is a natural evolution and a good addition to the Castlevania series. The gameplay and story make for an engaging game which, although it has a few problems here and there, makes for many hours of gameplay (something of a rarity these days) and which anyone can enjoy.
Best Bits
- Engaging storyline - 20+ hours of gameplay - Replayability
Worst Bits
- Controls sometimes mess up - Difficulty makes it frustrating in places - Set camera angle hampers your view
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