Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

[Leon 55]

All right, I just picked up my copy of Castlevania: Lords of Shadows, and thought I'd share my first impressions of the game, in case anyone was thinking of picking up the game. I have just spent 2 hours playing and reached around 4% completion, and here are my thoughts:

 

Graphics: 9.5/10

A truly gorgeous game, graphic-wise. With the rain, the outfits' renderings, and even the creatures' hair, it is truly beautiful. However, the facial graphics of the characters could do with more detail. They seem to clean and 'pure'.

 

Sounds/Music: 9.75

The music and sounds of this game are remarkable. The voice acting is perfect, especially with the inclusion of Patrick Stewart. The only thing missing is a good piano number. Granted, it is still early in the game.

 

Gameplay: 7.75/10

Unoriginal, but fluent for the most part. There is no camera control, which is a large hitch. Further, combat is much like a God of War game, where it is attack, heavy attack, and combos. It also accents the combo's finishing move by slowing down a tick for emphasis. Overall, the system works well, but lack of camera control hurts. As for the roll of the story, it is divided into chapters, and each chapter divided into sections; and you can go back to replay each section at your will. What sweetens that, is once the level is beaten, it unlocks trials to try your luck at beating the level their way.

 

Story: N/A

I cannot evaluate story. I mean, c'mon, only 2 hours in, and all it says is the basic story. Gabriel Belmont is sent by the Brotherhood to a mystic lake that allows him to commune with the dead. I don't want to give away more than that, or why, for those who are playing. I will add on to this later.

 

Overall, it has been a good game. Graphically, it is beautiful, as is the music. Gameplay could have used more tinkering, but it does work. I do hope this helps in understanding the mechanics of the game, for anyone who wants to consider its purchase. Further, if anyone does play it, please, give your own review.

[Marked 197]

Sounds like a pretty good game from your review. The last time I played Castlevania was on game boy advanced. What platform is this for by the way?

[Leon 55]

My apologies, this game is for the 360/PS3. They say it tends to lag at times with the 360, and only VERY seldom with the PS3. I have yet to experience that problem, so I cannot validate it for certain.