Bachiller

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (2010) video game review

Developer: Konami
Platform: PS3 & XBox 360
Format: Third Person Action-Adventure
Players: 1
If you’re at all familiar with Castlevania you don’t need me to tell you this series is epic! Sure, like many other franchises it’s had its ups and downs. Some games in the series aren’t worthy of the title, but when Castlevania gets it rightthere is simply no competition. It is a juggernaut in horror-based video game history. Before there were games such as Resident Evil, Parasite Eve, Splatterhouse or Silent Hill there were the Belmonts and their never-ending quest to vanquish the powers of Dracula. And late last year the Belmonts were back in a brand new adventure filled with werewolves and vampires!
So how does the newest entryin the franchise add up?

If I could pick one word to best describe ‘Castlevania: Lords of Shadow’ it would be epic! Fucking epic at that! It is by far one of the most engaging and powerful plays I’ve had in the whole series.
Storyline: Castlevania Rebooted
We’re taken to the very start of the series, a prequel as it were, and introduced to the first Belmont to take whip in hand and purge thelands of evil. Gabriel Belmont is a brave knight who belongs to a sacred order known as the Brotherhood of Light, warriors blessed and ordained by God to protect and serve mankind against the otherwise overpowering forces of darkness. The Brotherhood, however, is nearly diminished by the onslaught of evil. Their numbers are few now and their fallen brothers lay scattered and forgotten across theaccursed lands, but the order’s strength and zeal are locked within the heart of Gabriel as he marches through the lairs of the damned. He is but a man though, mortal and fragile; haunted by the grievous loss of his beloved wife Marie. Marie fell victim to the insidious powers consuming the world, and her murder is what drives him into the very heart of darkness. Gabriel is a man who seeks toresurrect the life of his beloved, and he intends to do so with the power of the God Mask, an ancient relic that holds the powers of Life securely inside it.
All is not what it seems to be though. The Lords of Shadow are holding a great secret about the very Brotherhood Gabriel belongs to, one that will set the course of his own dark destiny and the destiny of the Belmont family for centuries to come.Gameplay:
Get ready to kick some ass medieval style! Like most Castlevania games this one gives you use of the trademark whip, trusted vampire-ass kicker of the Belmonts, as well as a wide assortment of sub-weapons. Making their return are the trusted daggers and holy water. Knowing which sub-weapon to use against which foe will make your fighting more effective. For example: werewolves aredeadly allergic to silver, and that means a dagger slice to their hearts will fuck up their day badly! Likewise vampires hate holy water. You get the idea. Also in your assortment of weapons you’ll be given green fairies that prove to be a great distraction to some baddies, so dazzle them with a handful of sprites then beat the unholy shit out of them! A fourth sub-weapon is a dark crystal whichencases a very powerful demon who, once unleashed, blasts unholy hell upon every baddy on screen. The dark crystal’s power comes in handy whenever you find yourself in a jam, which will certainly happen a lot in this game.

One of the main complaints I’ve heard about this game is that ‘it’s tough.’ Well no shit it’s tough! It’s a fucking Castlevania game! They’ve always been tough. In all honestythough I don’t think this one is nearly the most difficult in the series nor is it the most frustrating. Anyone who’s familiar with ‘Simon’s Quest’ will know what I mean (how long did it take you to figure out what the red crystal’s purpose was?) Castlevania games are always wrought with puzzles and blistering challenges. This one is no exception. I found myself ready to put my foot through the...