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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
Score: 9.0 / 10
It’s becoming a big trend this generation
for Japanese studios to outsource some of their most popular franchises
out to overseas developers, offering a new take on their longest-running
series in an attempt to strengthen their hold on the Western market.
Konami has tried this approach before with their beloved titles, which
has been met with critical success (Silent Hill: Shattered Memories),
disappointment (Silent Hill: Homecoming), and somewhere in-between
(Silent Hill: Origins).
And now the Japanese developer has chosen one of their oldest franchises
for its next Western experiment. While Castlevania has enjoyed steady
success from its highly-praised portable outings, it’s been several
years since the vampire-slaying series has appeared in consoles (not
counting the recent multiplayer-focused Harmony of Despair on XBLA).
While past attempts to bring the 2D classic over to the third dimension
have been met with mixed (and often disastrous) results, Konami is eager
to make their biggest effort yet; with a high-definition visual makeover
by Spanish studio MercurySteam, and with Kojima Productions (their
most high-profile studio, without question)
overseeing the project, is Lords of Shadow the first successful 3D
re-imagining of the beloved Belmont saga, or a soulless monstrosity that
does not belong in this world?
Lords of Shadow’s storyline places it further back in time than
Igarashi’s PS2 prequel, Lament of Innocent (though it does not
completely negate the continuity, as several references are made); in
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the year 1047, humankind finds itself in complete despair. Many fabled
creatures have been attacking villages in the dead of night, and the
souls of the dead are unable to enter Heaven, all due to the dark
workings of the Lords of Shadow. The Brotherhood order of holy warriors
sends Gabriel Belmont, their strongest champion, to combat the darkness
with his trusty weapon, a holy cross attached to an extending chain
(combining two of the vampire’s banes into one). With the assistance of
legendary Brotherhood warrior Zobek, Gabriel sets on an epic quest that
takes him to mythical forests, dark caves, ruined castles, and the
depths of the underworld himself in order to break the demons’ curse,
and possibly bring back his lost love using the forbidden power of the
legendary God Mask.
While the Castlevania series has never been known for its elaborate
plot-lines, Lords of Shadow’s story is the most ambitious yet in the
series, thanks largely to its high budget presentation, featuring a
level of detail in both visuals and voicework that is both revolutionary
to the franchise while also bringing it up to current console standards.
The actual plot is a standard videogame tale of revenge and redemption,
with some twists easily identified (but also a few that may surprise
even the sharpest of gamers), but thanks to a star-studded cast
featuring famous (non-American) actors such as Robert Carlyle and
Patrick Stewart, as well as the intricate attention to cutscenes and
character emotions, both established traits of MGS mastermind Hideo
Kojima; players who are less than accepting over the director’s
overabundant dialog and cinematics that became an infamous trademark of
the MGS series need not worry, however…aside from a few expositional
moments, Castlevania clamps its lips and keeps the chatter down to a
minimum (minus a lengthy narration before each level, which can be
skipped halfway, but Patrick Stewart’s powerful voice makes it difficult
to do so).
The gameplay has also received a major overhaul for the series,
eliminating its classic 2D design for a third-person action perspective,
but isn’t quite a departure when compared to other genres; one look at
the action, which involves button-mashing combos, context-sensitive
quick-time events, and leveling up skills through experience obtained
from fallen foes and any seasoned gamer could point to the God of War
series as a direct inspiration for the gameplay. While that statement
isn’t exactly false, it also isn’t the crux of Lord of Shadows’
mechanics. In truth, the game borrows from many pre-existing titles,
from Prince of Persia (climbing walls and making dangerous leaps) to
Shadow of the Colossus (as in literally battling massive colossi,
climbing atop their bodies while searching for their glowing weak
points).
What the gameplay lacks in originality, however, it more than makes up
for with polish; as an imitator, Lords of Shadow does justice to these
different gameplay conventions, while also using the power of its
aesthetics to create some truly exciting encounters; the opening
moments, in which Gabriel defends a small village from an invasion of
werewolves, while later fending off against the rest of them while
sprinting across a forest atop a magical horse, is barely the start of
this grand 20+ hour adventure. There’s a large variety of fantasy-based
creatures to kill, including trolls, goblins, skeletons, and vampires
(the last two a constant staple of the series), and many of them won’t
go down with mere button mashing maneuvers. Boss battles are even more
tenacious, fully demonstrating the high level of difficulty this game
can muster, as well as making players thankful for the numerous
checkpoints that assure you’ll never have to start over from the
beginning.
Indeed, while falling into a cliff that is either bottomless or full of
spikes will no longer kill you, Lords of Shadow’s difficulty can result
in several sudden deaths; enemies can deal great amounts of damage, but
one key ability allows players to restore lost health with every
successful attack. As the game progresses, you’ll slowly obtain new
weapons and spells that will aid you in the battle against darkness,
which also keeps the game from growing tedious. From gauntlets that
boost tremendous strength to boots that allow players to sprint great
distances, Gabriel receives an arsenal that is befitting of any Belmont.
All of these gameplay elements do lead to one notable criticism, though;
while many familiar elements that define the Castlevania series are
still present, the number of new additions outweighs the nostalgic
value, oftentimes causing players to forget what series they’re playing.
This was due largely in part to the studio’s wish to bring the series
back to its pre-SOTN roots, recreating much of the dark and ominous
overtones of Super Castlevania IV (which served as the primary
inspiration for this game). While Lords of Shadow certainly succeeds in
bringing back the dark to Castlevania’s night, a few more winks and nods
would have been welcome. The soundtrack, while featuring a fantastic
orchestral score that deserves its own recognition, is lacking in any
renditions of the classic tunes that fans have expected from the series.
As for the (mostly) recurring lord of darkness himself, Dracula, you’ll
have to play the game and find out for yourselves.
While the game does suffer from some technical issues (including a
somewhat sporadic framerate, a few frustrating but skippable puzzles,
and a massive length that drags out just slightly over the limit), the
amount of carefully crafted aesthetics and polished gameplay far
outweigh the few negatives found in Lords of Shadow. Simply put, this is
one of the best titles of the year, and marks not only a proper return
of the Castlevania series for consoles, but a starting point that future
games would do well to follow.
