Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow

Most helpful review Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow

• A phenomenal reimagining of a classic series.

   

  By PsychoDantis (2 reviews) from England , 25 Oct 2010

  [Highly rated reviewer]

  Few games 'wow' me nowadays. I've played so many games - in which I've seen so many landscapes and interacted with so many characters - that I have become thoroughly hard to impress. Believe me, then, when I say that Lords Of Shadow had me nothing short of amazed. The visuals, the sound, the style - everything melds together to create one of the greatest gaming experiences I have ever come across.
  
  The player controls Gabriel, a holy knight sent to combat the eponymous Lords Of Shadow, who, so Gabriel is told, are the reason the world is in such a state of decay. The game is very story-driven, and the whole scenario provides for some very memorable characters and scenes.
  
  The game plays similarly to other action games, such as God Of War or Ninja Gaiden. The levels are a linear combination of combat, platforming and the odd puzzle thrown in to keep things interesting. A lot of ideas are taken from other games, such as the colossal giants similar to those in Shadow Of The Colossus, and the QTEs that are heavily used in God Of War. What sets Lords Of Shadow apart from these games however, is the ingenious and thoroughly fair design. Games of this genre are strewn with 'cheap' deaths, that is, deaths that feel unfair to the player. Castlevania avoids these through design decisions that seem like common sense, yet are absent from other games. A fall down a bottomless pit respawns the player where they fell, knocking a portion of their health off, rather than killing them entirely. Boss fights have mid-fight checkpoints, so that dying mid-fight isn't a frustration. Almost all enemy attacks are blockable, and those which are not are signified by a flair around the enemy. These are small ideas, but add a lot to the game.
  
  Aesthetically, the game is astounding. Besides being one of the most visually impressive games on the Xbox from a technical point of view, it also features incredible art design. Art resources are rarely re-used, so new areas and enemies are constantly introduced, so the designs never grow stale either. New ideas for level design are also thrown in throughout the entire length of the game. Lords Of Shadow starts at an incredible pace and maintains it right to the end. It never becomes a chore to play, and constantly improves on itself.
  
  Aurally, Castlevania also excels. The voice cast all fit their characters perfectly, particularly Robert Carlyle as Gabriel, and Patrick Stewart as Zobek. The soundtrack differs from the fast paced synth tracks used in previous Castlevanias, replaced with an orchestral soundtrack that is much more fitting with the game's more serious tone.
  
  At first glance, Lords Of Shadow seems to be Castlvania by name and little else. However, it is my opinion that Lords Of Shadow is merely an advancement of the established series. True, it is no longer a cheesy Metroid-esque anime game with a catchy soundtrack, but this iteration is much more modern, and in my opinion, much improved.
  
  Lords Of Shadow clocks in at around 20 hours on the first playthrough, after that, there are a ton of unlockables and a unique challenge for each level, so a second playthrough is definitely worthwhile. The game ends superbly, closing the story whilst leaving room for a sequel, and it is a sequel I wholly hope gets created.
  
  This game is stunning, and everyone should play it.

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