Best in series
User Rating: 8.5 | Castlevania: Lords of Shadow X360
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a video game in the Castlevania series developed by MercurySteam and Kojima Productions and published by Konami. Lords of Shadow introduces us to Gabriel Belmont, a member of a holy order of knights called the Brotherhood of Light. These guys are like the Jedi of Castlevania, protecting the normal ones from everything that wants to kill and eat them. Gabriel wants to save the world from the Dark Lords, but he also has a more personal stake in the mission, he is out for revenge for the death of his childhood sweetheart. Lords of Shadow is about action and combat. There are dozens of combos to unlock and the game is constantly funneling you towards your next encounter with a gang of monsters. All of the button mashing made my eyes glaze over after a while and I felt like I was just going through the motions. There are also many aggravating sections where you're trying to solve a puzzle (many of which are clever) and enemies keep endlessly respawning around you. I found the quiet moments in between skirmishes more interesting and satisfying. This Castlevania's greatest assets are its dazzling vistas and scenic design. Each level has a distinct look and architectural style, ensuring your eyes will never be bored. I recommend Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, but not if your expectation is something similar to the classic Castlevania games. Pretty much anything you would expect to find in a Castlevania game is not to be found here. But fans of combat-heavy action adventure games will have fun if they can excuse a lot of mindless button mashing and a couple technical issues. The developers have successfully adopted ideas from several popular games, but that also means this isn't a very original effort. In the end, Castlevania: Lords of Shadows is no denying a beautiful and enjoyable change of pace.
