Underrated for not continuing Castlevania's story, ignoring this beautiful game's value and contribution to gaming.
Lords of Shadow is a reboot of the series, thus it does not follow any events introduced in other Castlevania games, though it features the trademark creatures and concept of the acclaimed franchise. The story revolves around Gabriel, an orphan who got recruited to the Brotherhood of Light and became close friends with Zobek, an older member. When the undead were released from Hell and walked the land of the living, Gabriel's beloved wife Marie got brutally murdered, seemingly by one of the wretched creatures, and made Gabriel set on a quest to assemble God's Mask, an ancient artifact said to be able to revive the dead. To do so, Gabriel had to find the three pieces of it, which belonged to the Lords of Shadow, the three people who surrendered their soul and body to Satan in exchange for power. The Lycan Lord was able to command the lycans, humans who were turned to werewolves by his curse, along with other inhuman powers. The Vampire Lord was able to command the vampires, creatures of the night who were feasting on human blood, and, like the previous lord, also possessed other inhuman powers. The final lord, the Lord of the Dead, could raise the dead under his command, and is said to never be able to die. Aided by Zobek and Pan, the guardian of the Oblivion Lake, where the living could talk with the dead, Gabriel embarks on his quest of revenge and purge of the land, with a desperate hope of reuniting with his deceased young wife. Along the way, Gabriel kills a vast amount of the hellspawns, and visits a variety of beautifully rendered places, while collecting artifacts and learning the ways of the Light and the Shadow magic.
The gameplay is of the hack-and-slash type, with the main weapon being similar to the Vampire Killer whip of the other Castlevania games; the Combat Cross is a tool of battle - obviously - but also helps in numerous other ways, most notable for allowing Gabriel to interact with the environment and helping him find his way out so as to continue with his adventure. A notable amount of combos, and a freeflow combat system, is also a gameplay element that adds up to the smooth, enjoyable experience this game engine delivers to the players. A number of magic attacks are also available once acquiring the ability to use magic, as well as grapple moves, which are necessary in a lot of battles. Once earned, you can also have access to sub-weapons like Holy Water flasks and Silver Daggers - some can also be imbued with magic for increased effect. Also, the game is split into 12 chapters, and each chapter has a number of levels, varying from one another, while sir Patrick Stewart narrates the story in-between of the levels through a journal displayed on your screen. Being a Castlevania game, it also has puzzles scattered around the chapters, some of which may also be part of the stage's trial. What's that? Each stage includes a trial, where you will always have something different to do in that particular stage, and with 4 difficulty levels and a lot of collectibles available, the game's length is a guaranteed 18-hour-run at least, with a lot of actual replay value to it.
The graphics are beautiful, offering a variety of environments and model details through your console. There will be times where you will put your controller down and just stare at the breathtaking setting, from forests and snowy mountain villages to the depths of the Land of the Dead. The faces and facial expressions of the characters were taken great care of, enhancing your already enjoyable game experience.
Voice-acting is provided by names such as Robert Carlyle and sir Patrick Stewart, with a lot of emotion and narrative which immerses you deep into the intriguing story. The sound effects are polished, each swing of your Combat Cross' chain will be savored differently, while the original, epic soundtrack helps create a proper atmosphere for Gabriel's each step towards his journey's end.
All in all, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a great game, different from any other you've played, but still having some elements from some chosen ones. With epic battles, a deep story with many twists, and voice-acting combined with beautiful environments, it will totally swallow any gamer into it, and they won't regret it. It's my personal Game of the Year 2010, but that's another story; you always have to try something first before you can agree or disagree with someone, and Lords of Shadow is a game that you absolutely have to try out.