Beautiful looking game, scenery and art direction is really nice. Some of the character designs, mainly the love interest in wonky especially given everyone else. It has a Guillermo Del Toro feel with some of the creatures which was actually bizarre, refreshing but also kind of copy cat. The epic feel of the soundtrack is nice, it’s consistent and the levels seemed varied so far. Only on chapter one btw, the game has like… 60+ stages I’m guessing. The curious thing about the scenery is the linearity of the game, yet there is an exploratory nature to the levels based on trying to find everything in the level. There is a % completion for each level and you’re really meant to go back and do things over, cause you might not have the skill ability yet, etc. Each level has a trial mode to unlock, which is basically a challenge. Kill 10 bad guys while poisoned by the spider type stuff.
As nice as the visuals are, the fixed camera, the almost too simplistic controls, the linearity and the copy cat feel of certain set pieces, like the giant colossus you fight makes the game feel generic. It’s still really really early on and I’ll definitely beat this one. We ended up just playing the game on easy mode and it is easy on easy mode, still playable and to have to replay areas it probably was the best way to go. Certain games make me want to play them at a higher difficulty or the normal setting, I’m not getting that with this iteration of Castlevania. I just want to get through it and play it. It’s a good thing and a bad thing, but the generic feel I mentioned above solidifies that reasoning/rational for me. It’s not a game I want to spend more time than I have to with. It’s a lovely looking game, I’ll hook up with it, maybe talk about the time I had with it over a beer but after that I’m moving on.
Like I said though, it’s still really early in the game and the storyline could change everything as it’s just unfolding. Voice acting is nice, although the main character’s grunting is bizarre to me. Seems forced and unnatural when you’re executing some moves. Like the guy is over grunting… I mean is that even a valid complaint? I like the world map, the inventory system and upgrading system is expecting. Everything is contained with a book that you constantly access and it’s provided in between with level completion and chapter explanation. The book is used as a narrative, as Captain Picard retells the story of the game chapter by chapter. Btw, Picard in his dramatic-ism, while I appreciate it… he’s a slow ass reader. However… the book itself for me completely disjoints the adventure as the game does not feel continuous but a piece by piece segment. Chapter 1-1 you’re in a dark village, 1-2 you’re in a forest, 1-3 you’re in a muggy forest, suddenly 1-4 you find yourself in a snowy landscape. It just happens by location based on the story. There is no in between with the adventure, you just jump from place to place. Which becomes odd based on the variable gameplay, giant boss fight, roaming a forest enemy free looking for runes, going through a forest full of enemies, fighting your way through a spider nest, puzzle levels. Oh and oddly enough… platforming. This game has platforming and not just half baked platforming, like legitimate areas you need to platform. But the platforming seems incomplete or out of place. Yet it makes sense when you fight a colossus from Shadow of Colossus, because you need to platform on the boss. You can also ride horses and larger enemies. Oh and there is QTEs, this is where the game suddenly feels like God of War, but then doesn’t have a double jump. Maybe it’s unlockable later on, as you can parry/combo and fight mid air.
So at this point this game is Tomb Raider, Uncharted, God of War, Devil May Cry, Shadow of Colossus with a hint of Hideo Kojima. I’m not saying it’s a good thing, but something feels off about the game. The scenery and visuals and epic-ness make me keep playing though, again still really early in the game. Chapter one is supposedly all tutorial, so with that said I have a small hope the game will suddenly break open and this is all just a prologue. Honestly it’s like watching the Departed right now and I’m waiting for the 30 minute mark into the movie when suddenly the title shows up and the game finally goes. Oh btw, now the game is starting.
Anyway that’s Castlevania: Lord of Shadows… so far.
Extended Launch Trailer:
