Can't You See Gabriel?

When I downloaded the demo for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow for my PS3 a few months ago I was blown away by the visuals, the epic music, and the intense nature of the first two stages. Not to mention Patrick Stewart, Captain Jean Luc Picard, narrates and voices a character in the game.

A good friend of mine introduced me to the Castlevania series about a year ago and even though I've only played Super Castlevania IV, Rondo of Blood, and Circle of the Moon (the best one right!?!?!) the beautiful Gothic imagery with the smallest attention to detail, the atmospheric pumping music that accompanies your epic quest , and the difficulty factor definitely peaked my interest. I've basically only played the side-scrolling originals and Metroidvanias. Lords of Shadow was my first action-oriented Castlevania.

I absolutely loved Lords of Shadow when I started playing it. Between the beautiful visuals (and when I say beautiful I mean it! This has to be one of the prettiest games on the PS3), good voice acting(it exists??), and engaging action sequences (complete with command triggers!) I thought, "How can people say that this was just another God of War Clone?", even though I said the same thing at  release. 

Developed by a relatively unknown studio based in Madrid, Spain,  MercurySteam has enormous potential. One of the things I like best about Lords of Shadow is the incorporation of Spanish culture and mythology. When I first encountered Pan, the Faun, I instantly thought of Guillermo Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth. When you finally meet Pan, he appears out of thin air. There also is a deep, spiraling hole at the final point of Pan's sanctuary. Clearly this invokes imagery from Del Toro's movie.

Created by Spaniards, rather than Japanese developers, this Castlevania certainly has a European feel to it. One that I believe is very fitting for the series. In addition to the beautiful ruins and cathedrals the ghastly vampires look like actual vampires. They also remind me of creature from Pan's Labyrinth- the one that eats children if they partake in his feast.

Die hard fans may shudder at the fact that there is no "actual" battle with Death or Dracula.Perhaps MercurySteam wanted to create a new Castlevania- their original interpretation of the cult series. I say actual, because this can be left open to interpretation. Even though this game may not look like a Castlevania, it still maintains the Castlevania spirit. For at certain points in the game I became frustrated when I couldn't beat a boss, or get past a certain part. Something most Castlevania players can relate to on the first play through of any Castlevania game.

I can't say that I harbored the same enthusiasm for the game towards the final chapters. I don't know if MercurySteam was rushed but the closing segments of the game felt very weak. The storyline had a lot of potential but it all kind of fell apart towards the end. I really expected an epic final boss battle but in order to avoid spoilers I won't divulge why the final fight was less than riveting. In addition certain boss battles felt too reminiscent of Shadow of the Colossus. Too close to be coincidental. Let me also add, the "Colossi" battles weren't that fun.

After you finish the game, a teaser trailer for the next game plays. At first, I have to say I was disgusted. I couldn't believe MercurySteam would take this direction, especially after creating such an immersive environment in Lords of Shadow. Yet as time passed, and I discussed the various interpretations of what happened in the teaser trailer with my friend, I realized maybe I shouldn't doubt MercurySteam. I reviewed specific battles with the Lords of Shadow, scrutinizing their warnings and actions but I can't figure it out.


This game also allows you to unlock beautiful concept art with points you've earned in battle. I'm really glad that MercurySteam included this feature because I think it adds a lot to the entire experience. Known for its beautiful art, specifically by Kojima (not related to the Metal Gear Creator) Castlevania really is more than just a video game. The art and soundtracks prove this again and again. MercurySteam continued the tradition but added a European spin to the art, and the symphonic music fits the game so perfectly. 

I'm really looking forward to the sequel and I say if you have a PS3 (or 360) pick up this game! It is definitely worth playing.