Review: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, by MercurySteam
by
Stuart Holland
This review was originally a series of tweets, which is why it is structured as it is.
This review was a part of my “Back Catalog” series in 2020, where I went back and achievement hunted in games that I had previously started, but not completed.
Next up on #BackCatalog is Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
I played LoS on 360 but only got 1 chapter in, so I was at 3/42 achievements
Comparisons to the PS2-era God of War games are easy to make: fixed camera angle, combo-based adventure game with an extensible primary weapon
Castlevania has had Belmonts wielding whips for a long time, so it fits well
Don’t forget grand set pieces where you climb on huge monsters! And bloody finishing moves against everyday enemies if you do things right
I definitely got some Shadow of the Colossus vibes from one of the boss climbing sections
Patrick Stewart does the voice over for the narrator, which is very dramatic and effective, as you’d expect!
It can be a bit hard to “read” at times. Unclear where Gabriel (the protagonist) will jump when you press A or where you can grab in some climbing sections
I’m also resuming from my old save, from all those years ago! Given that I don’t remember how to play, it has made the game a bit harder since I’m already past the tutorial. But I’m getting the hang of it again!
LoS is a lot longer in a linear sense than the other #BackCatalog games I’ve played so far, so I may be playing this one for a while! I’m unlikely to 100% it, but I’m aiming to at least finish the story this time!
And I’m done! Overall parts of this game were a struggle. Lots of great things to like in Lords of Shadow, but the controls were not as responsive as I’d like.
Combine that with platforming sections that didn’t make it clear where you should go and inconsistent climbing distances, and some parts were very frustrating
Still very cinematic when it hit it right! And it hints back at its Castlevania roots by encouraging exploring old levels with new equipment to get upgrades
I’m now at 26/42 achievements, a big improvement over the 3/42 I started with! Given the remaining achievements all add up to varying kinds of “play the game again”, I’ll move on to my next #BackCatalog title soon!
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
