Castlevania Curse of Darkness. A curse? or no?
so much for the story.
Gameplay:
The Gameplay in Castlevania Curse of Darkness is a bit different than in other Castlevania games, due to the fact you are not limited to a whip but have a great assortment of weapons available to you. This said, you dont really find the weapons, but you find the materials you need to forge them yourself, these are dropped by enemies and can be stolen from them as well, yes you read correctly, you can now steal items from enemies, be it materials, potions and the like. Another new Feature to the game is the Innocent Devil system which oddly enough will put some people in mind of a pokemon game. You find and raise your devils along diverse evolution paths, these paths are determined by the weapon you are using, for example, if you use a sword most of the time, you will most likely follow that path of evolution since using the sword will only get you sword Evolution Crystals. These Innocent Devils also come with abilities you need to progress along the game, such as the Bird Type Innocent devil being able to carry you accross a chasm. The Enemies are also interesting and engaging, but lack variety, since later on you only meet upgraded versions of certain monsters. Graphics:
The Graphics are a step up from the previous Castlevania game and there is alot to explore, for unlike being locked in the Castle of Dracula constantly, you get to explore a great deal of the country, There is the famous aquaducts, the Forests, Castle levels and so on. all these areas are nicely done, though walking through the areas, you get a slight feeling of having been there before due to the fact, the scenery doesnt change alot.
Sound:
The Music is good and lends a credible atmosphere for most of the game, but should you play this game a bit longer, the music gets annoying to the point of frustration, where you just want to mute the whole thing. This will most likely hapen on the second way through.
Value:
All in all this game is a decent buy and a must have for Castlevania fans, though other players might not find it so attractive. Overall the game is fun, with alot of weapons to make, diverse evolution paths for the Innocent Devils and a few unlockables such as a alternate Character, or a Boss Rush Mode. You will probably manage to get a good 20 hours out of this, more if you explore all the possibilities. Overall a Decent Game.