While a step in the right direction, CV: LoI has a long way to get before earning the CV title it bears.
Difficulty: Easy (until final fight)
Time spent playing to date: ~12 hours
Pros:
• Solid textures and model design
• Beautiful, open environment are combined with linear and directed story progression
• Lots of sub-weapons (two new introduced)
• You choose your progression through the game
• Voice acting and soundtrack/SFX are top 25% of PS2 era
• Captures and implements the 2D Castlevania gameplay in a 3D universe
• Leon's movements are fluid and well animated
• Killing vampires and banishing death
Cons:
• Repetitive hallways and rooms
• Boss battles are weak, not classic Castlevania monsters
• Last boss battle (in typical Castlevania fashion) is ridiculously hard for no reason
• Controls are overly simplified and combos consist of "button mashing"
• Overall game is seen as short (10-15 hours) by current standards
• Animations of most enemies and certain actions by Leon are jerky, weak, and awkward
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence is an attempt to augment the Castlevania experience in a 3D environment while sacrificing nothing that made the 2D games timeless classics. Bringing familiar motifs like sub-weapons, a magically imbued whip, and the monstrosities from prior 2D games to the 3D arena was a bold move, and received with mixed opinions.
The story is typical Castlevania fare, with an esteemed hunter (Leon Belmont) losing his beloved. Leon's best friend soon reveals a vampire has kidnapped his beloved Sara. Leon rescinds his title and rushes off towards the castle to save the woman he loves. On his way to the castle, Leon encounters an alchemist who offers assistance to Leon. Leon soon learns the alchemist is capable of offering adept assistance through the quest at hand. The story moves slowly until the end, with few clues to piece the real story being told together. At the end of the game as the credits begin to roll, you finally arrive at the "Ah ha!" moment and the entire story of Castlevania unfolds before your eyes.
The entire game takes place in Walter the Vampire's Castle and surrounding woods, where the shop resides. Apparently, all of the good vampire names were taken, so we get Walter the vampire in Lament of Innocence. The entire area is shrouded in eternal night, a curse or spell brought on by the game's antagonist. The woods are reminiscent of a scene out of Tim Burton's "Sleepy Hollow," with no signs of prosperity, color, or flowering. The trees are leafless, and the landscapes have more rocks and bare paths than foliage and bushes.
Within the castle there are seven areas, each having its own unique design and color scheme. All of the stages within the castle are reminiscent of classic Castlevania areas and design, from the dungeon catacombs to the final climb required to reach the vampire's living quarters. Even the design of the castle's surrounding area appears to draw on influence from prior games (the woods Simon trudges through in the second installment of the series).
Graphically, this is the best any Castlevania game has ever looked. The 3D models and environments are produced with a level of detail rivaled by the top tier games on the PS2. Each model has been crafted from previous games' 2D designs and then implemented beautifully into a 3D rendered world. The most welcome addition to the series is the colorful, determined, and now 3D Leon.
From the dark landscapes and drab dungeons to brightly colored Red and White clad Leon, the contrast between good and evil is always apparent. This schema of color is used to create atmosphere and set the tone for the level. While very subtle, those who notice the use of color will draw the direct lineage from prior games in the Castlevania ensemble.
One criticism of the environments is the use of repetitive hallways and room design. This is a familiar feel in the genre, with the greatest offender of such practices being Devil May Cry 2. Despite the varying layout and themes within the junctures of the castle, each stage contains ten to twenty identical rooms or hallways. While a small complaint overall, it takes away from the game's overall experience and leaves the player thinking "I've been here before" despite being in a new area.
In spite of the great detail of models and environments, the accompanying enemy animations and AI cannot be praised as much. The majority of the enemies seem to wander aimlessly around the room, only attacking when within a predetermined distance. Castlevania: Lament of Innocence boasts a number of great animations for Leon, the bosses, and powerful enemies (like the haunted suits of armor, mermen, and Cyclops/ogres). However, the majority of the standard enemies suffer from poor animations and attacks that belong in prior generation games. They are not fluid or appealing, and occasionally leave the gamer chuckling due to the overall poor effort.
The game does not suffer from broken polygons or environmental transparency, confirming the engine is sufficient and capable of supporting a daunting effort by the programmers and developers. Another noteworthy observation is the frame rate is not an issue during the gameplay, cut scenes, or loading screens for the duration of the game. The transition from room to room is well planned, causes no performance issues (such as freezes or loading screens), and does not impede the flow of the action or exploring.
Controls are identical to the typical action adventure platforming games of the genre. With buttons for light attack, heavy attack, jump, and sub-weapons, the game controls very much like God of War. By pressing these buttons in specific order or in combination with each other, Leon can perform a variety of moves or multi-hit combos.
The shoulder buttons are utilized for blocking and real-time equipping of elemental orbs. The elemental orbs affect the function and power of the sub-weapons and how they are used by Leon. By blocking and pressing the sub-weapon button Leon can also enable the magical runes and relics equipped. There are approximately ten in total, and must be found as you work through the castle and various levels within the castle. The use of the relics and runes drain Leon's magic gauge, and must be replenished by blocking magical attacks from the enemies.
There are many welcome additions to the series, resulting in an update in the experience from the old 2D style to the visually stunning 3D styles implemented in today's games. These welcome additions include double-jumping ability, the ability to block enemy attacks, implementation of a progressive combo system (similar to the God of War system), a magic gauge, voice acting, and a shop. The shop allows you to buy or sell consumables and upgrades for gear as you earn money through your hardships in the castle.
While the overall structure and gamplay elements from prior Castlevania games remain intact, Lament of Innocence feels forced and counterfeit to the prior Castlevania games. The result is a decent 3D action game without the passion, soul, and essence Castlevania has become known for until the very end of the game. Unfortunately, Lament of Innocence feels like an extension of current successful 3D action/platform series instead of a conventional Castlevania experience in a 3D environment. Only when you are ascending to the vampire's quarters does the game really gain the classic Castlevania feel. It would have been a much more immersing experience if this could have been achieved throughout the entire game.
Castevania: Lament of Innocence creates a respectable 3D formula and baseline for future 3D Castlevania games to build upon. However, Castlevania: Lament of Innocence ultimately misses the mark of conveying Castlevania in a world of 3D action and adventure without losing the nostalgia and fervor of the classic 2D Castlevania games. This game achieves what has been missed in prior 3D Castlevania games, which is creating a game that is enjoyable and a step in the right direction for a series in desperate need of moving to the 3D arena. This is done by the developers and programmers utilizing successful formulae implemented in the current genre leaders and integrating Castlevania weapons, story, and characters on top of these engines. At the end of the day, the overall experience of CV: LoI is not as polished, complete, or immersing as games that currently define the 3D Action Adventure genre. If you are a fan of the series and have the space in your budget (less than $20USD) and schedule, Castlevania: Lament of Innocence is a must play despite its faults.