User Rating: 8.7 | Castlevania PS2
Let's get one thing out of the way. Yes, the level design is repetitive. However, that doesn't really detract from the game. Let's not forget that Halo, one of the most popular console games ever, had much more repetitive level design, and yet is still fun to play. The same goes for Castlevania: Lament of Innocence. The difference being that while you will see the same rooms more than once, they are very pretty rooms, so you won't mind as much. The gameplay itself is fantastic. It's true that your character doesn't gain experience in this game, unlike the previous four titles in the Castlevania series. However, you do learn new whip combos, get new weapons, new spells, and you can raise your max HP and MP by finding the correct items. While this is all fine and dandy, it does limit the game to a somewhat linear aproach to character developement, and therefor lessens the replay value. The graphics in this game are top noch. It's great to see familiar old foes reimagined in 3D, as well as some new enemies. The bosses look fantastic, and will give you a run for your money at least the first time you fight them (the game is a bit on the easy side.) The sound in this game is great. Both the musical score and the sound effects. Even the English voice acting is acceptable, something which not many Japanese games can say for themselves. All in all, this is a great first step for Castlevania on the PS2, albeit a bit late. Hopefully Konami will follow their trend on the GBA and continue to build on their success with even better Castlevania titles for the PS2. 
