Game #22 – Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Publisher: Konami

Developer: Mercury Steam

Platforms: PS3/360

How's this for an interesting combination? Take a developer that hasn't the best track record (Mercury Steam), get them to work on a new entry in a series that's not known for great 3D work (Castlevania), and have one of the most divisive game creators ever oversee it (Kojima Productions), and you have Castlevania: Lords of Shadow.

Lords of Shadow acts as a reboot, of sorts, to the series. You play as Gabriel Belmont, a hunter of all sorts in a world of darkness. When we meet Gabriel, he's on a quest of most importance – finding the pieces of the Mask of Shadow, an artificat powerful enough to not only rid the world of the darkness that plagues it..but is also powerful enough to bring back his dead wife. As far as stories in a Castlevania game go, it's actually quite good...if not a little slow.

For the most part, it plays as a very episodic and chapter driven God of War clone, with enough mechanically that it differentiates quite a bit – for instance, there's a big emphasis on platforming, which works...sometimes. The combat system also is quite interesting, with a momentum system that rewards you with additional mana for your light (healing) and shadow (damage boosting) magics the more you differienate your attacks and not get hit.

Add in an epic soundtrack and a great visual style, and you have one of the better games of 2010. Sure, it's not exactly Castlevania, but give it a chance, and you shan't be disappointed.