Castlevania: Lament of Innocence Review

Developer	Konami
Publisher	Konami
Genre	Action

Gamers everywhere have been wondering: can Castlevania, a strictly 2D game franchise, be done right in the third dimension? Hey, maybe some games are meant to always and only be in 2D, and perhaps the beloved Castlevania is one of them. As longtime fans of one of the longest-running franchises ourselves, we too posed this question. Since it’s first announcement, the 3D incarnation of Castlevania has been the center of much speculation, from thinking the game would turn out horribly, to being a clone of Capcom’s Devil May Cry. However, after spending extensive time with the game, exploring everything we possibly could, we can safely say that Lament of Innocence is not anything less than what it claims to be: Castlevania.

Castlevania: Lament of Innocence is by far, the best Castlevania ever done in 3D. While that may not be sounding like much consolation, know this: not only is Lament a damn good game, it has a few distinct elements that are far and away better than many other highly-praised action games; which is saying quite a lot.

Gameplay – When firing up Lament for the first time, and you experience the controls this game possesses, it feels too good to be true. The tight, responsive controls that accompanies every other Castlevania game are right here, as if the game never left it’s original 2D glory. They’re easy to learn too. The new Guard button allows Leon to block attacks (duh), but it also gives Leon the ability to absorb magic when monsters pull off certain moves. This is a truly unique mechanic as this is the lone method of gaining magic points; no longer can you refill lost magic at a save point (though you can still refill your life there). Our one gripe with the controls is that precise jumping is a chore. There are many moments when you’re required to jump onto a platform that will activate a switch. Believe it or not, this can be difficult, as it’s much easier for you to jump right over the thing without touching it, or even worse, jumping in place. It’s equally aggravating having to push the Attack button to open doors, which makes it harder to open doors than it should be. In the heat of battle, pounding the Attack button at a door to open it results in just what you’d expect; multiple whip swings at the door.

The near-flawless controls aren’t the only fine-tuned mechanics to be found in Lament, as the camera here puts others in the genre to royal shame. The camera is simply fantastic, and only gets in the way on occasion. The biggest flaw is being unable to control it; oftentimes, we found ourselves trying to move it ourselves, which triggers the opening of the equipment menu -- which incidentally brings us to our next grumble. Accessing items is done via a realtime menu, and though the idea of it is nice and creates a far more overwrought atmosphere (especially during boss fights), we found it problematic now and then, due to accidentally bumping it during intense battles (again, during boss fights). In this menu, pressing “X” on a highlighted item will use it, and there were times we accidentally used an item when we were merely trying to jump (“X” is the Jump button).

Combat in Lament is quite fun and challenging. Bosses are few, but memorable enough overall, as they present quite a challenge, but are never too tough. Most have patterns that can be learned in time, and are then more easily disposed of. Like other Castlevanias, Lament’s creatures are varied, but artificially inflated in number by merely coloring the enemies differently, though many do have different attack patterns and powers. But even so, they seem to be even more limited here, as each creature has at least one different colored twin, and many of these monsters have three or more slightly-altered forms. The castle itself isn’t that big either, sporting five “hubs” that veer off to different sections of the castle.

Since enemies respawn every time you step into a room or corridor, the action is always intense, and almost never stops. The combos that can be executed by Leon are easily learned, and he attains more as he fights. What’s more, many of these combos are actually useful and come in mighty handy later on in the game. And though the RPG-like elements of Symphony of the Night and the GBA Castlevania’s have been toned down, they haven’t completely vanished, as there are a number of different items, weapons, and armor that can be found or bought. Unfortunately, since finding items is more meager, the excessive backtracking is far more noticeable. It’s all too obvious that Konami tried to extend the playtime of Lament, as switches for doors are often on the complete opposite sides of levels; which has taken you a fairly sizable amount of time to get there in the first place (and the game is still quite short). Like it’s predecessors, in Lament, the map is your best friend. Learn to use it early.

But, as is the Castlevania standard, the gameplay has that incredibly addictive quality that makes you want to explore just one more room before saving the game, or quitting a session. Prepare yourself for that. Also, the story, while not the grand prelude to a legacy we hoped for, is still quite compelling toward the climax, and interesting enough to keep our attention.

Graphics - Lament of Innocence is beautiful. But not everything is what it seems. That said, Leon looks more like a girl than his bride-to-be. Leon’s girly-man look just goes to prove that, without a doubt, Simon Belmont is, and will always be, the ultimate Belmont badass.

That aside, Lament is quite stunning. But rather than woo us with fantastic environments teeming with detail, the beauty here is in the animation. We have yet to see a whip in all it’s glory look better in motion than right here. The whip animations, as well as Leon himself, move so fluidly, this may well be the smoothest-moving action game we’ve played in a very long time. Creatures move with equal grace, and are fantastically detailed. Monster models vary in size and shape, and all of them are meticulous in design.

The environments, while not ugly, don’t particularly stand out. Some areas look pretty good, while others look plain, and downright uninteresting. Similar tile sets are used throughout each area, so nothing ever changes enough to notice a significant difference from room to room; another reason the map is so useful. The lighting is equally hit-and-miss. While some locales show off some really nice lighting effects, others don’t add enough to the atmosphere to be really noticed, which is a bit of a shame. Particle effects on the other hand, are simply dazzling. There are a number of particle-enhanced demises for the game’s enemies, as per Castlevania custom.

Sound - If there is one thing that has always been held to the very highest of standards in a Castlevania game, it was the soundtrack, and in Lament, it’s no different. Just like past Castlevanias, the musical score is half the game. Michiru Yamane is nothing less than brilliant, and it’s evident in Lament of Innocence. Every single song is unique, and yet familiar, with the genuine Castlevania feel to it. Seriously, the game wouldn’t be what it is without the incredible music.

It’s just too bad the voiceovers didn’t get the same treatment. It doesn’t help that the dialogue is embarrassingly inadequate, but the voices are simply ridiculous. Thank goodness there isn’t very much of it.

Overall Value - Lament of Innocence is indisputably Castlevania, and nothing else. The action is frenzied and fluid as always. The entrancing musical score is as haunting as we could’ve ever hoped for, and the controls are virtually flawless. While not the reinventing of the franchise that Symphony of the Night was, Lament of Innocence is undeniable proof that a 3D Castlevania can indeed be done, and done right. Koji Igarashi (IGA) and his team did a fine job of bringing the veteran franchise into the third dimension, most especially for being a first-time attempt; the game gets right what so many other games always get wrong. But just as with anything else, there is always room for improvement; Castlevania is simply no exception.

Review by Brendon Hivner