First Impressions: Leon, look out for the zom…wait, wrong Leon.
For years now, Castlevania games have been a strictly 2D series. While, the series did go into the 3rd dimension with a pair of forgettable Nintendo 64 adventures, Castlevania managed to stick to its tried and true 2D roots. Even on the 3D heavy PlayStation, Konami managed to create the masterpiece, Symphony of the Night, in 2D bliss. In this current generation, however, the only logical home for such games is the Game Boy Advance, where the Castlevania series has remained for the last 3 entries, most notably the brilliant Aria of Sorrow. However, Castlevania is finally ready for the big screen, on the PlayStation 2. And, in 3D no less. Don’t fret though, ‘Vania fanatics, as Konami has taken a page from Devil May Cry (which I’ve always thought was Castlevania 3D anyway), and Lament of Innocence looks to bridge the outstanding 2D-style gameplay that the series is known for, in the current 3D world. As one of the biggest PlayStation 2 releases of the fall, Castlevania: Lament of Innocence has a lot to live up to, but the chances are, there’s very little to worry about.
Lament of Innocence takes the Castlevania series back to its roots – as in, the very beginning of the Castlevania timeline – the 11th century, to be exact. You play as Leon Belmont, an unknowing, regular human who gets drawn into a strange castle while looking for a female accomplice. A guardian of sorts then hands Leon a whip, sensing that the young Belmont has the powers to defeat Count Dracula, who has taken this particular female into “custody.” From there, Dracula’s castle, Castlevania, beckons the Belmont, and the adventure begins. For fans, this story will be a very big deal, as it will reveal all kinds of secrets that CV gamers usually take for granted, like the origins of the Belmonts and Castlevania itself.
LoI will be hub-based, similar to the Metroid-style adventuring of the last 4 2D Castlevania games. You can enter any of the 5 hubs, which take place in a different part of the castle. At the end of each hub, you fight a boss (who are freakin’ huge) who grants you something that allows further access in another hub. Complete them all (which should be gigantic), and you’ll unlock the final battle with Count Chocula himself. Count Dracula, I mean.
The gameplay and engine tend to borrow heavily from Devil May Cry. This is not a bad thing. The action is fast paced and frantic just like DMC, and it seems to pull off the mea culpa of managing 2D gameplay in a 3D world (like DMC or ICO). Leon will collect items and use his whip like past CV games, but Leon will also have some combinations and special tricks to max out his point tally. The process remains very RPG-ish, with leveling up, hit points, magic points, and the like – but the gameplay itself is pure action.
Lament of Innocence’s graphics also look very DMC-ish. Not surprising, given the gothic tone of each game. As mentioned, the bosses are huge, and Leon can get overwhelmed with enemies if he’s not careful, loading the screen with animations and models, yet never slowing down. Leon himself is designed beautifully, adding the gothic feel and look that Alucard, Juste Belmont (from Harmony of Dissonance), and Soma Cruz (from Aria) are famous for. There is no question that Konami has really made sure that the series remains true to its roots, in nearly all facets of gameplay, in this return to 3D.
