TOP TEN WORST CASTLEVANIA GAMES
The Castlevania franchise has endured for over thirty years and counting, reaching arguably new heights in popularity with the Netflix animated series. Counting every single video game iteration, including remakes, alternate ports, spin-offs, the arcade light-gun shooter, and parodies, there number thirty-five games in the Castlevania catalog (not including pachislot games). Thirty-five games in thirty-four years is an incredible output (especially when Konami hasn't made a new Castlevania game in six years!).
The Castlevania franchise has had its fair share of hits and misses, experimental entries and divisive entries. They've tried out many different formats as well, from 2D to 3D, action-platformer to metroidvania explorer, fighting game to comedy game (I'm still waiting for the Castlevania dating sim though). The series has done so much and tried many different approaches. Some of these deviations have yielded incredible results, Castlevania Symphony of the Night being the prime example.
Were it not for the developers trying something different no new discoveries would be made and the series would never evolve. Some long running franchises have been fortunate enough to be truly protean in nature (I'm looking at you, Mario). Others are not so lucky. Certain properties can only be changed by small degrees without losing their identity. Castlevania feels like the latter to me. While Konami may try new things, a game titled "Paper Castlevania" or "Castlevania Party" and "Castlevania Sunshine" are probably terrible ideas (but I'd be happy to be proven wrong).
Opinions and preferences vary. You like what you like. Castlevania likely means something different to others than what it means to me. I prefer a certain style of Castlevania and it is perfectly fine for others to enjoy a different kind of Castlevania. You're not wrong for preferring something over another. While sometimes you find yourself in the minority, it just means you've got a harder case to defend (hence my Castlevania Legends post). While my love for Castlevania is great, there are a number of Castlevania games I feel miss the mark, failing at being what they're supposed to be. Not all of them are bad games necessarily (some certainly are), but rather bad at being a Castlevania game.
Without further political correctness, here are my least favorite Castlevania games in the franchise. These are the games in the franchise that I like the least or that I personally feel run counter to what I believe Castlevania is, either esthetically, thematically, spiritually, or just plain suck. These are just my opinions, but these are the Castlevania games I have the hardest time bringing myself to play a second time.
THE BONUS
#11
CASTLEVANIA: LAMENT OF INNOCENCE
The third attempt from the franchise at a 3D layout, Lament of Innocence was a fine action-adventure hack n' slash game for the era in which it was released. For a 3D foray from Castlevania this was a vast improvement over the previous attempts. While the game was playable and an all around decent game, it pales in comparison to the other franchises lumped together with it i.e. Devil May Cry, Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil, Super Mario, and the Legend of Zelda. Castlevania deserves to be right beside these franchises as one of the long running greats. Stacked next to these, Lament of Innocence just doesn't stand out.
Lament isn't a bad game by any means, but it didn't bring any gameplay or style to make it stand out from the pack. Nor did it feel singularly Castlevania. As far as the game's characters and story go, this game tells of the first Belmont to fight against the supernatural and of how the Vampire Killer whip was created. Ayami Kojima once again provides stunning artwork and a killer design for Leon Belmont. Leon himself though is a bit of a "one-note" character and tragic figure, unable to save his beloved Sara from death. Instead of Dracula, the game's antagonist is the vampire Walter Bernhard, merely a pale boring imitation of the Prince of Darkness.
As the origin story for the Belmonts and the whip the game is fine. Where the story fails is its attempt to shoehorn Dracula into the narrative. Here, Koji Igarashi basically repeats story elements from Symphony of the Night and muddies the waters of continuity. This game reveals that Dracula was not Vlad Tepes, but instead someone else. It's not impossible to reconcile this piece of narrative with the rest, but it adds an unnecessary layer to peel back, that of explaining how and why Mathias Cronqvist came to be Vlad Tepes. This story also retroactively dilutes the severity of Lisa Tepes' death in Symphony as Dracula already lost a wife once before (here in this game), and, just like before, vowed vengeance against God and humanity because of it. Personally, if they had cut out the "big twist" at the end of this game and not made Mathias into Dracula, this game's story would be pretty solid.
When Mario and Zelda went 3D they somehow managed to retain their identity and a gameplay that still felt like a Mario and Zelda game. But when Castlevania went 3D it lost something, what that is can be debated (I feel Metroid met a similar fate as well). Konami seemed to struggle making the 3D transition with most of their older IPs except for Metal Gear. The advent of 3D gaming wasn't very good for Konami. Anyway, Castlevania: Lament of Innocence isn't a bad game (although the story has some questionable elements in it), it's just rather generic when compared with its brethren.
Would I replay this game?: Probably not. I should because there is a lot of good to be found here (Medusa, the Succubus, and Death I remember being highlights). I am definitely due for a replay. When I did play it I did everything I could in the game (the PS2 equivalent of a Platinum), so it must've been good to keep me playing as long as it did. But as the years go on I find myself less and less compelled to play Castlevania's 3D games. If I want a 3D action game from the PS2 era I'll play the Devil May Cry series.
THE TOP TEN
#10
CASTLEVANIA: ORDER OF SHADOWS
A Castlevania game for cell phones from 2007... Yeah, is it any wonder that a mobile phone game from the aughts ends up on the "worst" list? Now, cell phone games have come a long ways during the ensuing years, a Castlevania game on cell phones today may actually be decent. Rarely were these game "good" in 2007, only degrees of bad and passable.
Order of Shadows may be the worst Castlevania game ever made, but look what the developers had to work with. It's amazing this game plays as well as it does (it doesn't play well). The story though is fairly interesting and would make a great side-story if fleshed out further. Beyond this there isn't a whole lot to say about this game other wise.
Would I replay this game?: No. Not only is the game bad but it's also difficult as hell, due to the clunky mechanics. A rougher game in the series there is not. This game is only ranked #10 and not #1 as it is a cell phone game and shouldn't really be compared to actual video games. Such a comparison would just be unfair.
#9
CASTLEVANIA
Release Date: 1993 Format: Sharp X68000
The Sharp X68000 was a gaming system that never saw release in the United States. But North American fans were eventually given the chance to play this particular Castlevania when it was packaged with the Playstation One release of CASTLEVANIA CHRONICLES. The game is essentially a remake of the original Castlevania, Simon once again in booty shorts and furry boots whipping bats and taking candles. There are a few new sights to be found, such as the awesome caverns and battle against the skeleton dragon, and overall the game maintains that "Castlevania" look and feel. The game actually looks really good.
In 1993, when the game was released, two other Castlevanias came out as well, Rondo of Blood and Bloodlines. Rondo and Bloodlines both represent leaps forward from where the series was prior. Castlevania Sharp X68000 looks as good as the other two but, in terms of gameplay, is rough by comparison. It drives like a truck and Simon feels as limited in his movement as he did on the NES. Even compared to SUPER CASTLEVANIA IV from two years prior, this game is stiff and brutal. The difficulty curve here is far higher than most Castlevanias, similar to the original 1986 Castlevania game. Even Belmont's Revenge on the original Game Boy (again from two years earlier) plays smoother.
Now, I like this Castlevania game. It looks great and has some really cool visuals (the redux version on PsOne is even better). But the stiff gameplay and steep difficulty make this game a severe challenge to endure (if you're new to Castlevania you don't want to start on this one). If you love the classic style Castlevanias and are familiar with the tougher outings of the series then give this one a try. And if you want even more of a challenge, there's a Hard Mode (as if this game needed such a thing). Funny, when I was introducing my son to the series, he absolutely loved this game (of course, he was only watching it while I was playing it).
Would I replay this game?: Yes. Well, more accurately I'll probably play the redux Castlevania Chronicles version. Despite the difficulty the game looks great and boasts one of my favorite Castlevania soundtracks (the reduxed version that is).
The Sharp X68000 was a gaming system that never saw release in the United States. But North American fans were eventually given the chance to play this particular Castlevania when it was packaged with the Playstation One release of CASTLEVANIA CHRONICLES. The game is essentially a remake of the original Castlevania, Simon once again in booty shorts and furry boots whipping bats and taking candles. There are a few new sights to be found, such as the awesome caverns and battle against the skeleton dragon, and overall the game maintains that "Castlevania" look and feel. The game actually looks really good.
In 1993, when the game was released, two other Castlevanias came out as well, Rondo of Blood and Bloodlines. Rondo and Bloodlines both represent leaps forward from where the series was prior. Castlevania Sharp X68000 looks as good as the other two but, in terms of gameplay, is rough by comparison. It drives like a truck and Simon feels as limited in his movement as he did on the NES. Even compared to SUPER CASTLEVANIA IV from two years prior, this game is stiff and brutal. The difficulty curve here is far higher than most Castlevanias, similar to the original 1986 Castlevania game. Even Belmont's Revenge on the original Game Boy (again from two years earlier) plays smoother.
Now, I like this Castlevania game. It looks great and has some really cool visuals (the redux version on PsOne is even better). But the stiff gameplay and steep difficulty make this game a severe challenge to endure (if you're new to Castlevania you don't want to start on this one). If you love the classic style Castlevanias and are familiar with the tougher outings of the series then give this one a try. And if you want even more of a challenge, there's a Hard Mode (as if this game needed such a thing). Funny, when I was introducing my son to the series, he absolutely loved this game (of course, he was only watching it while I was playing it).
Would I replay this game?: Yes. Well, more accurately I'll probably play the redux Castlevania Chronicles version. Despite the difficulty the game looks great and boasts one of my favorite Castlevania soundtracks (the reduxed version that is).
#8
CASTLEVANIA
Release Date: 1986 Format: NES Nintendo Entertainment System
The gaming world owes a lot to this game. It is a significant entry in gaming history and the genre. Without the original Castlevania we wouldn't have this amazing series and the landscape of gaming may look very different today.
That being said, this game is hard and is a contender for the "Hardest Game In The Series" award. This is the birth of the series, and as such, the game isn't as refined as its sequels. The gameplay is pretty limited, Simon only able to whip high and low. You have your subweapons such as the Axe, Holy Cross, and others. And having the right subweapon and stock of hearts could mean the difference between life and death. Levels one thru three are doable. Level four is where the game punishes you hard. If you somehow make it to Level five the game will only punish you more. At the very least there are infinite continues. And if, by some miracle, you make it to Dracula and die you can restart at him endlessly until you defeat him (that's what I do).
That's poor solace for a grueling excursion. Unless you know this game inside and out and have mastered the mechanics, you don't play this game for fun. You play this game for the historical perspective and the steep challenge. Honestly, I don't like this game very much, but I have the utmost respect and appreciation for it. I love the thematic elements, characters, and music. Even the design esthetics are pretty cool. But the gameplay is where this game struggles. Although, the same could be said for many games of this era and, as a long time gamer, I often talk about how hard these older games are. To be clear, I have beaten this game numerous times, but not without a lot of cussing, raving, and ranting and no short amount of perseverance.
Would I replay this game?: Probably. Despite the difficulty and hate this game throws at you, there is still something about completing the original NES trilogy that is undeniable. I always find myself completing the trilogy every few years or so.
The gaming world owes a lot to this game. It is a significant entry in gaming history and the genre. Without the original Castlevania we wouldn't have this amazing series and the landscape of gaming may look very different today.
That being said, this game is hard and is a contender for the "Hardest Game In The Series" award. This is the birth of the series, and as such, the game isn't as refined as its sequels. The gameplay is pretty limited, Simon only able to whip high and low. You have your subweapons such as the Axe, Holy Cross, and others. And having the right subweapon and stock of hearts could mean the difference between life and death. Levels one thru three are doable. Level four is where the game punishes you hard. If you somehow make it to Level five the game will only punish you more. At the very least there are infinite continues. And if, by some miracle, you make it to Dracula and die you can restart at him endlessly until you defeat him (that's what I do).
That's poor solace for a grueling excursion. Unless you know this game inside and out and have mastered the mechanics, you don't play this game for fun. You play this game for the historical perspective and the steep challenge. Honestly, I don't like this game very much, but I have the utmost respect and appreciation for it. I love the thematic elements, characters, and music. Even the design esthetics are pretty cool. But the gameplay is where this game struggles. Although, the same could be said for many games of this era and, as a long time gamer, I often talk about how hard these older games are. To be clear, I have beaten this game numerous times, but not without a lot of cussing, raving, and ranting and no short amount of perseverance.
Would I replay this game?: Probably. Despite the difficulty and hate this game throws at you, there is still something about completing the original NES trilogy that is undeniable. I always find myself completing the trilogy every few years or so.
#7
HAUNTED CASTLE
Release Date: 1988 Format: Arcade Exclusive (later ported to the PS2)
The first arcade Castlevania release! This game is another remake of the original Castlevania game but with a very unique look. It was only recently that I had the privilege (or misfortune) of playing this game (on its Playstation 2 port). You know it's going to be rough when you find yourself longing to play the original NES or Sharp 68000 games instead.
The sprite work looks great but it has a more goofy cartoonish esthetic to it, unlike almost every other game in the series. While pleasing to look at, there are some moments where the background and foreground aren't very distinct from one another. As a result you don't always see the pits to fall into or think you can walk somewhere you can't. But mostly where the game suffers is, you guessed it, in the gameplay. Simon, once more your hero (with blue hair this time!), feels even more limited in what he can do and how he handles. Even climbing a set of stairs is challenging at times. The difficulty is actually more in the controls than with the enemies and bosses.
Trial and error followed by strict memorization will be your saving grace here. And even after you do that, and beat the game, the other games listed already will feel like a dream by comparison. And then there are some seriously off elements here as well, such as the cheesy wedding the game opens with and Dracula swooping down to snatch away Simon's bride. And then of course there's Dracula's final form, a giant head of Dracula. Not a scary monstrous head, no, just a ballooned version of Dracula's regular head. Needless to say, this game is a prime contender for "Strangest" game in the series.
Would I replay this game?: Maybe. This game has a great soundtrack and some weird (but fun) animations. But the gameplay is rough enough to almost be discouraging.
The first arcade Castlevania release! This game is another remake of the original Castlevania game but with a very unique look. It was only recently that I had the privilege (or misfortune) of playing this game (on its Playstation 2 port). You know it's going to be rough when you find yourself longing to play the original NES or Sharp 68000 games instead.
The sprite work looks great but it has a more goofy cartoonish esthetic to it, unlike almost every other game in the series. While pleasing to look at, there are some moments where the background and foreground aren't very distinct from one another. As a result you don't always see the pits to fall into or think you can walk somewhere you can't. But mostly where the game suffers is, you guessed it, in the gameplay. Simon, once more your hero (with blue hair this time!), feels even more limited in what he can do and how he handles. Even climbing a set of stairs is challenging at times. The difficulty is actually more in the controls than with the enemies and bosses.
Trial and error followed by strict memorization will be your saving grace here. And even after you do that, and beat the game, the other games listed already will feel like a dream by comparison. And then there are some seriously off elements here as well, such as the cheesy wedding the game opens with and Dracula swooping down to snatch away Simon's bride. And then of course there's Dracula's final form, a giant head of Dracula. Not a scary monstrous head, no, just a ballooned version of Dracula's regular head. Needless to say, this game is a prime contender for "Strangest" game in the series.
Would I replay this game?: Maybe. This game has a great soundtrack and some weird (but fun) animations. But the gameplay is rough enough to almost be discouraging.
#6
THE CASTLEVANIA ADVENTURE
Release Date: 1989 Format: Game Boy
I recently did a deep dive post covering this game. For the full details and context surrounding this game, I urge you to read that post, Gameing Diaries: The Castlevania Adventure.
This game was the first ever handheld Castlevania to be released, only six months after the Game Boy itself debuted. As you can imagine, such an early release on new hardware is bound to be rough. And it is. Really rough. Christopher Belmont (your character in this game) moves painfully slow and handles even worse. To make a bad situation a despairing one, when you get hit you lose your whip upgrades. And you'll get hit a lot, meaning you'll play the majority of this game with the wimpy leather whip in which enemies are harder to kill.
This title features the most inhospitable gameplay and highest level of difficulty of any of the games listed above. For the longest time this was the only Castlevania I hadn't beaten. Only recently did I persevere and finally beat this game (through memorization and cussing). Having memorized the enemy patterns and level layout, I was able to find some appreciation here such as music, ropes, and the spiked level. But even so, the basic gameplay is so completely discouraging making this easily one of the roughest excursions through Dracula's castle that you'll ever have.
Would I replay this game?: Maybe not. The game still has positives but the sluggish gameplay is hard to get passed.
I recently did a deep dive post covering this game. For the full details and context surrounding this game, I urge you to read that post, Gameing Diaries: The Castlevania Adventure.
This game was the first ever handheld Castlevania to be released, only six months after the Game Boy itself debuted. As you can imagine, such an early release on new hardware is bound to be rough. And it is. Really rough. Christopher Belmont (your character in this game) moves painfully slow and handles even worse. To make a bad situation a despairing one, when you get hit you lose your whip upgrades. And you'll get hit a lot, meaning you'll play the majority of this game with the wimpy leather whip in which enemies are harder to kill.
This title features the most inhospitable gameplay and highest level of difficulty of any of the games listed above. For the longest time this was the only Castlevania I hadn't beaten. Only recently did I persevere and finally beat this game (through memorization and cussing). Having memorized the enemy patterns and level layout, I was able to find some appreciation here such as music, ropes, and the spiked level. But even so, the basic gameplay is so completely discouraging making this easily one of the roughest excursions through Dracula's castle that you'll ever have.
Would I replay this game?: Maybe not. The game still has positives but the sluggish gameplay is hard to get passed.
#5
CASTLEVANIA: LEGACY OF DARKNESS
Release Date: 1999 Format: Nintendo 64
This game was Castlevania's second foray into the world of 3D gaming. Legacy of Darkness is both a prequel and expansion to the previous game in the series, Castlevania 64. This game contained new characters and a new story but also contained the entire previous game with it. That's right, both Nintendo 64 Castlevania games were present on this one cartridge. Legacy of Darkness also made use of the N64's new expansion pack hardware providing clearer backgrounds and slightly improved graphics.
Being able to play as a werewolf in a Castlevania game sounds awesome. Having two games in one also sounds awesome. But sadly this game still played a lot like its predecessor, i.e. clunky and cumbersome. The additional content here also had you retread on the previous game's locales, with only a few new additions here and there. And even with the expansion pack the graphics still looked similar to Castlevania 64 as well. Overall this game feels like the old game, just in a new shiny box. In today's terms this is the equivalent of a DLC pack.
This can't really be called a new game. This was Konami scrambling to make something out of the previous unsuccessful venture that they invested three years and a great deal of resources into... Castlevania 64.
Would I replay this game?: No. Unless you're a Nintendo 64 enthusiast this game is better left to the annals of time. This is a game that I played one time and cannot bring myself to play again.
This game was Castlevania's second foray into the world of 3D gaming. Legacy of Darkness is both a prequel and expansion to the previous game in the series, Castlevania 64. This game contained new characters and a new story but also contained the entire previous game with it. That's right, both Nintendo 64 Castlevania games were present on this one cartridge. Legacy of Darkness also made use of the N64's new expansion pack hardware providing clearer backgrounds and slightly improved graphics.
Being able to play as a werewolf in a Castlevania game sounds awesome. Having two games in one also sounds awesome. But sadly this game still played a lot like its predecessor, i.e. clunky and cumbersome. The additional content here also had you retread on the previous game's locales, with only a few new additions here and there. And even with the expansion pack the graphics still looked similar to Castlevania 64 as well. Overall this game feels like the old game, just in a new shiny box. In today's terms this is the equivalent of a DLC pack.
This can't really be called a new game. This was Konami scrambling to make something out of the previous unsuccessful venture that they invested three years and a great deal of resources into... Castlevania 64.
Would I replay this game?: No. Unless you're a Nintendo 64 enthusiast this game is better left to the annals of time. This is a game that I played one time and cannot bring myself to play again.
#4
CASTLEVANIA 64
Release Date: 1999 Format: Nintendo 64
Castlevania's first attempt at a 3D game was rough. Really rough. While Nintendo nailed it with such titles as Super Mario 64 and Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, and Rare delivered a game that would sweep the world of gaming off its feet (Golden Eye), Konami failed to do the same with many of their franchises.
Looking back at Castlevania 64, the game is simply ugly. Yes, this was the dawning era of 3D games so you have to make allowances, but Castlevania 64 doesn't even look good alongside its peers of the time. And the game plays even worse (not helped at all by the Nintendo 64's massive and bizarrely designed controller). As a result, you'll spend many frustrating minutes trying to make a simple jump. Running over cliffsides is painfully easy. And enemies swarm you and hit you with precision while you turn and flail about the place trying not to die. And you endure all of it while staring at ugly polygons.
The storyline here is rather strange as well, taking place in the mid 1800's and without a Belmont. Reinhardt's lineage is alluded to as being a descendant of the Belmonts but the game remains vague as to exactly how (which to be fair was par for the course with Konami and continuity most times). Dark forces plot to resurrect Dracula in the body of a child from the local villages (insidious stuff actually) and succeed. But no one knows exactly which child is Dracula, so all of the children are kidnapped. While truly dark at times, with some wonderfully conceived characters, the story doesn't build on the mythos in any significant way. Symphony and Legends took the mythology and characters and deepened the overall story, but this game's plot is rather isolated and somewhat divorced from prior canon. As a result, this game's story feels superfluous and non-essential. Perhaps that was intentional, a soft reboot of sorts, to allow new gamers an easy entry point into the series.
I played this game when it came out and suffered through both playthroughs (once as Reinhardt and once as Carrie). Carrie handled far better of the two primarily because of her projectile attacks. You know it's bad when you'd rather play as the little girl with the wand instead of the classic whip wielding protagonist. While, at the time, all eyes were on 3D games, these early attempts did not age well. But surprisingly many of the older 2D games have held up incredibly well and have ignited a surge in retro gaming.
Castlevania 64 signifies a gamble on Konami's part. Symphony of the Night had just reinvented the series at this point and reignited Castlevania's fandom. But instead of pursuing more 2D games, Konami hedged their bets on a 3D Castlevania. It paid off huge for Konami with the Metal Gear franchise. Sadly this did not pay off for Castlevania (or Contra, but that's another story). Imagine the untold wonders we could've had if Konami had focused on more Symphony-like games for the main consoles instead of relegating such a superior format to limited handheld tech?
Would I replay this game?: No. I tried recently but I just can't get passed the rough controls and ugly graphics.
Castlevania's first attempt at a 3D game was rough. Really rough. While Nintendo nailed it with such titles as Super Mario 64 and Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, and Rare delivered a game that would sweep the world of gaming off its feet (Golden Eye), Konami failed to do the same with many of their franchises.
Looking back at Castlevania 64, the game is simply ugly. Yes, this was the dawning era of 3D games so you have to make allowances, but Castlevania 64 doesn't even look good alongside its peers of the time. And the game plays even worse (not helped at all by the Nintendo 64's massive and bizarrely designed controller). As a result, you'll spend many frustrating minutes trying to make a simple jump. Running over cliffsides is painfully easy. And enemies swarm you and hit you with precision while you turn and flail about the place trying not to die. And you endure all of it while staring at ugly polygons.
The storyline here is rather strange as well, taking place in the mid 1800's and without a Belmont. Reinhardt's lineage is alluded to as being a descendant of the Belmonts but the game remains vague as to exactly how (which to be fair was par for the course with Konami and continuity most times). Dark forces plot to resurrect Dracula in the body of a child from the local villages (insidious stuff actually) and succeed. But no one knows exactly which child is Dracula, so all of the children are kidnapped. While truly dark at times, with some wonderfully conceived characters, the story doesn't build on the mythos in any significant way. Symphony and Legends took the mythology and characters and deepened the overall story, but this game's plot is rather isolated and somewhat divorced from prior canon. As a result, this game's story feels superfluous and non-essential. Perhaps that was intentional, a soft reboot of sorts, to allow new gamers an easy entry point into the series.
I played this game when it came out and suffered through both playthroughs (once as Reinhardt and once as Carrie). Carrie handled far better of the two primarily because of her projectile attacks. You know it's bad when you'd rather play as the little girl with the wand instead of the classic whip wielding protagonist. While, at the time, all eyes were on 3D games, these early attempts did not age well. But surprisingly many of the older 2D games have held up incredibly well and have ignited a surge in retro gaming.
Castlevania 64 signifies a gamble on Konami's part. Symphony of the Night had just reinvented the series at this point and reignited Castlevania's fandom. But instead of pursuing more 2D games, Konami hedged their bets on a 3D Castlevania. It paid off huge for Konami with the Metal Gear franchise. Sadly this did not pay off for Castlevania (or Contra, but that's another story). Imagine the untold wonders we could've had if Konami had focused on more Symphony-like games for the main consoles instead of relegating such a superior format to limited handheld tech?
Would I replay this game?: No. I tried recently but I just can't get passed the rough controls and ugly graphics.
#3
CASTLEVANIA: LORDS OF SHADOW
Release Date: 2010 Format: Playstation 3
Being totally transparent, my feelings regarding the Lords of Shadow games are full of biases. I realize that. If you love these games, just keep this in mind as you read on.
This is Castlevania's most earnest attempt to be anything else but itself. This game is the equivalent of a massive big budget Hollywood release film that ultimately felt incredibly generic and failed miserably at its one goal: to reignite a withering franchise (a lot like the 2017 MUMMY reboot). The production value on this game is truly epic, Konami clearly pouring all of their resources into this sparing no expense. They hoped the sales from this game would generate revenue for the company for many years to come. Instead, all that came from this game was a yet greater ill-conceived sequel.
The game looks amazing, the action mechanics are great, and the acting by Robert Carlyle and Patrick Stewart is truly incredible. But within all of this are a number of missteps. The action is well done but pales in comparison to the likes of Devil May Cry, and worse, it feels like a derivative of God of War. Then there are the battles against titanic sized enemies that are basically Quick Action Commands (battles of memorization only) which are more suited to something out of Shadow of the Colossus. While the game has great action, the momentum and pace are stunted by massive sections of bland exploration and tedious puzzles more suited for a Tomb Raider game. And the music, while beautiful and boasting the range of a full symphony orchestra, is ultimately generic in sound with no memorable themes. Alongside the many other Castlevania soundtracks this score is utterly forgettable.
And then there's the plot. The Belmonts are the heroes of Castlevania. This game turns them not only into villains, but the ultimate villain: Dracula himself. In a Metal Gear-like plot of conspiracy and intrigue, Gabriel Belmont slowly learns that he is a pawn of the villains, unknowingly following their scheme, even going so far as to kill his own wife, battle Lucifer, and become the prince of darkness himself.
As chronicled above, Konami really tried hard to evolved Castlevania from a 2D series to 3D. But in doing so the series left behind their identity, none more so than with the Lords of Shadow games. Konami ditched series caretaker Koji Igarashi (which to be fair was probably needed) and gave Castlevania to Hideo Kojima's team (the mastermind of Metal Gear Solid). Lords Of Shadow feels like an amalgam of God of War, Metal Gear Solid, and Shadow of the Colossus. Some reviewers praised this game for not being hampered by Castlevania conventions, for its bold reinvention. They were right in that the game managed to escape the things Castlevania is known for. In doing so though the game loses all identity itself, being overshadowed by the better games of the time and the other franchises it tried to emulate.
Would I replay this game?: No. This game offers very little in the way of new. If you're looking for a good action adventure game look no further than the games Lords of Shadow tries to mimic. Being a reboot, not only did this game disregard all of the games that came before it, but disregarded the very elements that make up a Castlevania experience. If you're looking for a true Castlevania experience the games to play are Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night.
Had Lords of Shadow not been called Castlevania, ditched the Belmont name, and been called something altogether different, maybe I'd feel differently about this game.
Being totally transparent, my feelings regarding the Lords of Shadow games are full of biases. I realize that. If you love these games, just keep this in mind as you read on.
This is Castlevania's most earnest attempt to be anything else but itself. This game is the equivalent of a massive big budget Hollywood release film that ultimately felt incredibly generic and failed miserably at its one goal: to reignite a withering franchise (a lot like the 2017 MUMMY reboot). The production value on this game is truly epic, Konami clearly pouring all of their resources into this sparing no expense. They hoped the sales from this game would generate revenue for the company for many years to come. Instead, all that came from this game was a yet greater ill-conceived sequel.
The game looks amazing, the action mechanics are great, and the acting by Robert Carlyle and Patrick Stewart is truly incredible. But within all of this are a number of missteps. The action is well done but pales in comparison to the likes of Devil May Cry, and worse, it feels like a derivative of God of War. Then there are the battles against titanic sized enemies that are basically Quick Action Commands (battles of memorization only) which are more suited to something out of Shadow of the Colossus. While the game has great action, the momentum and pace are stunted by massive sections of bland exploration and tedious puzzles more suited for a Tomb Raider game. And the music, while beautiful and boasting the range of a full symphony orchestra, is ultimately generic in sound with no memorable themes. Alongside the many other Castlevania soundtracks this score is utterly forgettable.
And then there's the plot. The Belmonts are the heroes of Castlevania. This game turns them not only into villains, but the ultimate villain: Dracula himself. In a Metal Gear-like plot of conspiracy and intrigue, Gabriel Belmont slowly learns that he is a pawn of the villains, unknowingly following their scheme, even going so far as to kill his own wife, battle Lucifer, and become the prince of darkness himself.
As chronicled above, Konami really tried hard to evolved Castlevania from a 2D series to 3D. But in doing so the series left behind their identity, none more so than with the Lords of Shadow games. Konami ditched series caretaker Koji Igarashi (which to be fair was probably needed) and gave Castlevania to Hideo Kojima's team (the mastermind of Metal Gear Solid). Lords Of Shadow feels like an amalgam of God of War, Metal Gear Solid, and Shadow of the Colossus. Some reviewers praised this game for not being hampered by Castlevania conventions, for its bold reinvention. They were right in that the game managed to escape the things Castlevania is known for. In doing so though the game loses all identity itself, being overshadowed by the better games of the time and the other franchises it tried to emulate.
Would I replay this game?: No. This game offers very little in the way of new. If you're looking for a good action adventure game look no further than the games Lords of Shadow tries to mimic. Being a reboot, not only did this game disregard all of the games that came before it, but disregarded the very elements that make up a Castlevania experience. If you're looking for a true Castlevania experience the games to play are Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night.
Had Lords of Shadow not been called Castlevania, ditched the Belmont name, and been called something altogether different, maybe I'd feel differently about this game.
#2
CASTLEVANIA: LORDS OF SHADOW 2
Gabriel Belmont returns... or rather Dracula returns in the last Castlevania game to be released as of today. The game picks up where the previous game left off, thrusting Dracula and the player into modern times. That's right, gone are the gothic trappings, replaced with urban city settings, metal, electronics, and armored enemies with firearms.
At first glance it would seem that the game's designers finally shed what last bits of Castlevania that were left, becoming something of a Batman: Arkham Asylum clone. Again, the action is great but derivative of its peers. Like the last game, the action is interrupted by "stealth" sections where Dracula must sneak around as a rat or other things. These stealth sections and generic environments are some of the worst aspects of the game as they feel unnecessarily tedious and difficult.
Eventually the game returns to the past and castles and creepy settings. Here's where the developers try to shoehorn in elements of the past games, to egregious effect. Trevor Belmont, Dracula's son, appears vowing to help his father. When Trevor is killed, Dracula turns him into a vampire to save his life. Trevor, now a vampire, starts calling himself Alucard... Yep, Trevor and Alucard are now one and the same. At the end Alucard is possessed by Lucifer and becomes the final enemy. Yep, Alucard is, in essence, the final boss.
Taken on there own, both Lords of Shadow games are decent and very playable. Still, they are lesser derivatives of better games, none of these games being prior Castlevanias however. Robert Carlyle and Patrick Stewart are back with great performances. And the game looks as beautiful as ever graphically, even with generic environments galore. As Castlevania games, both LOS entries (not counting Mirror of Fate on the 3DS) are a far cry from anything the franchise had done before. But that seems to be the point. Add into this the treatment of Trevor Belmont and Alucard, the game comes across as a bit disrespectful to the franchise.
Would I replay this game?: No. Again, you're better off playing Arkham Asylum or Devil May Cry IV here as this game fails to reach the heights of these (or even the heights of its predecessor). You'd think this would be the ultimate low point for the series in my opinion.
Close, but sadly, it is not.
#1
CASTLEVANIA JUDGEMENT
Embarrassing. Atrocious. Castlevania Judgment is easily the strangest, head-tilting game of the franchise.
It's a 3D fighting game (loosely) similar to Power Stone. I am a huge fighting game fan, but you can barely call this a fighting game. There are a few random enemies in the massive stages that you can fight and interactive stage elements such as destructible environments. However it has one-button super-moves (something no fighting game should have), questionable graphics, and unpolished gameplay. The Wii's controller didn't help this game in the slightest either (fighting games in general don't work well with the Wii's controller). One of the worst elements of the game is the wild and annoying camera, a make or break feature of any 3D game (this must be the hardest element to nail down of any 3D game).
The story begins when one of Dracula and Alucard's oldest enemies, Galamoth (the hardest boss in Symphony and the main boss of both Kid Dracula games) attempts to kill Dracula by sending a Time Reaper to the past. Another Time Watcher, Aeon (a fellow time traveler of Saint Germain from Curse of Darkness), becomes aware of the scheme and gathers champions from across time to stop Galamoth and maintain the timeline. Simon, Trevor, Alucard, Shanoa, and other heroes are pulled together to fight to save the timestream.
On paper this sounds amazing to me. Bringing the heroes of the franchise together for the first time is like a dream scenario (but a few of my favorites are missing i.e. Richter and Sonia). But what ruins the whole thing is the scripting and acting. But most gut-churning of all are the character redesigns. Takeshi Obata, the artist from DEATH NOTE, provides the designs and completely misses the point of Castlevania. Konami employing a hot talent like Obata makes perfect sense in theory, but the reality is so obviously wrong. Castlevania, though a Japanese franchise, is distinctly medieval European in style. Even when the games take place in Japan (Aria and Dawn of Sorrow) the designs are somewhat grounded in reality. Obata's designs are 100% anime/other worldly and feel antithetical to everything Castlevania is. Even when Castlevania adopted anime style artwork (Rondo of Blood, Legends) the designs were still mostly grounded if somewhat stylized.
The designs here are just all wrong. Overly detailed and disproportionate, many characters look hideous and unrecognizable. To be fair, such designs can work within certain settings. Adding to the travesty here though is the scripting, embracing ludicrous anime tropes (such as Maria being obsessed with Carmilla's breasts, wanting a chest as large as hers). And then there's the poor voice acting, the actors themselves not committing to the project. Some voices don't even fit the characters, almost being as inappropriate as the designs.
As far the presentation this game is just about a failure all around. Except for the music. Many classic themes are remixed to great effect. Again, I like the idea behind this game. I like the premise and involving Galamoth once more. But the way the characters are treated/showcased is so completely off from what came before. Koji Igarashi, the man tasked with shepherding the series after Symphony of the Night, was the producer on this project. From the highest of highs with Symphony to the lowest of lows with Judgement, Igarashi's time as Castlevania caretaker was perhaps the most inconsistent period of the series. Needless to say, his tenure as lord of Castlevania didn't last much longer.
All in all this is another failed attempt to bring Castlevania to the 3D world of gaming. Interestingly, 2D fighting games came back in a big way in 2008 with Street Fighter IV. Had Castlevania Judgment been a 2D fighter (with Ayami Kojima as lead designer and Arc Systems Works providing the mechanics) I can't help but wonder what an awesome game we could've had. Anyway, if you're looking for a great 3D weapons fighter, the Soul Calibur series is the obvious choice or Samurai Shodown. If you're looking for a horror themed fighting game, Darkstalkers delivers as close of a pseudo-Castlevania fighting game experience we'll ever get
Would I replay this game?: No. Despite it's obvious design flaws, the Wii's controller just isn't ideal for such a game in general. It would seem that I haven't met a 3D Castlevania game that I liked. It would seem... save for Curse of Darkness.
And there you have it, my least favorite games in my favorite video game franchise. Again, these games are not necessarily bad games, I merely prefer these game the least among the others. If you like these games, great! Keep liking them and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
Thanks for reading!
For more Castlevania posts and more top ten lists please check out these others
Castlevania Posts
THE CASTLEVANIA ADVENTURE (GB)
Gaming Diaries
TOP TEN GODZILLA MOVIES
TOP TEN GHOST RIDERS
TOP TEN GHOST RIDER VILLAINS
TOP TEN DOCTOR STRANGE VILLAINS
TOP TEN MARVEL SUPERNATURAL HEROES
TOP TEN MARVEL HEROES YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF
TOP TEN LEAST FAVORITE HULK STORIES
TOP TEN INCREDIBLE HULK VILLAINS
TOP TEN MARVEL COSMIC WOMEN
TOP TEN MARVEL SUPER VILLAINS
TOP TEN THOR VILLAINS
TOP TEN MARVEL SUPER HEROES
TOP TEN FAVORITE X-MEN
TOP TEN MARVEL SUPER HERO TEAMS
TOP TEN MARVEL ROMANCES
TOP TEN CAPTAIN MARVEL STORIES
It's a 3D fighting game (loosely) similar to Power Stone. I am a huge fighting game fan, but you can barely call this a fighting game. There are a few random enemies in the massive stages that you can fight and interactive stage elements such as destructible environments. However it has one-button super-moves (something no fighting game should have), questionable graphics, and unpolished gameplay. The Wii's controller didn't help this game in the slightest either (fighting games in general don't work well with the Wii's controller). One of the worst elements of the game is the wild and annoying camera, a make or break feature of any 3D game (this must be the hardest element to nail down of any 3D game).
The story begins when one of Dracula and Alucard's oldest enemies, Galamoth (the hardest boss in Symphony and the main boss of both Kid Dracula games) attempts to kill Dracula by sending a Time Reaper to the past. Another Time Watcher, Aeon (a fellow time traveler of Saint Germain from Curse of Darkness), becomes aware of the scheme and gathers champions from across time to stop Galamoth and maintain the timeline. Simon, Trevor, Alucard, Shanoa, and other heroes are pulled together to fight to save the timestream.
On paper this sounds amazing to me. Bringing the heroes of the franchise together for the first time is like a dream scenario (but a few of my favorites are missing i.e. Richter and Sonia). But what ruins the whole thing is the scripting and acting. But most gut-churning of all are the character redesigns. Takeshi Obata, the artist from DEATH NOTE, provides the designs and completely misses the point of Castlevania. Konami employing a hot talent like Obata makes perfect sense in theory, but the reality is so obviously wrong. Castlevania, though a Japanese franchise, is distinctly medieval European in style. Even when the games take place in Japan (Aria and Dawn of Sorrow) the designs are somewhat grounded in reality. Obata's designs are 100% anime/other worldly and feel antithetical to everything Castlevania is. Even when Castlevania adopted anime style artwork (Rondo of Blood, Legends) the designs were still mostly grounded if somewhat stylized.
The designs here are just all wrong. Overly detailed and disproportionate, many characters look hideous and unrecognizable. To be fair, such designs can work within certain settings. Adding to the travesty here though is the scripting, embracing ludicrous anime tropes (such as Maria being obsessed with Carmilla's breasts, wanting a chest as large as hers). And then there's the poor voice acting, the actors themselves not committing to the project. Some voices don't even fit the characters, almost being as inappropriate as the designs.
As far the presentation this game is just about a failure all around. Except for the music. Many classic themes are remixed to great effect. Again, I like the idea behind this game. I like the premise and involving Galamoth once more. But the way the characters are treated/showcased is so completely off from what came before. Koji Igarashi, the man tasked with shepherding the series after Symphony of the Night, was the producer on this project. From the highest of highs with Symphony to the lowest of lows with Judgement, Igarashi's time as Castlevania caretaker was perhaps the most inconsistent period of the series. Needless to say, his tenure as lord of Castlevania didn't last much longer.
All in all this is another failed attempt to bring Castlevania to the 3D world of gaming. Interestingly, 2D fighting games came back in a big way in 2008 with Street Fighter IV. Had Castlevania Judgment been a 2D fighter (with Ayami Kojima as lead designer and Arc Systems Works providing the mechanics) I can't help but wonder what an awesome game we could've had. Anyway, if you're looking for a great 3D weapons fighter, the Soul Calibur series is the obvious choice or Samurai Shodown. If you're looking for a horror themed fighting game, Darkstalkers delivers as close of a pseudo-Castlevania fighting game experience we'll ever get
Would I replay this game?: No. Despite it's obvious design flaws, the Wii's controller just isn't ideal for such a game in general. It would seem that I haven't met a 3D Castlevania game that I liked. It would seem... save for Curse of Darkness.
And there you have it, my least favorite games in my favorite video game franchise. Again, these games are not necessarily bad games, I merely prefer these game the least among the others. If you like these games, great! Keep liking them and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
Thanks for reading!
For more Castlevania posts and more top ten lists please check out these others
Castlevania Posts
THE CASTLEVANIA ADVENTURE (GB)
Gaming Diaries
More Top Ten Lists
TOP TEN GODZILLA MOVIES
TOP TEN GHOST RIDER VILLAINS
TOP TEN DOCTOR STRANGE VILLAINS
TOP TEN MARVEL SUPERNATURAL HEROES
TOP TEN MARVEL HEROES YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF
TOP TEN LEAST FAVORITE HULK STORIES
TOP TEN INCREDIBLE HULK VILLAINS
TOP TEN MARVEL COSMIC WOMEN
TOP TEN MARVEL SUPER VILLAINS
TOP TEN THOR VILLAINS
TOP TEN MARVEL SUPER HEROES
TOP TEN FAVORITE X-MEN
TOP TEN MARVEL SUPER HERO TEAMS
TOP TEN MARVEL ROMANCES
TOP TEN CAPTAIN MARVEL STORIES
