Castlevania: Curse of Darkness

"A Fair Look by a Longtime Fan After 3 Playthoughs"

Castlevania games have been a staple in my inventory since the very beginning. NES, SNES, N64, PS1, GBA, PS2, and now XBX. I missed Legacy of Darkness on the N64 simply because I could not find a copy anywhere and ended up forgetting about it. Then DS game looks great, but I can't buy a system for only one game and I've lost a lot of faith in Nintendo.

So how does the new Curse of Darkness (CoD) stack up?

Story: 6

I don't think I could ever rank a non-rpg higher than a seven simply because story isn't the main focus. CoD has a story that does what it needs to do. It tells you why you are running throughout the land, who the people you run into are, and why they do what they do. Its not wonderful, but it certainly does nothing to hurt the game. The FMVs are adequate, and the voice acting is good.

Graphics/Design: 5

Nothing special here. If you want graphics, go play Ninja Gaiden. The layouts are fairly straight forward. Most of the game is separated into levels, where you explore a fairly flat simple "roomed" area finding some trinkets and then fighting a boss. Platforming is pretty much non-existent. The level design is probably the biggest drawback of the game, and will turn some people away. The other problem is the rooms are large....too large. Sometimes it takes more time to run from one end to the other than to kill the enemies you fight along the way. The game really needed a dash move, especially later in the game when backtracking though the maps to get to rooms previously not accessible.

Hector looks nice. His sash waving as he runs (slowly runs) is a-la Ninja Gaiden and is a nice tough. The Innocent Devils, the summons of the game, also look cool and change appearance throughout.

Gameplay: 10

Here is where the game shines. Hector uses a variety of weapons (swords, axes, spears, gloves, and a few random ones). Combos are performed by pressing X and the using a finisher with B. Depending on the number of X presses, the finisher will be different. As you progress and get stronger weapons, the combo capabilities increase. Some weapon sets, like swords, have sub-classes. Normal swords with average speeds, heavy swords that are slower but much more damaging, and then rapier type that are very very quick with lower damage. I quickly went to the rapier class my firs time though. The quicker weapons make the combat feel more involved. Faster weapons let you get a few hits in, do a quick roll dodge, and be right back enemy bashing.

For me, the real joys came when I first tried the glove weapons. The fun factor for me rivaled Ninja Gaiden during some fights. Some may disagree, but I absolutely loved it. Some of the special weapons you get later are also fun, but I wouldn't want to spoil them.

One more thing that needs to be added to gameplay is an ability obtained in the second area: steal. Stealing is not only very helpful to obtain items, but figuring out HOW to steal from an enemy is part of the fun. Using the game's targeting system, the normal green target will turn purple when the enemy is vulnerable. For some, this is sometimes extremely easy such as an archer aiming to shoot. Other times require very specific actions. Guarding/Perfect Guarding an attack may stun them for a quick steal. Others have to be knocked off their feet or up into the air. It can get very annoying, when it requires an enemy/boss to do a very specific attack that is their rarest attack. Then you miss your chance, and have to wait again for an opportunity.

Boss Fights are a lot of fun. Most are not extremely difficult. The hardest fight for me was about halfway though the game. It seemed like one attack was very cheap, but the second time though I found a previously missed item that helped out a lot.

Devil Forging/Innocent Devils: 9

So how do you get all these fun weapons? Hector, being a Devil Forgemaster, can create weapons from the various materials. Skeletons will drop bronze, a simple material, and as you progress you will obtain a wide variety. Materials can be dropped or stolen. Forging weapons is a lot of fun, as you never know what you are going to be able to create. While some item drops make no sense, its does seem to attempt a bit of reality. An armored skeleton is going to drop some rare rare sword, but maybe some steel can be salved from the armor that will help in creating something else.

Innocent Devils are basically more involved versions of the Familiars from SOTN. The level up, gain abilities, and change forms based on the weapon type you are using. After time, the devils will create "eggs" that will allow you to create a new one that can be evolved in a different manner. Some devil abilities are combat related, others are healing, and others will allow access to various areas of the game. Its a nice touch. It could be a bit more involved. Devils use their life to perform skills (Castlevania's traditional hearts). I've read many posts that not knowing what skill you are working towards is very annoying. Personally, I don't mind not knowing what the ability is, but I would like to know the requirements to unlock it. Most are unlocked simply by killing an number of enemies, but others require a bit more. All you need to do is check a FAQ to find out what is is, but I wish that was not necessary. You can find out on your own, but good luck with some.

Overall I find the game very very enjoyable. The design isn't very inspired, but I'm not exactly concentrating on of the wall looks cool while battling two red ogres. There are unlockables, such as an alternate character and difficulty. I didn't find the new character all that fun to play with (I've read some posts that feel he is more fun, but I strongly disagree), but it was another playthough with different attacks, etc. I'm still working on the second difficulty.

Summary:

If you are a Castlevania fan, or a fan of mainly action/combat games, I'd say this is a good purchase. If you are looking for a visual masterpiece or platforming, stay away. I think some wonderful advances were made, and I truly believe that when a next generation Castlevania game comes out, prepare to be amazed. They have made enough 3D games and experimented with different things to make a really really great game. I can't wait to see some of the boss designs on next gen.

Final Score: 8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/21/05