Castlevania: Curse of Darkness Review (no fat)

Game Description

The Castlevania franchise is one that has regularly spawned games depicting Vampirism…Count Dracula being a renowned characters of the series. With Curse of Darkness, the vampire saga continues as Hector and Isaac, Dracula's minions, are on a collision course that will leave a trail of blood and gore. Since the death of the Count, Hector had given up his bloodthirsty ways until his lady love was murdered by Isaac. Now he seeks to avenge her death.

Unlike the Count, Hector and Isaac were mere mortals, bearing the moniker of Forgemasters, with the unique ability of summoning demons. As Hector, you have to get back into Dracula's castle, traverse through the labyrinth, score the catacombs, kill everything that seeks to kill you and confront your former ally, Isaac.

Castlevania: Curse of Darkness Gameplay

As Hector, the Forgemaster, with vengeance and rage in his eyes, you must traverse the cursed lands of Valachia and gain entry into Dracula's castle. A confrontation and the ultimate death of Isaac is your eventual goal.

Those who have ventured into Castlevania prior to this edition will find that the game doesn't stray from it's predecessors and it sticks to the same tried and tested formula - walk, summon, fight, kill, gain experience, discover new abilities and move on to next corridor.

Finding your way around the castle is a great experience as you get to experience the decaying recesses of Dracula's abode. There are plenty of surprises that you can discover on your way and these include weapons, elements and even demons.

The demons, consisting of imps, golems and like, play a vital part in the game as they are your allies in tricky situations and can be summoned to help you whenever you need them. The game features decent combat elements, and like any decent RPG, your character gains valuable experience points and learns new abilities, making combat more purposeful and rewarding.

One major complaint would be the way weapons behave in the game. Barring the default sword that you are equipped with, the rest are cumbersome or impractical to use. Hector has the ability to craft his own weapons using elements that he gathers during his exploration.

The game is not restricted to Dracula's castle. You get to traverse the land of Valachia and explore it's assorted architecture and landmarks. The visuals are sparse and the lack of detailing on landmarks can make this process quite monotonous.

Curse of Darkness may not have tread far from the original path but it does incorporate a couple of new features such as the ability to merge elements and forge your own weapons. Konami also spent time weeding out the bottlenecks of previous versions and streamlining this game for better playability rather than scores of features that bogs gameplay.

Castlevania: Curse of Darkness Graphics & Sound

Although the game features the best looking graphics in the entire Castlevania series, it's still a mixed fare. The combat sequences and characters are rendered well but the backdrops look lackluster and seems like a rush job. To add salt to the wounds of those expecting more from the graphics department, there are no cut scenes to help the game move along either. The game does have a good score and plenty of sound effects to provide a good atmosphere though.

Castlevania: Curse of Darkness Summary

The game had an established story line, one with tremendous possibilities, to bank on and an established fan base. The elements of role play are a nice addition and the action moves at a brisk pace, the monsters are cool, there are demons to summon, elements to use to make weapons and lots of corridors to explore.

However, Curse of Darkness does fall short of expectations because the lackluster graphics and flawed implementation negate the plus points. The Castlevania franchise seems to be sporting a tired look and Curse of Darkness doesn't help it's cause.

Castlevania: Curse of Darkness Cost

The game retails for $49.99US at the time of this review.