Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Basics

Slaying Vampires Ain't Easy

Welcome to Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Konami's much-anticipated foray into the 3D realm with one of their most famous franchises. It's not to say that Castlevania hasn't jumped into 3D with Castlevania before, but it is to say that their several attempts, from Castlevania 64 onwards, provided for some subpar experiences that left a bad taste in the mouth of critics and the gaming masses alike. Well, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a game that goes in a decidedly different direction, and the results it produces are, in a word, excellent.

Lords of Shadow isn't a canon Castlevania game, meaning that the story, events and characters have no ties to the Castlevania timeline. It's true that the main character is a Belmont -- Gabriel -- but that's about as far as the overt connections go. Castlevania nerds will notice little odes apart from that (for instance, a Castlevania II: Simon's Quest fan will note that one of the stages in chapter five is called Veros Woods, a destination from that game), but it's important that you go into this experience expecting something fresh, that doesn't tie itself to Castlevania games of the past. Indeed, this game is barely an ode to its namesake, so it may surprise you that it's a very good, very rewarding game. And yet, it's just that.

Hacking and Slashing

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a 3D game in the same vein as God of War, and even the 3D Ninja Gaiden titles. But for most people, the God of War reference will let you know what you're getting into here. The difference between this game and the God of War titles, however, is the depth of the experience. God of War is a button-masher, and so too is Lords of Shadow, but the skill tree system, the length and difficulty of the game, and the emphasis on revisiting old areas and solving complicated puzzles puts it on a completely different plane. If you're going to delve into Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, get ready for a lengthy story-driven adventure.

But with all of that said, the game is still very much a hack-and-slash affair. Gabriel Belmont, the game's main character, has a great many attacks at his disposal, including the use of purchased combos and skills, and even special weapons (like daggers). But his whip, called the Combat Cross in Lords of Shadow, is his primary weapon. The whip is used with a standard attack (X on Xbox360/Square on PS3) and a heavy attack (Y on Xbox360/Triangle on PS3). Gabriel can also jump (A on Xbox360/X on PS3) and parry/dodge (left trigger on Xbox360/L2 on PS3). Special weapons, like those aforementioned daggers, can also be utilized (B on Xbox360/Circle on PS3). These are the primary control functions you need to know to begin getting through the game from the outset. But you'll learn much, much more as you begin to work your way through Eastern Europe.

The Light and the Dark

Gabriel Belmont isn't only beholden to conventional weapons, like a whip or a dagger, however. Eventually, Gabriel will learn how to use magical attacks as well. First, he'll be able to use Light Magic, and later on in the game, he'll learn Shadow Magic. Light Magic and Shadow Magic have very, very different uses in the game, but you'll need to balance them both out in such a way that benefits you greatest. For starters, it's important to know that you can't use either magic indefinitely. A blue meter on the lower left side of the screen indicates how much Light Magic you have left, while a red meter on the lower right side of the screen indicates how much Shadow Magic you have left. If one meter or the other (or neither of them) are on your screen, it simply means you haven't learned the magic in question yet.

So what can these magic types be used for? Well, Light Magic is simple to explain. When you activate Light Magic (left bumper on Xbox 360/L1 on PS3), Gabriel will glow blue. Every successful hit you score on an enemy with your Combat Cross with Light Magic activated will give Gabriel some of his lost health back. It will also decrease his Light Magic meter, so you can't overly-exploit this magic. Shadow Magic, on the other hand, has more varied uses. Activating it (right bumper on Xbox 360/R1 on PS3) and attacking with your Combat Cross will allow you to deal more damage to your enemies as Gabriel glows with an evil red color. But if you activate Shadow Magic and begin to use one of the many combos and skills you can use in unison with the magic, you'll find that Shadow Magic has many, many more uses beyond standard Combat Cross attacks.