It’s always interesting when a classic franchise reinvents itself with a completely new genre which becomes successful, then returns to the gameplay from its roots later on down the road. Off the top of my head, I can think of the number of times the Mario series has flip flopped between third-person platforming/action and traditional 2D side scroller. 

 

Another one is the Castlevania series. With Castlevania 64 the series entered the third-person 3D realm, and since then, with numerous releases between a number of different platforms, the series has seen both 3D and 2D games. Perhaps the biggest departure from the traditional Castlevania gameplay came in the form of 2010′s Lords of Shadow. Though retaining certain elements like platforming and puzzle solving, LOS was more God of War than the Castlevania we all grew up with. And the best part was it was awesome.

 

We’re now all set for a LOS 2, and surprisingly, a second sequel in the form of a Nintendo 3DS game called Lords of Shadow: Mirror of Fate.

 



 

While the core LOS console series is going to remain a 3D action game, MOF is taking fans back to the good ol’ Metroidvania days. I recently got sit down with Konami and play MOF for a few hours. Other than my 3DS dying in the MIDDLE OF A BOSS FIGHT, the experience was awesome, and I can say with a great deal of confidence that MOF is going to be a huge hit for the 3DS.

 

Right off the bat, MOF smacks you in the face, though not necessarily in a good way. The 3D effect is very dramatic, and even turned down to halfway, it’s more than headache inducing. I found that the only way to keep it from making me throw up is to have if off completely, or have it on so slightly that it’s barely noticeable. Unfortunately, turning the 3D off entirely would be doing a great disservice to the game, as the effect, despite how hard it is on the eyes, is really quite beautiful.

 

Painful 3D effect aside, the rest of the game is absolutely brilliant. The game starts with a few beautiful cel-shaded cut scenes, and though they are more of the motion comic variety than a fully animated scene, they are still very well done. Level one saw me taking on the role of Gabriel Belmont. The level serves as a nice tutorial and intro to the story, though honestly the controls aren’t really too different than what you might expect from a traditional Castlevania game.

 

 

The thing that’s evident from the start is just how impressive the game’s graphics are. Prior to this, the best graphics I saw on the 3DS was for Resident Evil: Revelations. MOF is easily right up there with RE. It simply looks amazing. The animations are fast and fluid, and the amount of detail is staggering for a handheld game. Add that to the fact that the POV will dynamically shift between 2D and 3D depending on where you are and what you’re doing, and you have a fantastic looking game that attacks your senses.

 

The story follows Gabriel’s descendants, Trevor and his son Simon, as they each set out to discover the shocking truth behind the Belmont family name and the death of their loved ones. It’s cool to be able to go back and explore the Belmont family history, especially since we’ve been a part of the Belmonts since the very first Castlevania game. It adds a lot of backstory to the characters, and makes each of the journeys much more personal. It’s not just good vs evil; it’s good vs evil vs family. That’s never fun.

 

As far as the gameplay goes, there’s a very even split between combat, exploration/puzzles, and platforming (as least in terms of the few levels I got to play). The puzzles ranges from ones we’ve seen time and time again (flip a switch, move a box, etc.) to some pretty clever ones (figuring out how to walk through a “waterfall” of ghosts without taking damage). The platforming also isn’t anything too different than what we’ve seen; mostly the “jump across gaps from platform to platform” and the like. There were a few sequences that almost reminded me of the Uncharted series, with some heavy ledge climbing and jumping. It all fits into the gameplay very well and mixes things up a bit from just slashing at enemies all day long.

 

But oh, how much fun is slashing at enemies? The combat is where the true beauty of MOF lies; it is so simplistic yet so fun and engaging at the same time. It reminds me a lot of a 2D Devil May Cry game, with a lot of fast paced combos and air juggling involved. The thing I like best about the combat is the old school feel to it; figure out the enemy’s patterns and work around it. This applies to bosses as well. It’s a lot more fun than just beating an enemy until its health reaches zero…which you’ll still be doing.

 

The one thing I did notice in boss fights is the appearance of QTEs. I’m really not sure how I feel about that; on the one hand, it adds an additional twist to the gameplay, and getting the successful button presses in on time when you’re not expecting it can end up being fairly intense. On the other hand…do we really need more QTEs?

 

Regardless, there’s a lot to love about Mirror of Fate. I love that it brings back the Metroidvania layout. I love that the puzzles, platforming, and combat remind me of a classic Castlevania game. I love how great the game looks. I love how hard the game is. I love how crazy the combat can get with all its numerous combos. Most of all, I love the story and how fantastic the game looks.

 

Castlevania Lords of Shadow: Mirror of Fate is set to release on March 5th, 2013. If you own a Nintendo 3DS, do yourselves a favor and snatch this one up! And also, keep your eyes glued to Gaming Examiner in the next few weeks for a one on one interview with writer/producer David Cox, and our review of the final product!