Xbox

Castlevania: Curse of Darkness

Advancing through the third installment of Castlevania in 3D, it’s undeniable how proficient the core CV team (Igarashi, Kojima, and Yamane) have become at the art of monster-disposal-based adventure gaming. Not because the game is bursting with innovation, but because it’s not. Once again they have been able to take one of the most rudimentary concepts in gaming, born of the 8-bit era, and by sheer technique in the areas of world and creature design, control and music, create something utterly mesmerizing. In every area Lament failed Curse’s subtle differences make it excel.

The game offers a lengthy story mode that should keep fans of the series occupied for countless hours. With that said, Curse of Darkness offers little in terms of replay value. Asides from possibly acquiring different variations of weapons and Innocent Devils, there will be little incentive for a second run through of this title. However, the game really does possess enough substance to warrant a purchase. At its core, Curse of Darkness is a fine action RPG with a tremendously engrossing story that is incredibly well told through impressive cut scenes and fine voice acting. Additionally, the game’s soundtrack provides a worthy setting for the action in Curse of Darkness.

En intégrant un certain nombre de nouveautés très pertinentes en termes de gameplay, Castlevania : Curse of Darkness parvient à se hisser à la hauteur de ce qu'on attendait de lui, malgré des faiblesses techniques évidentes. La notion de démons à invoquer et le système de combinaison des armes sont les principaux arguments de cet épisode qui aurait peut-être pu nous impressionner davantage si le level design avait été plus recherché.

One of the most-loved franchises among its fan base, Castlevania returns from the grave for a second PlayStation 2 adventure, Curse of Darkness. But where its predecessor, Lament of Innocence, breathed 3D life into what was essentially a 2D series, Curse gets stuck in a rut. The game delivers the prerequisite good-versus-evil conflict (here you play one of Dracula's servants who fell from grace) against a narrative that stems from one of the earliest Castlevania titles--1990's Dracula's Curse for the NES.

Castlevania: Curse of Darkness is the umpteenth game in the vampire-laden series (we've lost count). The original Castlevania is one gaming's most classic and beloved adventures, and while the series has seen both its ups and downs since then, everybody loves a good vampire tale. And as such, the tale of Dracula, the Belmont family and more continues on the PS2 and Xbox with Curse of Darkness

I will say, however, that Castlevania does an excellent job as usual with its equipment and skill setup. I'm a sucker for weapon building.

I think this game and Simon’s Quest are the two MUST HAVE games in what is becoming the one of the biggest legacies in gaming.

Castlevania fans will definitely be pleased with the direction this series is going in. It's a shame that it feels so dated.

Vampire hunting is a nasty business. It can also be a family legacy. Just ask the Belmonts. They've been doing it for generations. No one family has been kicking Dracula's butt for as long as the Belmont family. Castlevania has been one of the longest running game series in my video game memory. Castlevania games have been coming since 1987, and even before the NES hit the scene. I have a box of really old PC games back in the days of 16 colors and PC speaker sound. That is the first Castlevania game I ever owned. And now almost 20 years later, Castlevania returns once again in a brand new adventure called Castlevania: Curse of Darkness. And for the first time ever, the series comes to the Xbox. Konami also made the move again to a true and fully 3D Castlevania adventure.

Koji Igarashi, producer of the Castlevania series, openly admits he'd rather be making 2D Castlevania games, and I think it shows. Curse of Darkness, his second 3D Castlevania attempt (all 2D installments have been relegated to handheld platforms by the brilliant powers that be at either Konami or Sony), is certainly a solid new entry in the series -- and actually offers some glimpses of excellence -- but lacks the true polish or inspiration of his 2D works.

Castlevania: Curse of Darkness is a good game, and in being solid but unremarkable entertainment it perhaps finds its own curse sealed. It's a piece of satisfyingly decrepit eye candy. The gameplay carries on the Castlevania tradition of whipping bastions of undead into submission. Despite the gothic Pokémon-esque monster collection, though, there isn't anything that really makes the game stand out in my mind, other than a basic Castlevania vibe. I think the series' heart of hack-n-slash still feels best in the well-defined 2D environments. Although this title can be considered the best 3D entry in the series, I was hoping for a game that would haunt me after I played it, and other than the challenging final battles, this is not the case.

Castlevania: Curse of Darkness had a good bit of baggage to work with from the get-go. It's popular wisdom that Castlevania games don't translate too well to 3D, and with one installment that many considered a failure (Castlevania 64), and another, more recent one that was just kind of lackluster (Lament of Innocence), expectations weren't too high for this one.

The simplest thing I can say is that Curse of Darkness is a misstep in the long line of Castlevania games. Konami implemented some new useful and creative elements with the Innocent Devils, but uninspired enemies and level design drag the overall experience down. Castlevania fans would best be served by renting once, and then moving onto better games. Konami needs to go back and re-think the direction of this series.

While the long-running Castlevania series continues to thrive on Nintendo's portable gaming systems, it's still having problems coming into its own on consoles, if the new Castlevania: Curse of Darkness is any indication. Like 2003's Lament of Innocence, Curse of Darkness attempts to preserve the look and feel of the classic 2D side-scrolling Castlevania installments, and it succeeds to a certain extent. The game has a solid combat system and some interesting new spins on the formula that give depth to the action. However, the variety you'll see in the gothic environments is purely superficial.

Overall, Curse of Darkness isn't a really bad game, with much of the disappointment with it stemming from the fact that it doesn't live up to its name. It makes important steps towards translating Castlevania into 3D, but leaves the player with the impression that with some more variety and tweaks it could have been a much better game. Games like God of War have shown just how good many of the conventions of Castlevania can be in 3D, leaving Curse of Darkness feeling outdated before it even hits the shelves.

If just the word "Castlevania" gets you excited you may want to check it out. For everyone else, it's just too mindless and repetitive to stand for extended lengths. With all the other great action games out there, this one just can't compete.

If Curse of Darkness had been released as a launch game it would have earned higher marks. But clunky combat, uninspired visuals and recycled enemies and areas are unforgivable at this stage of development. Maybe things will change with the new batch of consoles on the way, but for now stick with the 2D Castlevania games, they’re infinitely more satisfying.

The controls are crisp and responsive, allowing you to strike down multiple enemies with ease. One notable new feature is your "fairy" sidekick who "evolves" throughout the game. Castlevania's lush orchestrated musical score is well done, but even that gets old after a whole. Curse of Darkness is a step up from Lament, but it's still generic and uninspired. The Castlevania formula just doesn't "work" well in 3D. If you're looking for some real occult fun, try the Devil May Cry series instead.