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Castlevania: Lament of Innocence - Hands On Preview
TVG Staff
28/08/2003
Igarashi and his team convince us to forget about Castlevania64 with the first ‘proper’ 3D Castlevania title…
Ask any serious gamer for their favourite game franchises over the past ten years and chances are Konamiâs âCastlevaniaâ will frequent many of their lists. Startling life out as a 2D action side-scroller for the NES, without doubt âSuper Castlevania IVâ with its Mode-7 effects on the SNES and the beautiful presentation of âCastlevania: Symphony of the Nightâ on the PSOne represent the series high-points and the finest moments in the genre.
Unfortunately few older franchises have survived the test of times and like many other classis series, the translation to 3D in two dreadful Nintendo64 titles and the cancellation of a mediocre Dreamcast title suggested that Castlevania might have had its day.
Thankfully the team behind the acclaimed PSOne title and the GBA titles has convinced Konami to give the series one last try, and attempt to achieve the Holy Grail of older franchises â“ the translation to 3D.
Scheduled for release in early 2004, the current build evident at ECTS is believed to be 99% complete with the rest of the time spent ensuring no bugs are in the code and its as finely polished as possible â“ a developer ahead of its schedule certainly makes for a change and its welcoming to see.
âCastlevania: Lament of Innocenceâ is set before previous titles in the series and pits players as Leon Belmont â“ forefather of the series legendary Belmont family of vampire hunters. Naturally this opens up the possibility of an exciting story and plotline, as fans finally learn the truths behind how the family became locked in an eternal battle against the vampire legacy.
Through the games opening sections we learn that Leonâs one true love, Sara, disappears mysteriously one night. Armed with only a dagger for protection, we also discover the truths behind a chance meeting with an alchemist who grants Leon a mysterious whip â“ the weapon which has become synonymous with the series and treated us to some fantastic gaming moments in âSuper Castlevania IVâ.
Making the bold decision to return to a 3D world is certainly one that upset fans when the news announcement first broke; few believed that the fine mechanics of the 2D gameplay and the perfect balance between action and adventure could be recreated in 3D. Thankfully KCET threw away the rulebook that governed Castlevania 64 and wisely opted to draw influences from the âDevil May Cryâ school of thinking, resulting in an action-packed title that should eradicate all fears of the stodgy N64 titles. Leon can perform a wide range of gravity-defying jumps and flips to avoid enemy attacks, whilst the game features an excellent combo system that borrows heavily from Capcomâs seminal action title. Fortunately KCET have worked hard to ensure the camera does a good job of keeping up with the action and ensuring minimal frustration.
In keeping with the level design of the original titles, different levels lead off from a primary hub, whilst we can rely on mid-level bosses to spice things up and the occasional epic boss encounter to greet the end of each level. Players can also collect a range of secondary weapons, ranging from classic items such as daggers and holy water to new items such as the magic crystals that the team have created.
The RPG aspects of the series later titles make a comeback, allowing Leon to gain experience and new abilities. This feature isnât as extensive as that featured in âSymphony of the Nightâ, however itâs welcoming touch that adds a layer of depth to the action-orientated proceedings.
Although Lament of Innocence wonât blow you away with its visuals, it does a good job of packing the screen full of enemies and maintaining a silky-smooth framerate. Although Leonâs character is well detailed with some nice animations, enemy character models fare slightly worse in the detail department, whilst the environments are perfectly stylised but suffer from repetitive textures and just a lack of sheen. That said the boss-encounters weâve seen have been the best in recent memory with Leon often fighting characters that literally dwarf him, evoking fond encounters of the good olâ days when a boss was a boss.
That said no complaints could be issued about the games music; Michiru Yamane is back with his subtle mix of ambient tunes and haunting compositions, once again highlighting the cause for videogame musicians.
