Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow

If there’s one thing Konami does very well, it’s picking its friends. Over the years the developer has entrusted some of its most revered properties to both proven (Treasure – Gradius) and sometimes relatively unknown studios (WayForward Technologies – Contra), and the results of these relationships have generally been very successful. Well, this tradition continues as Konami has given Madrid-based developer, Mercury Steam – the studio behind Clive Barker’s Jericho – a crack of the whip at trying to resurrect its most famous and legendary franchise: Castlevania.

When Lords Of Shadow was properly announced – with the Castlevania prefix – to attendees at this year’s E3, it caused quite a commotion. As well as the obvious crowd shocker that Hideo Kojima would be overseeing its development, there was the revelation that Konami was to be ditching the traditional side-on 2D action/exploration perspective of old and replaced it with a 3D hack-and-slash veneer seemingly influenced by games such as God Of War and Devil May Cry.

For a series that has never really ever been whiter than white, and with many devout fans still smarting by the series’s previous attempts at making that always rocky transition to 3D, there were some people left understandably doubtful that the game would be the franchise reboot that Konami were hoping. But as time has gone on, Lords Of Shadow has started to look increasingly more impressive, and is now taking the shape of something far more grandiose than just a simple God Of War spin on a classic franchise.

It appears that Lords Of Shadow will be offering far more freedom and scale than other 3D hack-and-slash games we’ve seen in the past. While its levels will undoubtedly follow a linear path, most, if not all, will contain multiple routes and, in the truest tradition of Castlevania, feel more expansive and open than the on-rails progression seen in games such as Ninja Gaiden and God Of War.

We actually envision the gameplay to play something akin to the recent Bionic Commando reboot, especially as the game’s hero, Gabriel Belmont, is equipped with a natty-looking chain-whip called The Combat Cross, which he can use to tether to walls, scale buildings and climb aloft some the game’s epic Shadow Of The Colossus-esque foes. In terms of story, it also sounds like this could be the most cinematic Castlevania title to date. Gabriel must travel through some of the darkest recesses of Europe to hunt various werewolves, vampires and mythical beasties, and to put a stop to the mysterious Lords Of Shadow in a bid to rest the soul of his murdered wife.

From the impressive-looking trailers and images we’ve seen, Mercury Steam seems to be working hard to leave an indelible and lasting mark on the series. And it seems the game has all the right ingredients of becoming a classic reboot in the best possible sense; something that stays faithful and respectful to the classic Castlevania titles yet looks to push the franchise in new directions.

Add to the mix Kojima’s involvement, and a stellar cast of A-list acting talent who are lending their voices to the characters in the game (including Patrick Stewart, Robert Carlyle, Jason Isaacs and Natasha McElhone), and it’s clear that Konami feels that the project holds something quite special and understand what’s at stake (sorry) if they mess up Castlevania’s 3D reboot again.