Damn, I wanted to like this one so much more...
Heading into Lament of Innocence I didn't really know what to expect. All I knew was that the game dove into the origins of the Belmont family which piqued my interest and in terms of the story, I'd say the game does a good job, it answers some questions regarding the Vampire Killer and how it got the name as well as establishing the conflict between Leon and Dracula while also giving Dracula some backstory. What's there in terms of the plot is great, my only gripe is, I just wish we got more of it, maybe explain why Death is Dracula's right hand man or give a better reason why Dracula keeps reappearing rather than the vague "The people want him back because they're all dumbasses ig" the others games go with. Maybe I was expecting too much, plot's still good though.
Since I went in almost completely blind, I was surprised to see the game play like a 3D Metroidvania. It's all there, non-linearity which allows you to pick what level to play through in what order, optional bosses and plenty of hidden goodies you can find ranging from accessories, elemental whips, HP and MP upgrades and extra item slots. On paper, it sounds great, I adore the igavania titles in the series, so why don't I like this one? Well it's down to the gameplay. It's way too barebones. It plays like the most basic hack n' slasher you can find. You've got some basic combos and special moves, of which there are a ton if you go try out all the various attacks you can make by combining orbs with sub-weapons and that's about it. The entire gameplay just boils down to you using subweapons followed by mashing the square and triangle buttons for every stage. It got really monotonous and the stages all looking like an identical set of hallways only made the gameplay feel more dull. Because of this, I didn't really bother with exploring the game to find all the hidden items like I would with any other Metroidvania and that's really disappointing to me. The game is pretty short though, I beat it in under 6 hours. Also, the bossfights are fun, Doppelganger being my favourite since it's basically a war of attrition on whether you can get your attacks out before he does.
Despite how negative I sound when talking about the gameplay, I never felt extremely bored and that's because I was too busy adoring the OST. Most of what plays here is pure Castlevania gold. Some highlights for me being House of the Sacred Remains, Anti Soul Mysteries Lab, Leon's theme and this game's Cross of Fate.
Overall, I feel the game is best played in short bursts, and if I took my time with it I probably would've enjoyed it a lot more. As it stands though, the combat is way too lacklustre for me to say I've really enjoyed the game as a whole despite all the things the game has going for it.
Heading into Lament of Innocence I didn't really know what to expect. All I knew was that the game dove into the origins of the Belmont family which piqued my interest and in terms of the story, I'd say the game does a good job, it answers some questions regarding the Vampire Killer and how it got the name as well as establishing the conflict between Leon and Dracula while also giving Dracula some backstory. What's there in terms of the plot is great, my only gripe is, I just wish we got more of it, maybe explain why Death is Dracula's right hand man or give a better reason why Dracula keeps reappearing rather than the vague "The people want him back because they're all dumbasses ig" the others games go with. Maybe I was expecting too much, plot's still good though.
Since I went in almost completely blind, I was surprised to see the game play like a 3D Metroidvania. It's all there, non-linearity which allows you to pick what level to play through in what order, optional bosses and plenty of hidden goodies you can find ranging from accessories, elemental whips, HP and MP upgrades and extra item slots. On paper, it sounds great, I adore the igavania titles in the series, so why don't I like this one? Well it's down to the gameplay. It's way too barebones. It plays like the most basic hack n' slasher you can find. You've got some basic combos and special moves, of which there are a ton if you go try out all the various attacks you can make by combining orbs with sub-weapons and that's about it. The entire gameplay just boils down to you using subweapons followed by mashing the square and triangle buttons for every stage. It got really monotonous and the stages all looking like an identical set of hallways only made the gameplay feel more dull. Because of this, I didn't really bother with exploring the game to find all the hidden items like I would with any other Metroidvania and that's really disappointing to me. The game is pretty short though, I beat it in under 6 hours. Also, the bossfights are fun, Doppelganger being my favourite since it's basically a war of attrition on whether you can get your attacks out before he does.
Despite how negative I sound when talking about the gameplay, I never felt extremely bored and that's because I was too busy adoring the OST. Most of what plays here is pure Castlevania gold. Some highlights for me being House of the Sacred Remains, Anti Soul Mysteries Lab, Leon's theme and this game's Cross of Fate.
Overall, I feel the game is best played in short bursts, and if I took my time with it I probably would've enjoyed it a lot more. As it stands though, the combat is way too lacklustre for me to say I've really enjoyed the game as a whole despite all the things the game has going for it.
Maurith
2 years ago