Konami
Castlevania - Lords of Shadow -

In life, there can be coincidences that, no matter how hard you try to find a rational answer, you simply cannot explain. Because let's face it, the synchronization of events in life, defying quantum/rational/absolute/nuclear/mechanical physics, still remains a mystery.

"Ah, a nice weekend in the mountains away from those annoying colleagues at the office was much needed..." Zzap

Guess who you find in the tent next to yours? 

Or, just to give another example more pertinent to this review:

The other day I went to Mediaworld to buy Gothic 4, but unfortunately Gothic 4 had never arrived in Casoria, so I decided to go back home empty-handed but with a full wallet. Then suddenly, a shelf caught my attention. On this shelf, there were copies of this Lord Of Shadow. In another circumstance, I would have said: "What a drag, another action game like God of War/Dante's Inferno/Devil May Cry/and a thousand others that don't come to mind now." But… But… But... it didn’t really go that way, because by chance (by chance?) half an hour before venturing into this violent hara-kiri of my finances, I read a bit of information about this Lords Of Shadow on some forum and of course, the user comments were all enthusiastic. So, seized by a fit of acute nerdiness, I trusted the face of yet another Belmont on the cover, hoping not to be disappointed as in the past.

Yes, because let’s face it, the post-Symphony of the Night was a hard blow for all aficionados of the best 32-bit vampire hunter. After Alucard, was there nothing then? No, maybe there hadn’t been nothing, I say: after Symphony of the Night, there was a series of aggravated assaults and rapes to the detriment of one of the most representative and important sagas of the contemporary gaming landscape. The Castlevania series and its iconography that draws heavily from this Catholic-medieval fantasy mythology, the poetic narrative that springs from this continual struggle between good and evil, the desire to finally drive this wooden stake into the chest of the hated Dracula, after having explored his gloomy castle from top to bottom with all the monstrosities present in it, represent one of the rare examples of art in the gaming landscape.

Castlevania like the Mona Lisa then? Absolutely yes. Only that what came after SotN can be likened to a smoking Mona Lisa in a latex suit. Someone said that the problem with the various Curse of Darkness/Lament of Innocence & co. was the transition from 2D to 3D. True to a certain extent, I say, because although the gameplay of these games wasn’t the best, you couldn’t really turn a blind eye to some artistic and aesthetic choices. They went from the classic-baroque fantasy of the 2D episodes to the trashy 3D ones without missing a beat. And if a fan was willing to forgive a shallow gameplay, one certainly couldn’t overlook such unfortunate stylistic choices.

Would you ever buy a super-buff Mario in Gears of War style? So the transition from 2D to 3D for this series was anything but idyllic, and as we have seen, it was quite natural to be somewhat prejudiced against this latest Castlevania.

However, I believe in coincidences, and this gave me hope. For example, I was quite struck by that "Kojima Productions." Kojima is one of those charming bastards who deserve absolute and unconditional respect. And let's be honest, he knows a lot about game design. Metal Gear Solid deserves to be studied in game design courses just for the way the Metal Gear saga transitioned into the third dimension without losing a bit of its original spirit.

Which, defying expectations close to absolute zero, also happens with this Castlevania. Many reviews have talked about a Castlevania with a God Of War sauce. Completely wrong. This is a God Of War that takes lessons in style and aesthetics from the great Japanese masters of video game art.

And it turns out to be something completely new, different, epic. Kojima and Mercury Steam blend the best elements seen in action games over the past decade: quick time events, colossal bosses, puzzles, RPG elements, platform sessions akin to Assassin's Creed, all provided not for the plot as you would expect but for the aesthetics, the gameplay.

For me, the difference between a good game and a masterpiece is all here: the first just shows you what you can do, in a wonderful high-definition 1080p cinematic, but you just watch it. While with the second, you actually do it. And pressing even just X to deliver the finishing blow with the dagger, while clinging to the head of a colossus about 1000 meters from the ground, is priceless.

One last thing: do you think the fact that I mentioned a milestone of video games like the first Metal Gear to talk about this Castlevania is just a coincidence?