Castlevania: Curse of Darkness
- October 21, 2005 15:39 PM PST
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It's Forgemaster vs. Forgemaster in the latest Castlevania horror epic, Curse of Darkness.
In the wake of the destruction of Dracula's castle at the end of Castlevania III, it seemed that Trevor Belmont had vanquished evil from his land for good. Not so: a second good/evil conflict takes place immediately afterward--this one between two Devil Forgemasters, as one seeks revenge on the other. This is the plot for Curse of Darkness: Playing as Hector, you'll strive to destroy his once-friend Issac, who was responsible for the demise of Hector's girlfriend.Curse's 3D-play engine retains a very familiar feel to its PlayStation 2 predecessor, Lament of Innocence: Armed with an array of handheld weapons--such as swords, axes, and spears--Hector specializes in the art of hack-n-slash (he can also steal items from enemies with the proper timing). What's completely new, however, is Forgemaster skills that allow Hector to acquire and power-up a number of Innocent Devils--optional characters that accompany him and perform different functions. Harimos, for instance, plays bodyguard by smashing enemies and acting as a human shield, while Poll replenishes Hector's lost health. As you gain experience throughout the levels, Innocent Devils also learn new abilities, making areas of the castle ripe for re-exploration. You can also upgrade weapons by acquiring various metal substances that are often dropped by defeated enemies. Lament vets will find Curse simple to pick up and play, although the lazy camera sucks out some of the fun. Hopefully it won't curse the game's final build.
