The GameOn Magazine - Free Special Editions Castlevania Edition | Page 35

Reviews Castlevania: Lords of Shadow an obstacle, while secondary weapons are collected via items dropped by defeated enemies. While the levels do branch off from time-to-time, they all lead to the same end point to progress further in the game. This may deter hardened Castlevania players, who may be used to the open ended nature of older titles - since Symphony of the Night took the franchise into the realms of RPG. However, the linear mission structure actually does an admirable job in driving the story behind the reboot. In an effort to break up the ‘Hack n’ Slash’ moments in the game, Castlevania will have you scaling walls, swinging over crevasses and solve basic puzzles. The pace of at which these sections have been set out seems to have hit a sweet spot, as you’re not constantly battling enemies or forever wandering aimlessly. You get a sense of true progression through levels and rarely have moments of being hopelessly lost. will earn experience points, which can then be used to purchase new combo abilities for Gabriel. These will give our protagonist bigger combos, harder hitting attacks, and generally make him a force to be reckoned with. Additionally Gabriel has access to both Light and Shadow magic, which further augments his abilities. While Light magic is active you can regain lost health, as each hit you perform on a monster will steal some HP from him. Also you can use Light magic to unleash huge holy attacks which stun groups of enemies, allowing you some breathing space. Shadow magic will increase your overall damage with your Combat Cross, as well as adding an explosive element to your throwing daggers. You can also purchase extra abilities for your Light and Shadow magic moveset, which really does become necessary later in the game. To replenish these magic meters you have to absorb neutral energy orbs dropped by slain enemies. There are also fountains in some levels that allow you to fully restock on these magical elements. As you advance through the game you Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 Edition 35 • GameOn Magazine