To cut (or crack the whip) to the chase, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Mirror of Fate is an excellent 3DS execution by game developer MercurySteam. The artwork, action gameplay, storyline and musical composition puts Mirror of Fate within the high quality of Castlevania games. Mirror of Fate is what brought me back to the 3DS after leaving it several months ago, and boy did it have me hooked. I couldn’t put it down, setting aside some other console games I had been playing. And yes, you can count me among the longtime Castlevania fans. It’s one of the few games I play and collect since the series began. The Castlevania series has its share of hits and misses among the many varities (side-scroller, action, puzzle, fighter), but count Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Mirror of Fate among the hits. The good it offers far outweighs the bad. Here’s a breakdown after my first play through of Mirror of Fate:
The Good:
+ Varied action and abilities throughout the gameplay perspective of four (or really, mainly three) Castlevania characters.
+ Beautiful gothic cathedrals and ornate interiors in 3D. It will stop you in your tracks at times, to take in the scenery.
+ Detailed, dark villains.
+ Surprising 3D effects, besides the expected differences between the background and foreground. Fire and flying demons tease outward to poke at the player’s perspective.
+ Several nice puzzles dispersed throughout, especially during Alucard’s segment.
+ Dramatic big boss enounters.
+ Cell-shaded cutscenes are a nice interlude from the in-game 3D. Although some may complain about lip-syncing, to me it wasn’t a distraction. The artwork is beautiful. The cinematics are available for playback when unlocked.
+ Fills you in on the history of the prime Castlevania characters, including a surprising revelation on Alucard.
+ Detailed 3D bestiary with information on each beast/character.
+ Ability to leave notes on a map screen for backtracking when new abilities are unlocked.
+ One the fallen brotherhood turns up to be Nintendo’s icon (hint, hint).
The Bad:
- No manual. Not a fault of the developer, but on Konami’s part for deciding to opt with a digital only version. Sacrilege for us Castlevania fans who enjoy the series for its beautiful artwork and atmosphere. Mirror of Fate is available from the Nintendo Store online to appease those who want to go digital, so why Konami didn’t at least provide the Castlevania core collectors with some embellished physical version beats me. Even the pre-order sticker 3DS case offered from another game retailer felt very cheap for the series. Collector’s Editions seem to be a dime a dozen for some games, but the Castlevania series is definitely worthy of it, if not at least a color instruction manual (or even a black & white physical copy!) /rant
- A bit on the shorter duration of the Castlevania adventures. Completionists will likely go on for the 100% and hardcore more (and another surprise teaser incentive at the end that I won’t spoil), though expect a 90-95% completion at around 12-13 hours into it.
To sum it up, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Mirror of Fate is a must for fans of the Castlevania series or for those who are looking for a gorgeous looking 3D game. Highly recommended, solid game for Nintendo 3DS gamers (or a good reason to buy a 3DS!). Excellent job, MercurySteam!
