Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

A hack and slash metroidvania platformer, Castlevania Lords of Shadow is situated in a medieval fantasy setting. The game was a little slow to begin with, but it picks up a lot of interest after a few hours. The game's lore is great, and the puzzles are quite difficult. Later on, the fighting can get a little repetitive, but all in all, it's an amazing experience that everyone should enjoy.
8/10

**Disclaimer**
The playtime in record is not correct. I left the game running in the background while I had other tasks to complete and due to frustration breaks with DLC. If you want a correct estimate, it took me around 16 hours for base game completion, plus another 8 for replay in platinum + trials. DLC took me around 8 hours base completion and around 6 hours with platinum+trials
**Quick Review**
Lords of Shadow base game: 8/10
Honestly, a good game. Good story, good progression and good replay value. Once you unlock everything replaying levels go by quicker and fighting with all combos unlocks makes you feel powerful as a true Knight of the Brotherhood.
There are some slight hiccups here and there with camera but the game-play itself is fun. It is a mixture of Prince of Persia, Assassins's Creed and God of War. Might be overstating, but the combination of game-play is very well implemented and the platform sections of the game are short and sweet.
Graphics and music are 10/10 for me judging for their time of release, it holds up well in 2024
Overall the base game is a great Castlevania game and it is definitely worth playing if you are a fan of the series/
Lords of Shadow DLC: -100/100
The DLC was rushed and it shows. The platforming can get frustrating and the boss fights are just a pain in the ass. Whoever thought of implementing air fighting in a game where you can't dodge in air is just an evil a-hole. This alone ruins the potential of the DLC for me making it totally worthless.
MercurySteam has confirmed the DLC was a mistake, so you don't have to take my word for it. They had a great opportunity to explore story behind the plot twist in the end but they decided to rush a piece of trash instead, probably to get more money. This is sad because they really did a great job with the base game and should've pour that same love into the DLCs.
There are no 3D cinematics in the DLC only rush drawn animatics which kill the mood to be honest. The platform just plain boring and punishing and the boss fight well, as mentioned above, seem to just be there to make you hate life and waste time your time so you feel there is more of the original game to complete.
I am aware that you get all the LOS content in the Ultimate Edition, which include the DLCs but honestly, once you finish the base game, skip it. Not worth anyone's time. I would not pay full price for this edition, only because the devs should pay you money to even install the trash that are the DLCs.
TLDR - Base game worth the money and time. DLC is a rushed, frustrating product that ruins the brilliance of the first original game, it's just trash.

I loved this game back on PS3 and its great so far on Steam Deck now. The game does run great on Steam Deck but it can be a little hard to play undocked. Some of the levels just use various shades of brown which makes it very hard to discern things on the 800p screen. If you can get past that though (or play docked) then the game is great.
The ending and sequel will not makes any sense without playing the included DLC so definitely play through that if you intend to play the much less good rest of this series.

The epicness of this game surrounds every corner, even in the main menu. It won't take long for anybody to notice that the art and the attention to detail in this game are off the charts. The thrilling music and the sense of adventure only stops when melancholy hits the main character, Gabriel. Which in my opinion, might be the saddest and darkest Belmont, and yet the most caring one.
The progression in this game feels smooth, you'll notice that some of the first bosses, will become the normal enemies as you become stronger. The combat is neat, with a variety of combos that adapts to every scenario, along with relics and objects that are lethal, or weak, depending on the enemy you're facing. I think the action part of this game would delight the mayority of players.
All that said, the story of this game is the highlight for me, it's definitely something that will stay with me for a while. I'm writing this as I'm finishing the game and... there's something primal and instinctual about this character I feel compelled to identify. For some moments, it reminded me how it feels like to be in love, and what you're capable of doing for those you love even when reason gets in the way. It made me think that love evolves to the point it is no longer just a feeling but a state of duty to protect them, regardless of feeling weak, tired, or even angry. Like it's a force of nature that surpasses human condition. Gabriel embodies that, and it caught me off guard completely (and in tears).
I can't stress enough how gorgeous this game is, what an underrated piece of art... I also can't help but to think the Castlevania community should give more credit to this game, here's another proof that you should try things out and have your own thoughts on everything.

This game, for what it is - is a bloody masterpiece. You get your money worth trust me, combat is one of the best i have experienced in similar games, very satisfying with engaging mechanincs. The game is suprisingly long, has lots of stunning environments, beautiful orchestral music and great actors voicing the characters - everything you need to feel immersed. I have finished this title couple of years ago and since i still listen to the soundtrack from time to time (it's that good!) i feld compelled to write this review.
The thing that surprised me the most is the variety of monsters you face and the way they are introduced - like minibosses, which become standard mobs the longer the game goes on. There is a lot of combos and special moves to learn, and there is fair amount of epic gear to be aquired. During your progress you are introduced to new mechanics with enough time to practice/learn them before new options are introduced - the game takes it's time to teach you it's mechanics, and there is a lot of those.
The fights are great, fueled by awesome music, and the entire journey feels epic - you feel compelled to press on. I could not stop playing this after i started. This game has a special place in my heart and i keep on recommending it.

This is VERY LATE to the party, but better late than never, I guess.

Good game - mechanics feel dated though. I played this on the PS3 originally. Playing in 2024, and some of it is great. Coming back to the parries after years of that being the norm (for Souls games)...feels super generous.

Some things though, from the puzzles to some of the boss mechanics (the end boss and the rings with the dark and light...GRRRRRR!!! Very annoying). It's a game of the period though, which means, those mechanics are what was prevalent at the time, so... hard to stay annoyed with it for too long (I brought the pain on myself by playing it).

As for the story - amazing. Super well done. Voice acting is brilliant. Visuals are very good overall. It's pretty hilarious playing this on 4070...there's like no load time at all. Everything is instant.

While its good - for 2024 I'd only give this 8/10. It's lost its shine. Still great, but...it was 9/10 easy in 2010. Definitely one to experience. This was golden era Konami. You are in for a treat playing this!

I didn't have any bugs on my rig. That said, I played this on my desktop because when I tried to play on my steamdeck, I had no audio at all. I hear its a glitch on my system, but...its a glitch I had. Anyway, on my desktop it was flawless. No glitches.

The base game is the best old school God of War clone of all time.
The DLC makes me want a refund even though I've owned the game for years.