Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

I played this game in my childhood and at that time i only had pocket money and played this game pirated. Now I have a lot of money and I play legit games only, no more piracy. So decided to buy this fabulous game in order to support the developers and replay some childhood games which are truly gems. Castlevania is a long running series and lords of shadow is truly awesome game.

Excellent game. Good enough i spent money on it on steam despite having owned it on console when it was new. Price tag is a little steep considering the age, though. Regardless, this is a super long, super fun game. I cant believe the idiots in the reviews complaining the game isn't original, has QTE and isnt any thing special. LOL. Do these idiots not realize how old this game is?
Game is still a solid 8.5 to 9 out of 10.

I'm actually surprised that the last half of the game changed my mind about this because the first half of this game is terrible and boring, but the second half is actually pretty good. I do wish the combat was a bit better because it was lacking a good amount.
Red Lobster approves

This is the first game of the Castlevania franchise I ever played, so I only have a vague idea of what the originals were, lore-wise. Apparently this game is a reboot of the series and shares few elements with the OG games.
That said, I absolutely loved “Lords of Shadow”.
The gameplay is a mix of hack and slash (Bayonetta / DmC style, with combos and unlockable new abilities), exploration / platforming Prince of Persia SoT style and a sprinkle of clever puzzles.
This formula worked surprisingly well for me, the game was incredibly satisfying and rewarding all the way through (with one caveat).
I played on normal (warrior) difficulty, and the fights were a good balance between challenging and not too frustrating for me. Sometimes the smaller enemies were a button masher fest, but more often than not I had to put some effort into the combat in order to progress. Bosses are pretty epic, and with unique mechanics which require some learning in order to beat them. Overall I would say combat is easier than in Bayonetta but it never felt too easy for me.
The platforming part was really enjoyable for me. I wish Uncharted: Drake's Fortune had more sections like in this Castlevania game. The puzzles were also quite enjoyable, I managed to solve them but they felt rewarding and well thought out.
The visuals are gorgeous, with so many different locations which are astonishing. There is a lot of variety and everything is masterfully designed, rich and detailed.
The caveat I talked about earlier is about the second DLC (included in this version of the game). The additional chapters are fine (although a bit subpar if compared to the main game) but the final boss, “The Forgotten One” was absolutely infuriating.
This last boss was such a spike in difficulty which took me between 2 and 3 hours to finally beat it at normal. It was one of the hardest and frustrating experiences I've ever had in video gaming. I almost gave up beating it and finishing the game, even though in the end I somehow managed to cross the finish line. I liked the rest of the game so much that I didn't want to drop it right at the end and so I pushed through.
In conclusion, one of the best games I played so far in 2025, definitely recommended and a very pleasant surprise! Really excited to play the other 2 games of the Lords of Shadow trilogy!

Absolutely amazing. I’ve never played this game before and so without an ounce of nostalgia for the game or the series, I can proudly proclaim that old games are indeed better than modern titles.

It has everything: fun combat, superb visuals that look great to this day, great and captivating environment design, some puzzles, exploration, climbing, a (somewhat) engaging story, great voice acting, secret areas with extra loot and power ups, tons of unlockable concept art, it runs flawlessly, has mission challenges for extra replayability.

Get that, the game has extra epilogue levels AFTER the main story is complete to tease and hype you up for the next game in the series. Can you imagine that happening with today’s games? Extra chapters after the main story? With cutscenes and voice acting, and a playable character swap with different movesets created for just a single level, for free? Instead of butchering those levels for DLCs or putting them as intro levels at the sequel? Every time I find a secret area in a decade-old game I realize how much I’ve missed them in newer titles.

There are some minute annoyances here and there, like the players inability to control the camera which makes three or four platform leaps in the game harder than they have to be, and I’ve noticed major power ups becoming rarer after some point but overall this is a great game that can entertain you for hours even today.

**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.

This game is great! Don't be fooled by nostalgic fans who like to trash it or those who constantly compare it to other hack-and-slash games from the same era like God of War. This game captures the essence of Castlevania better than the Netflix series.