Konami needs to go back and re-think the direction of this series. A somewhat disappointing hardcore hack and slash game for fans of pure action.

To briefly summarize, the main hero is named Hector. There is no whip-wielding Belmont to control this time around. Hector was once a servant to Dracula, along with a mysterious individual known as Isaac. Both have a unique ability called devil-forging. Without giving away too much here, Isaac has killed someone very close to Hector; hence your character’s motive is revenge.



Regarding game play, there are some new elements in Curse of Darkness. The first of which is the ability to summon Innocent Devils to help you along with your quest. These vary in ability and appearance and can be used to replenish your health, aide you in attacking enemies, etc. This adds a refreshing new twist to the old Castlevania formula, but unfortunately there are some setbacks in other areas of game play.



The first of which is the lack of any serious platforming. Most all the previous Castlevania games had clever level design that testes your reflexes as well as your puzzle solving ability. Curse of Darkness has definitely been geared more for action fans this time out and I personally find that disappointing. Without any serious platforming elements, game play becomes stale very quickly.



The second issue is the overall level design. It seems as though many of the hallways, caverns and mountain paths are all too similar, as are the game’s enemies. There is very little variety on either of these fronts and again, it makes game play feel repetitive.



The core elements have you navigating through these cookie cutter levels fighting generic skeletons, knights in armor, lizards, etc. Hector will periodically face a boss battle, after which he will collect another Innocent Devil to aide him in his quest for revenge. While fans of hack and slash gaming will most likely feel right at home, fans of the traditional Castlevania experience may not appreciate Curse of Darkness.



In yet another change, you won’t pick up weapons as you did in previous Castlevania games. As you dispatch enemies, open chests, etc, you will be given various elements that are combined to create new and powerful weapons. As Hector slashes his way through hordes of minions, his experience will constantly increase, as will his abilities. These are very light RPG elements, but at least Konami instituted something to give the player a sense of gratification for constantly killing everything that crosses your path.



At the end of the day, Curse of Darkness is a forgettable entry in the long and distinguished history of Castelvania games. The game play will be mildly appreciated by die hard action junkies, but fans of the series will more than likely be disappointed by the repeating levels, textures and enemies. If you’re one who must simply play every Castlevania game in existence, take my advice and rent it over a weekend.


Review by Michael Harris.