Castlevania Curse of Darkness - PS2 review

Can the latest Castlevania shrug off the lacklustre reviews of the previous two outings?

26 March 2006 11:38 GMT / By Stuart Miles

The last time I remember playing Castlevania was as a platform game with your main weapon of choice was a bull-whip.

Things have moved on a lot since then. The game has gone 3D and spawned two previous lacklustre 3D versions too boot.

So what makes Castlevania Curse of Darkness on the PlayStation2 think it has what it takes to become a great game? We aren't sure.

It's hard to know where to start, as we found it all so dull. Long empty corridors, easy to destroy bad guys and monsters and disappointing graphics are just some of the things you won't be desperate to write home about.

In fact after a long weekend of playing Castlevania we were still struggling to see why you would want to waste any part of your life doing so (we did it out of intrigue to see if it would get any better and because Mrs Pocket-lint had gone away for the weekend and we couldn't be bothered to get off the sofa).

The levels are dull, the bad guys simply reappear in the same place as you when you first slayed them last time you were in that room and the urge to complete the storyline almost non-existent.

In keeping with previous games there is an element of RPG to the game and you can collect or steal weapons or shields along the way. To get anywhere with this you have to destroy everything and everyone in each room you enter and to be honest it gets very tedious very quickly.

In addition to the weapons and shields you also get the occasional fairy that promises to hover over you replenishing your life, opening chests or help you defeat enemies.

Verdict

If you are looking for a mindless hack and slash game without much thought or appeal then this will be right up your street. For us however we couldn't but help feel that the time we've spend reviewing this game is time we will never get back.

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Review Recap

Made by: Konami
Price as reviewed: £35
The good: Not much
The bad: Lacklustre graphics, disappointing gameplay, petty dull levels, long load times
Quick verdict: If you are looking for a mindless hack and slash game without much thought or appeal then this will be right up your street
Score