Castlevania Lords of Shadow Mirror of Fate Review brings back the oldest franchise from Konami and how with the new innovations and hack and slash style could make this one of the best 3DS Games.
An entertaining action-platform game in two dimensions that puts us in the shoes of three main characters, with their own skills and items, and they have different gameplay elements together, so that we could talk about three different campaigns within a same story.
Unlike recent 2D Castlevania there’s no roleros elements, we can make use of different equipment, and its development is not founded on a huge map that we have to go slowly discovering, although it has enough exploration and side quests. Instead we have an elaborate combat system, more like Hack and Slash. This is what we saw in Lords of Shadow, although the attack moves are common to all three characters, not their magic, light-and dark-left-right-, as in the game of 2010. therefore clashes against enemies, rather than constant or too abundant, occurring in sporadic fighting, but harder, tactical and complex than they were used to in old 2D Castlevania. Two attack buttons with a long list of combos, a button to defend, if used at the right time allows us to break the enemy’s defense, two magics and two items, make it a very fun fight and complex, without actually removing never too much prominence to the platforms and puzzles, in development varied and entertaining from beginning to end. If we have missed a greater variety of enemies, and will not be for lack of them in the Castlevania universe, but the truth is that the fighting amazing quality.
The control is identical in all three, although not his skills and items they can use. For example Simon Belmont can use throwing axes and incendiary bottles oil-two classic saga, they spend collecting ammo recharges hearts, and has a pair of magic, two spirits, one of light that protects you, and one of darkness that attacks enemies. Alucard can throw bats against their enemies or slow down time, and transform into a wolf or mist. Trevor Belmont uses the luminous magic damage to enemies he regains health, or dark magic more powerful and harmful, and has an explosive boomerang and an electric pump. These spells consume an energy bar, and we must always use head and manage knowledge.
The three grapple with the Combat Cross, a kind of whip powerful with only two attack Button operatio allows us a lot of combos, and along the adventure we getting new enhancements and abilities that allow us to previously inaccessible places. Subtly development of the three playable characters is different. For example we have developed with Alucard puzzles , for which we can buy tracks even if we get stuck. They are pretty good, provide variety, but are very rare. And Trevor Belmont live with a spectacular cinematic sequences , a little to the God of War, you have to press the buttons on the screen , yes, always discussed the quick time event , appearing in different ways and forms in Mirror of Fate, but without ever being too tedious. In 3DS bottom screen shows the map at all times, and a red arrow indicates the way forward to continue the story, to reach the next target, which makes it impossible to miss. Yes we can entertain scenarios to explore and find all the secrets, as the expansions of health, ammo and magic, monsters sheets completing the bestiary, or scrolls of dead soldiers, describing his last moments of life in texts quite curious and interesting, which give more background to the story.
Fighting through these scrolls and get experience points that allow us to level up , so we unlock new moves, the only touch rolero of development, as we can not equip different weapons or armor.As we are on the map with a red arrow indicates the direction we must take to reach the next goal, to see a secret that we can not reach is marked with a question mark on the map. They also tell us how many secrets are in each location, so it is quite easy to get all the side quests and finish it 100%. As said before the development is very varied and entertaining, a perfect blend of classic elements , items that are spend and for that we have to collect hearts, magic, map representation into squares,and other entirely new , as the combat system, elaborate puzzles or spectacular sequences ofquick time events . Besides the difficulty is pretty good measure, not a walk as the vast majority of current games, and often die, especially in challenging bosses, real challenges that will test us. With these we realize how important it is to learn the keys to fighting, especially stop attacks and break the enemy’s defense and be aware of their hits and dodge attacks. Yes, the game is full of checkpoints, so death is never punished too, in fact if half of the complex bosses had no checkpoints, would at times desperate, as they are long and difficult confrontations.
The story, which we are going to have absolutely nothing, played on a difficult balance to be understandable by itself, without having played the game for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, to be a link between Lords of Shadow 1 and 2, and if not imperative to understand what we see in Lords of Shadow 2, and surprisingly graceful leaves this complicated lace. A simple plot but surprisingly, very round, and leaves a great taste and many wanting to play Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 .
It can be overcome in about 8 or 9 hours , and in our case, we have achieved 100% in nearly 12 hours , a duration that they liked about cuts and other appropriate. In his defense, that is entertaining from beginning to end, without losing intensity, rhythm smoothly, and if you enjoy while leaving you wanting more, something that speaks very well in their favor. If we complete it to 100%, with all collectibles, unblock a video scene extra, and to finish the game on any difficulty quarter percentage unblock, extreme.
On the technical note above all that this is the best use of the stereoscopic 3D effect of the entire catalog of the console , no doubt. The best example of what can be achieved and that few have tried, you notice a game is designed and intended at all times to get the 3D effect, the big hook of the console at launch and all are forgotten , from the players, studies to Nintendo itself, already barely promoted. In Mirror of Fate demonstrates the potential of this feature in each and every one of the scenarios with several levels deep in the exciting cinematic, and despite being a 2D game development, graphics and attractive polygonal allow constant movement camera, which constantly bring 3D game effect. What is the overall graphic look not so bright, is far from the pointers 3DS games like Super Mario 3D Land and especially Resident Evil Revelations, and perhaps we could place in a second step. Many saw teeth, a hallmark of the console, the fps rate is not high, but almost always stable, and the textures are nothing great, but the elaborate artwork MercurySteam putting their works, along with the 3D effect, make the visual result is very good, immersive and compelling. If you are someone who already play always with the 3D turned off, do us if Mirror of Fate is well worth a try. On the technical side we stop commenting no load times between sections, a tad long, nothing dramatic, but a bit slow fluidity when go back and explore the full mapped.
One of the best adventures game played as of today. In his debut on a handheld, MercurySteam again make a great game, perfectly adapted his personal vision of the universe to the particular Castlevania 3DS, including its advantages, the 3D effect, and disadvantages, certain technical limitations. Being in two dimensions and restore classic characters might suggest that this is a Castlevania that follows the trail of previous deliveries laptops, but much less, and we are adapting to what is seen in Lords of Shadow gameplay to 2D .
If you did not like that, do not think you’ll go to convince Mirror of Fate and this new understanding Castlevania, if you enjoyed Lords of Shadow, and raring expect its sequel, this game for 3DS becomes almost imperative. It is understandable by itself, and is undoubtedly one of the best action games and 3DS platforms.
Score: 9.3 out of 10