Castlevania: Lament of Innocence

Lament of 2D side-scrolling

We were quite happy with how the Castlevania series was going. In our minds, the “new age" of Castlevania started with Symphony of the Night on the PSone. It was easily one of the best games in the entire franchise, and its follow-ups came in the form of Game Boy Advance games – all of which were quality.

Lizard man!

The convenient moving platform

Whapppppppppppshhh!!

That looks as refreshing as a Junior Mint

Then Konami does the unthinkable and announces a 3D Castlevania (well, a new one) coming from the teams behind Harmony of Dissonance and Aria of Sorrow. Hath the 2D masters gone mad?! Castlevania: Lament of Innocence is a full 3D adventure on the PlayStation 2 casting you “in the role of Leon Belmont, the forefather of the legendary Belmont Clan and the first in the family's long line of vampire hunters. With social and political activities operating under the oppressive grip of clergy during the Crusades, Leon is a nobleman about to be engaged to his beloved Sara. However, when his young lover disappears one fateful evening, Leon sets out to rescue her. Armed with only a dagger, it is not until an unexpected ally, an alchemist, offers him a protective whip that Leon is ready to begin his hunt."

Double hit

Mad cow skeleton warriors

Holy water… splash damage

Didn't I fight you in Metroid Prime?

Anticipation factor: Sounds like a great Castlevania storyline, but now the only question left is can Konami make the gameplay ‘distinctly Castlevanian' and not just ‘a lot like Devil May Cry'? We'll find out this November.