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Great game but not perfect.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: November 11, 2005
Author: Amazon User

To me this game is very similar to Castlevania Harmony of Dissonance. Like HoD this game is fun and all but not perfect.

The graphics and gameplay are superb. As is the music. When youre exploring the castle, the awesome graphics and organ heavy music really sets the mood. The main chracter Leon controls smoothly and his whip strikes look and feel powerful. Plus the boss battles are tough but not overly difficult. And the camera doesnt seem to blind me as much as in Devil May Cry.

Though Lament of Innocence has plenty of short comings.

1) The enemies and level design are reused way too much. Too many of the corridors and enemies look and act exactly the same.

2) The magic system is 'dumbed' down. This games magic system is based around your subweapons, much like Harmony of Dissonance. Why they couldnt have implemented the awesome magic of Symphony of the Night or Dawn of Sorrow, i dont know.

3) Too many things are overly simplified like the combos and armors. There are no 'secret' armors or combos. You get them all as you gradually progress through the game.

In the end this is a great game and i enjoyed it much more than Devil May Cry. But when it stands next to some of the other Castlevania games it is far from perfect.

Ugh.....

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 7 / 11
Date: October 14, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I LOVED Symphony Of The Night and Castlevania 64 and am currently enjoying Aria Of Sorrow, but this just isn't Castlevania to me.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a die hard old school fan who hates 3D games, I LOVED Castlevania 64. And despite that games camera problems and occasional fustrations, it was a lot more enjoyable than Lament Of Innocence.

Granted, I haven't played much of it, but what I have played is repetitive and boring. Entire bland room. The only door out locks and you can't move on until you kill the enemies in the room. Rinse and repeat.

The graphics are gorgeous, yes, but do graphics always make the game? The floors in particular were STUNNING.

Some of the sound effects got on my nerves, namely the sound that would play when you'd pick up hearts. The music was great, as it always is in any Castlevania game, but it's not Symphony Of The Night quality.

Overall I found the game to be more fun to look at and listen to than to play. The story is pitiful, the action and environments repetitive, it's too linear, and the castle just isn't the way castlevania should be. And there's just not enough places to see and explore.

3D Castlevania worked once, hopefully they can make it enjoyable again.

No more 2D! It's 3D now!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 28
Date: September 22, 2003
Author: Amazon User

It's not classic!!! It's revolution. In fact, I have universal PS2, so I can play Japanese games like FFX-2 before all other guys whom wait for the companies transfer games to US Edition (Used to late for 6 months to 1 years). I got this Japanese edition game in May 2003, and like it so much. I would like to say, DMC cannot campare with this one.

First, you can use too many equipments and magics as you play the same series in GameBoy or SFC (All 2D only), but it's 3D now with wonderful graphic.

Second, the character has many special moves, and you may need to think where you should use them to solve some problems. Many of them are very fun, and you can get some wonderful results.

Third, the story line is very simple, but good. Don't like DMC 2 (Too suck, and nonsense), we have our main goal with many missions in this game. You can really enjoy the history even you didn't play this series games in the past.

Fourth, the music is perfect, it could be the thing, which we could say classic, but I still like to listen them when I play this game. You will fell that you are the hero when playing.

Let's enjoy it!!!

New Competition

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 10
Date: October 23, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Konami is back with Castlevania: Lament of Innocence.
They have taken the 2D concept a took it again to a
3D concept. They have really studied why did Castlevania 64
fail. Lament of Innocence has various combinations of their
previous games, like Harmony of Dissonance and Symphony of the Night, but don't expect a SOTN. Now Capcom have to think of a new game to compete with Lament of Innocence. Think of it this way,
it's Castlevania with the gameplay concept of Devil May Cry.

A Worthy Successor to Symphony of the Night

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: June 22, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I, myself, have been a Castlevania fan for several years and felt that the pinnacle of the series was Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Considering the low quality of the past 3D Castlevania games, I expected little from this game, but hoped for the best.

The game proved to be absolutley fantastic. Every facet of this game is well executed. The graphics are very good and, while not the absolute best graphics that can be found on the PS2, are beautiful nonetheless and are filled with detail. The lighting effects in particular are very impressive. The sound is also very well done. The sound effects are fitting, but where the game scores major points is the musical score. The music of this game is absolutely beautiful and adds a lot to the mood and atmosphere of the various areas of the game.

As far as the gameplay, Lament of Innocence is excellent. The combat in the game is fast-paced and frentic, yet retains a bit of strategy in the several moves one can use in battle. Since fighting is such an integral part of any Castlevania game, it helps that the combat is so well done in this game. The exploration aspects are also very good and have some light puzzles mixed in with the fighting. The game has just enough variety to keep it entertaining the whole time.

Admittedly, the game is on the short side and it will likely take you under 10 hours your first time playing through. However, there are several extras to be found throughout the game and you'll doubtlessly want to play through more than once to complete more of the game and earn some of these bonuses.

Overall, Castlevania: Lament of Innocence is a surprising gem and is definitely a game that worth buying. Whether you're a past fan of Castlevania fans or have never picked up a game in the series before, you'll be enthralled with this entry in the series.

3D Castlevania is an interesting change...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: October 04, 2004
Author: Amazon User

After having beaten this game at least 10 times, including the special modes, I feel pretty set in writing a review about it. :P

Plot (4/5): Standard stuff. Hero loses girlfriend. Hero finds girlfriend. Hero slays bad guy. There are a few plot twists lurking around in there, but for the most part it's pretty cut and dry and stays well on the same seam as most of the other Castlevania games.

Sound (Music) (4/5): The only reason this gets a 4 is due to everyone's personal taste. I found the music to be quite nice (Dark Palace of Waterfalls especially) and it lends a nice feel to each of the main areas. But on the other hand some areas have an odd techno beat to them (Anti-Soul Mysteries Lab springs to mind) that's a little bit of a deviant in the Castlevania theme. You either love it or you hate it. :)

Sound (Voice Acting) (2/5 for English; 4/5 for Japanese): Ok. New players, please turn on the Japanese voiceovers immediately before starting the game (it's been awhile, but I believe you can't change this during game play). The English voice acting is hammy at best, and you start trying to intentionally kill Leon for having such a horribly over-done squeaky hero voice. While both languages have the same script to work with, the Japanese side delivers this far better.

Graphics (4/5): Texture-wise this game is quite beautiful. Leon's combo moves and flips are also quickly-executed and stunning to watch. The bosses are all exquisitely done and HUGE (most of them take up the entire screen). The only place I can think of where the graphics lack is the general landscape. This game is comprised of the same basic hallway structures, hidden areas, and expansive rooms; there's a definite lack of variety lurking about and it can be tiresome after awhile.

Replayability (5/5): Oh come on, I beat this in an afternoon once, and then pushed reset and started over again. This game is SHORT-- even the most novice of players could beat this in a day or two of straight gameplay. There are some incentives to beating the game over and over: beating it once unlocks Joachim and Crazy mode, beating it with Joachim unlocks Pumpkin, and beating it on Crazy mode unlocks the Mobius brooch.

Controls (5/5): If I could get them, you can get them. Nowhere as complex as Metal Gear Solid, but not quite as simple as some of the first gen PS2 games.

Overall (4/5): A decent buy for your buck. A slight deviation in the side-scrolling Castlevania games we know and love, but worth a whirl at least once. :)

Castlevania:Lament that has lost it's Legacy

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: April 07, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Graphics:4 stars
Storyline: 2 stars
Gameplay: 2 stars
Soundtrack: 5 stars
Replay value: 3 stars
Overall: 3 stars

It is hard to actually know where to start on this game. While my review won't be long, it will be direct and honest. This game started out bad, the storyline was a little of the same old, same old. I thought this storyline was rather super stupid. Just watch the first part of the game, and you will see what I mean. "The Church has no time to fight monsters", this is a actual line in the stupid game. Dracula has kidnapped your girl for kicks, and he doesn't suck her blood, he loves to play games with hunters, family members etc.... You are required to go save your girl, and Dracula has done this before, but all have failed before you. "Dracula will even help you out in the quest to kill him". I am not kidding. These are actual lines in the game.
After 6 hours into this piece of crap, I stopped the game and sold it on ebay. The gameplay drove me nuts. If you did not use your whip on just the right area of a ledge, you were dead. I don't mind a challenge, but 2 hours on one ledge sucks. You never see your girl during the game, so you almost forget what you are fighting for. Everytime you defeat your enemy, well he does not really die, because when you go back into the same darn room they are all there again. If you think you will beat this game without a guide book, guess again. There was crap in places you would have never thought to go. I don't mind having to backtrack in a game, but this game took it to another level. I did not enjoy this game, and you may like spending 20 hours on a 10 hour game, but I don't. God of War is a 10 out of 10. This one is a 6 out 10 at best.

I OWN THE GAME AND YOU SHOULD TOO

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: October 28, 2003
Author: Amazon User

First, if you are immediately turned off by the idea of another horrible 3D Castlevania game like those that turned up on the N64, you shouldn't be. This is Castlevania in 3D done right.

Second, yes, the same people that designed Symphony Of The Night created this game, but for God's Sake, stop comparing this game to SotN. It is not Symphony of the Night.

Now to the review. One reviewer complained about the combo system for the whip in the game saying that if he wanted a combo system, he'd buy a fighting game. Shut up, please. There are two friggin' buttons, and if that's too hard to handle for you then I feel really sorry for you. The fighting system is incredibly fun, with hundreds of different monsters. The graphics are great and provide a moody atmosphere.

Yes, there are small camera issues that can provide a small amount of difficulty in the game's few "platforming" elements, but they aren't a serious issue. A great element of the game is the inclusion of orbs and customizable RPG-like elements (much like the recent "Aria of Sorrow" for the GBA) that really make the experience different every time you play.

In short, buy this game, stop listening to people who don't own it and don't know what they're talking about, and enjoy.

A great addition to the Castlevania library

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: November 24, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I have been a huge fan of the Castlevania series ever since the release of the original Castlevania for the Nes. After a failed attempt on the N64 and years of waiting, those clamoring for a fully 3-D Castlevania game that is worth playing have had their wish granted. First and foremost, in the gameplay department Castlevania LOI(Lament of Innocence) does not dissappoint. The action is fast, with little to absolutely no slow down. I think the developers from Konami borrowed from the Devil May Cry series and implemented the gameplay from that game for a successful formula. Although most might be annoyed by having to use curative and status items in real time, I believe it adds to the challenge and realism of the game and makes it more fun.

Graphically, the game is pretty good, but will not blow anyone away. A lot of the scenery throughout looks very similar and the castle itself is pretty standard throughout. What does make the game standout is the killer soundtrack, which rivals the great soundtrack offered in Castlevania Symphoney of the Night. Moreover, the voice acting and storyline are excellent, which makes the cutscenes more of a treat. Finally, there are many hidden items and once you beat the game there are several secret modes and characters you can play as, which gives the game some solid replay value. Although this game is not as deep as Symphoney of the Night was, it is still very fun and very enjoyable. Castlevania has made it's triumphant return, and it has done so in 3-D. Let's just hope the developers can build upon this success and release another
3-D title that will improve on this one, and really blow everyone away.

Stress Release

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: March 08, 2006
Author: Amazon User

There is a great deal about graphics , game play, and max up's. The fact that after a stress filled day you can come home and pick up a paddle and go for broke. The whole whip thing is awesome.

The puzzle is what grabbed my attention. It is filled with one puzzle after another. I found the game to be a short one, but nonetheless an enjoyable game to waste time with.

I am no professional on graphics, but I found it easy to follow. The only thing I am professional at is having fun and button mashing! Just grab the game and enjoy it is well worth the price. The storyline is great as well.

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