Lament of Innocence is the franchise's first attempt at a 3D metroidvania game. Was it a successful one? Eh, kinda.
Let's get the bad out of the way — this game is much worse at being a metroidvania than any of its 2D siblings. To me, one of the biggest strengths of the genre is the ability to explore and reach new areas whenever a new ability or movement option is obtained. It's a core element of the gameplay loop, and getting to move around and become familiar with said abilities is what makes it a favorite of mine. Unfortunately, this game does not have much in the way of that. Most of the time, progressing will be done by unlocking doors, usually by hitting a few switches scattered around whatever area the door is found in. Secrets are sometimes found by acquiring a key in another area, and there's less than a handful of secrets that can be accessed thanks to elemental whips.
In the same vein, exploring the castle often feels tedious. Leon is lacking in movement options, and there's so many long, often empty corridors. Some have enemies, but most are devoid of anything to do except break candles to replenish Leon's hearts. It's possible to use a Relic to sprint through these rooms, or use a variation of the Axe subweapon to dash through them, but they're hardly interesting to traverse in any capacity.
The game's other aspects are actually pretty good— the combat is satisfying, boss design is fun and rewarding. The pace at which new combos are unlocked is just right, and there's just enough time to get acquainted with new options without getting bored of them. The atmosphere, of course, remains a highlight: immersive environments, cool enemy designs, and a quality soundtrack, as is par for the course for Castlevania.
As a 3D action-adventure game, or as a hack and slash, Castlevania: Lament of Innocence is competent and even quite good, but its metroidvania elements hold it back a lot of the time. It's still good fun, but not for the reasons I usually like a metroidvania.
Let's get the bad out of the way — this game is much worse at being a metroidvania than any of its 2D siblings. To me, one of the biggest strengths of the genre is the ability to explore and reach new areas whenever a new ability or movement option is obtained. It's a core element of the gameplay loop, and getting to move around and become familiar with said abilities is what makes it a favorite of mine. Unfortunately, this game does not have much in the way of that. Most of the time, progressing will be done by unlocking doors, usually by hitting a few switches scattered around whatever area the door is found in. Secrets are sometimes found by acquiring a key in another area, and there's less than a handful of secrets that can be accessed thanks to elemental whips.
In the same vein, exploring the castle often feels tedious. Leon is lacking in movement options, and there's so many long, often empty corridors. Some have enemies, but most are devoid of anything to do except break candles to replenish Leon's hearts. It's possible to use a Relic to sprint through these rooms, or use a variation of the Axe subweapon to dash through them, but they're hardly interesting to traverse in any capacity.
The game's other aspects are actually pretty good— the combat is satisfying, boss design is fun and rewarding. The pace at which new combos are unlocked is just right, and there's just enough time to get acquainted with new options without getting bored of them. The atmosphere, of course, remains a highlight: immersive environments, cool enemy designs, and a quality soundtrack, as is par for the course for Castlevania.
As a 3D action-adventure game, or as a hack and slash, Castlevania: Lament of Innocence is competent and even quite good, but its metroidvania elements hold it back a lot of the time. It's still good fun, but not for the reasons I usually like a metroidvania.