Since I recently finished the game, I thought I'd post a short-ish review.

The level design and the puzzles both are occasionally frustrating, and sometimes more vague or unclear than I'd personally care for. I also ran into a few bugs here and there, where the game would either freeze for a minute apropos of nothing, or crash to desktop (but that only happened once or twice that I remember). Those minor blemishes however don't spoil or hold back what is otherwise an engrossing and fun game! The story and the lore are interesting as well, which is more than I can say for many games.

The art direction is enticing, the voice acting is great, and the gameplay gave me plenty of challenge. Personally I don't mind quick-time events, as long as they don't feel unreasonable, and this game has them in just the right amount for my taste. I also don't mind not having control over the camera, as I feel it gives the game a certain kind of "Castlevania" quality to it, but I'll admit that sometimes it can be a smidge wkward. And for an Xbox 360/PS3 game, the graphics are pleasingly pretty on all max settings, even if those seldom-played cutscenes (the ones that aren't in-engine) didn't get the upgrade, but those are very short anyway. There's something to be said for the atmosphere and the music, which are beautiful and par for course for this franchise.

Overall, decent game. I love the concept, and it feels right at home in Castlevania. It is unfortunate however that I found myself scratching my head so often at the game's knack for making you feel stupid; there's definitely a difference between thought-provoking and plainly unclear, and this game straddles the line a bit. Not to mention the bugs, which are always disappointing.

If you can overlook the small imperfections, and you're into Castlevania, it's definitely worth playing.

Since I recently finished the game, I thought I'd post a short-ish review. The level design and the puzzles both are occasionally frustrating, and sometimes more vague or unclear than I'd personally care for. I also ran into a few bugs here and there, where the game would either freeze for a minute apropos of nothing, or crash to desktop (but that only happened once or twice that I remember). Those minor blemishes however don't spoil or hold back what is otherwise an engrossing and fun game! The story and the lore are interesting as well, which is more than I can say for many games. The art direction is enticing, the voice acting is great, and the gameplay gave me plenty of challenge. Personally I don't mind quick-time events, as long as they don't feel unreasonable, and this game has them in just the right amount for my taste. I also don't mind not having control over the camera, as I feel it gives the game a certain kind of "Castlevania" quality to it, but I'll admit that sometimes it can be a smidge wkward. And for an Xbox 360/PS3 game, the graphics are pleasingly pretty on all max settings, even if those seldom-played cutscenes (the ones that aren't in-engine) didn't get the upgrade, but those are very short anyway. There's something to be said for the atmosphere and the music, which are beautiful and par for course for this franchise. Overall, decent game. I love the concept, and it feels right at home in Castlevania. It is unfortunate however that I found myself scratching my head so often at the game's knack for making you feel stupid; there's definitely a difference between thought-provoking and plainly unclear, and this game straddles the line a bit. Not to mention the bugs, which are always disappointing. If you can overlook the small imperfections, and you're into Castlevania, it's definitely worth playing.