Castlevania: Curse of Darkness (PlayStation 2, 2005)

i love the characters, the combos, and the adventure, some times a little long but that is a what i like about castlevania, the guide is very helpful but not so that is takes the excitement out of finding things out for myself, i don't like the way the camera veiw works or doesn't work sometimes, i have found the easiest way to steal items from boss is to use the battle type ID. and put him in guard mode otherwise he will kill everything before they get the chance to let you steal from them. i don't like not knowing where to go to fight trevor, st. germain, issac, the best part is trying to collect everything possible before i beat the game. thanks to the creators and i will be waiting for the next adventure to begin.

Castlevania: Curse of Darkness is a great game for the PS2. Starting out as Hector, the devil forger, you slice and dice your way through beautiful scenery and wicked awesome monsters, all while listening to the stellar soundtrack so reminiscent of the trademark series. But the best part of the game in my opinion is the Innocent Devil system, a system that depending on the weapons you use as you fight will guide the IA to evolve into a vast array of species. And although I do enjoy this game. I get the feeling that I'm just playing Castlevania: Symphony of the Night all over again. With the non-Belmont main hero and getting to play the Belmont after conquering it. And there are times when the loading time is simply riduculous. So here's how I score it.

Storyline:4/5 feels something like deja vu, eh?
Graphics:4.5/5 I can't complain about the graphics, but loading
Music:5/5 Rock on Castlevania!
Voice Actors:3/5 why oh why? Couldn't they have choose people who at least cared about what these characters sounded like. They could've done so much better
Replay Value:4/5 You know you want to play as a certain Belmont? Right?

Overall 4/5

Love it or Leave it? The choice is yours but this game "is" Castlevania worthy and you wouldn't be doing it justice just to let it pass by.

I don't know why people are giving this a bad review. I almost gave it 5 stars simply because it IS so good. They've brought back the feel of Symphony of the Night and put it into a 3D game. The visual details, sounds, and music are very well done and you can change your weapons. There are also "familiars" or what are now called "innocent devils" who are summoned monsters that help you out and level up; they also change their shape and develop stronger attacks based on what type of weapon you are using. To me, this increases the replay value quite a bit, because you can go back and see all the different types of creatures your innocent devils can evolve into. The levels are fairly long and the play area is much larger than last time. I felt the first 3D castlevania for the PS2 wasn't anything special, but this one has much better controls, better camera control, and it has extremely fast gameplay. The soundtrack is also very good.
The American voice acting in this game isn't that bad, however, the Japanese voice acting is done very well. The only complaint I had was the music at the end of the game--it doesn't really fit in with the theme of Castlevania and I found it sort of boring. Aside from some obvious weirdness with the story and the somewhat bizarre music in the credits, this game is very good and very well worth purchasing. There is also a character in the game who many long-time fans of the series will be familiar with. So, there is nostalgic value here as well.

I can't believe this is a strategy guide released by Brady Games. I havn't gotten a chance to use the information in this guide yet so can't write a review about that yet. But I feel I had to say something about the use, or misuse I should say, of proper english. When I read this guide, I get the feeling that I am being informed by a child who hasn't gotten very far in English classes yet. Not that I have a problem with the child. I couldn't care less where the info comes from as long as it's quality knowledge. But hey, Brady Games, have any of you ever heard of an editor?

Here are some examples from the guide. "...spears are great to take out CROWED rooms but a heavy AXE TYPE (I think this should have a hyphen, I might be wrong) weapon MAN not be ... It is very easy to FORGOT to optimize ..." "... it's only BRAW back..." "..., none CAM match it." "... make it great AND hit hit and run attacks." "... makes them IDEA for taking..." "... don't ignore THIS THEM!"

These are but a few examples from the first 24 pages of the guide. I have read quite a few strategy guides over the years and this is by far the most unprofessionally written guide that I have ever seen.

The shipping was fast. Item was in excellent condition. Highly likely to buy from this user again in the future.

I love the concept of this game and the fact that you can make and use your own weapons. Not too much else I can say, I ain't good with reviews.

It came in a timely manner and in the condition advertised.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The product arrived in great condition i will definitely buy from this seller again the product was exactly like its picture and the game was still in good working condition i was very satisfied

If you liked the first game (Castlevania: Lament Of Innocence) then you'll love this game. This game offers the same exciting quests but new enemies to fight! makes a great gift for those gamers in your life!

this is a review of the game itself and no reflection on the seller. i know what i'm getting into when i risk buying pre-owned games. it was in fine condition.
The game itself is a lackluster clone of Lament of Innocence, which is far superior even though it isn't as full of options and variables like C.O.Darkness. It's built on the same engine. only they didn't do anything new with it. So 'built on' is untruthful...more like, 'used the same engine and did the bare minimum with it'.
I swear I think the background graphics actually worsened- definately more simple and far more repetitive. Most notably i think the world in this game is about 80% empty hallways that do nothing but connect rooms and hold 4 torches to break, which most of the time offer up nothing but $1. We are talking long, LONG corridors with nothing to do but watch Hector run down them. they are not save rooms or places to gather and organize your items- you can do that at any time. It feels like at some point they planned on programming monsters in them but then just wrapped up the dealine or something.
The bosses and battles are wide ranging, from impressive to lackluster. One boss will be difficult and the next too easy.
Eventually they suddenly progress to impossible in the final stages.
3 level fights where you are drained of all your items by the second round are not cool.

The good:
i ended up liking the innocent devil feature more than i thought- once i realized it was essential to playing and not just an option. Evolving the helper devils and their skills became the only thing driving me to keep playing the dull game. However I have only evolved my devils in one direction (each helper evolves differently depending on what weapon/battle setup you use throughout the game) since most of the time i used a sword, all of my helpers evolved to that battle program. Had i used a staff or axe, they would have evolved differently. Kind of wacky, and i want to- actually NEED to go back and grow some different devils to access certain areas or use their skills, I have no intentions to run through the sprawling empty boring worlds in order to do so. so i'm kind of stuck.
I can't imagine that any casual gamer could have more experience points, items, or helpers saved than i do now, having played straight through the game once. The levels are so long and boring that not only do you feel like they are designed to stay behind you, never to be entered again- but you simply DON'T want to go back for anything...
oh wait, i'm supposed to be talking about the 'good' things, well, if i must...

the wide variety of weapons, and the ability to combine them into new ones is entertaining, for a time. You feel the need to collect and see and try them all...again this is probably only to to some obsessive collection disorder that I have, and younger players raised on pokemon, etc also have (which is also why the innocent devil feature is entertaining).
However soon you realize that the differences between the damage they inflict is not that impressive.There will literally be a sword that inflicts one more point of damage than another....but there is an educational check and balance- the really powerful weapons are slow, the faster weapons are weaker, but in the end you can get in more damage because of it.
I found myself using the 'bastard sword' most of the time because of the balance of speed and power, leaving all my other weapons on the shelf.

overall, a sad castlevania

Great castlevania game, similar in style and graphics to Lament of Innocence. By far the largest in size and customability. Interesting gameplay and level-up options, which give it decent replay value. It has a prety quick learning curve(about 30 minutes). Thouroghly enjoyable to just about anyone, especially for fans of the franchise in particular. If you liked Lament of Innocence, you should love Curse of Darkness. I highly recommend this game.

Amazing Game. You get to make your own weapons and customize your own familiars. The game also has great graphics and story line. I give it an A.
Ryan

Excellent game play, great graphics. Controls are extremely smooth and flowing. Good story line, stunning graphics for the time it was made. An excellent addition to the Castlevania series of games! This is not a game for extremely young or squeamish folk. Lots of gore, but in a "tasteful" way :)

Great game I've alway been a fan since it first came out and this seem compared to the early version to have alot more going on. Over all I like the game and was glad I bought it.

Like 2003's Lament of Innocence, Curse of Darkness attempts to preserve the look and feel of the classic 2D side-scrolling Castlevania installments, and succeeds to a certain extent; the game's got a solid combat system and some interesting new spins on the formula that give some depth to the action.
Combat looks good and controls well--lots of different weapons to choose from The new crafting and stealing mechanics are fun and well designed. Excellent music and some great voice acting.
However, I am a die hard Symphony of the Night fan. It doesn't quite compare.

Like Lament of Innocence and (believe it or not) Nintendo 64's Legacy of Darkness - a totally different title if you are wondering - Curse of Darkness is a good way to bring the series to 3D. The Innocent Devil system makes me feel like I'm playing a game that's very, VERY little like Final Fantasy (in that you form a party of more than one character, except you can only have one comrade with you at a time).

I had heard over & over about how great this game was. I can't even remember how many bidding wars I had to go through, before I finally got one. I can NOT see what the big deal is. The graphics aren't real great. It's slow, the characters move like they just woke up. Don't get me wrong it's a good game (as in JUST good barely), but it's not that great. It might be a good game for those just beginning, or looking to build your gaming skills; or for those who are looking to play the whole series. At least you can see the character throughout the entire game. I hate games where you can not see the character. You know the sort of games I mean... They pick up a spear, a gun, a map, an object, but you never see their arm or hand. You never see them reflected in anything either.ARRGH, I hate that. This is also a game you can figure out without the booklet. I never read the books, I like to figure things out for myself, It gives me more of a rush! I give it 3.5 stars out of 5.

I bought the game at the requst of my husband and he just loves it,he said we will continue to get games from ebay. I wish to thank ebay for there sight and covenance to its coustomers

Great Castlevania series game. Has tons of stuff you can do, extras to find and unlock, and, once you beat it, you can play through as a different character, which unlocks even more play time. Thoroughly entertaining, and fun to share with friends, even if it is a one-player RPG. I've played it before, and just couldn't rest till I had a copy for myself!

I've always liked castlevania games. I like to buy my games new so when I noticed it on ebay (in a new condition) I placed my bid. I like it because it brings the old school gaming in a third person genre.Music is good as always. Konami always creates enviorments for Castlevania with a touch of horror that suplements a vampire legend. I dislike it because it wasn't made for nintendo. Now I'm looking for castlevania for the Nintendo DS.

The interface and graphics of this castlevania game is pretty nifty... I think they should have thought a little bit better about the placement of the crystals because the little fairy dudes are really distracting. Only other complaint is that some of the big helpers block your vision for a second at important points -- before they go see-through. Other than that, definitely one of my favorite Castlevania games. If you're just getting into the series or a hardcore follower -- it's a fun one.

This game was excellent and was very pleased with the game. Also if there was another like this one I would most likly buy it too. Shipping was cool and the price was not bad for a game like this. I don't have any cons abought this game I have always been a castlevania fan,through and through .

Love the game; one of the best games i ever played in my life. I decide to buy this game bc, im a big fan of castlevania sence the regular nintendo and still is. i played castle lament of innonence an got to the last part of the game an the game frozen and never came back on.in closing i just love it.