Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Anybody who still believes that video games are not suitable for kids or "too violent" are sadly mistaken. Violent video games only negatively affect kids with existing mental health problems. *helium*/debates/66145-does-violence-in-video-games-contribute-to-real-life-violence/side_by_side?page=19 Follow the above link, and read the side by 'Mike. V'. it perfectly sums up my point of view. I in fact find language such as the f word in games much more offensive than the violence. Some of my favourite games are Left 4 Dead 2, Call of Duty 4, COD modern warfare 2 and F.E.A.R. All of these games except for COD4 recieved an R18 classification in my country (New Zealand). Now, back to my main point: I play the games above, and even more graphic ones on a daily basis, and have not yet gone out and killed anybody in real life. They are just GAMES, not REAL LIFE. thank you for taking the time to read my opinion, and please read the link above. thank you.

As anyone who's known me for more than five minutes should know, I'm a huge Castlevania fan and have been for 11 years, since I was a girl of seven. That said, this is the first and only game in the series I have ever taken issue with. The gameplay feels like God of War combined with Devil May Cry combined with Dante's Inferno combined with Bayonetta combined with... must I go on? This game is Frankenstein, not Dracula. Previous Castlevanias were striking in their own way, and though the recent games have fluctuated in quality, this game has zero originality to be found. (The graphics, however, are positively stunning.) The references to other games in the series are forced and serve to half-heartedly attract existing players to this new entry. In the way of violence there is much blood and gore, but it is almost all fantastic in nature. For instance, Gabriel is able to mount creatures like giant spiders and trolls for transportation, but after they serve their purpose the player must kill them off. There is violence towards mythical creatures and humans, but more so the former. The blood is excessive and at times unrealistic. There are nude faeries and other creatures as well as revealing outfits, but it doesn't go beyond that and serves a largely artistic purpose. The character of Gabriel Belmont himself is bland and uninspiring. One could argue that many of the Belmonts are, but when compared to a character like Shanoa of Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, who was able to think for herself and fight for her beliefs in the confines of a patriarchal organization, there is no role model to be found here. Gabriel is largely apathetic and sulky. On its own, this is a beautifully executed game that, though suffering from generic gameplay, is fun for extended periods of time; as a Castlevania, it falters in every way possible.

Yes there is blood, language, nudity, ect. So don't let kids under thirteen play it. Simple. Anyone thirteen and up, have at it! It's a blast to play! I usually end up shrieking at the game system because I am not skilled enough to play it so I always loose. Ha ha, it is a fun game. Recommended.