DeVuego

Lords of Shadow 2 may have gained an open world, but a poor story, uninteresting enemies, and a bland cast of characters came with it. Combat might be improved, but forced stealth sections cause nothing but dismay and frustration. The end result is something that doesn’t come near the level of overall quality found in the original Castlevania: Lords of Shadow.

The greatest shame with Mirror of Fate is that its heart is in the right place. As far as I can tell, MercurySteam did its absolute best to chart its own course with handheld Castlevania, one that borrows from the greatness that came before it, but without copying it outright. But in going off the beaten path, the studio ended up diluting what has made Castlevania so great in the last 15 years. Its emphasis on fragmented exploration and shallow leveling is the exact opposite of what Castlevania fans like myself love, want and have come to expect.