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October 04 2010

Castlevania: Retrospective
by Samodean

Any podcast listener will know that I have been geeking out ever since the announcement of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. I’ve played damn near every game in the history of the franchise, so who better to take a look back at the past twenty-five years? Lords of Shadow represents something new for the franchise; a fresh start. Every previous entry falls in the same continuity, chronicling the eternal struggle between the heroic Belmont clan and the Dark Lord, Dracula. in order to keep the list manageable, I have left out many re-releases and offshoots to the franchise.

Castlevania

Release: Sep, 1986 (Japan); May, 1987 (North America); Dec, 1988 (Europe)
Platform: NES
Setting: 1691
Main Character: Simon Belmont
Supporting Characters: None
Main Enemies: Dracula, Death

My interest in Castlevania started at a very young age; this was the first game I owned for my NES, aside from Super Mario Brothers and Duck Hunt. At the time, there wasn’t much to the game.  It was six levels, each with several rooms and a boss. The story was simplistic; you’re Simon Belmont and you have to kill Dracula. The controls were sketchy, even by NES standards, making platforming difficult. However, many of the themes of the series were here, making the final product one of the best of the time. Simon’s whip, the Vampire Killer, is of course the primary method of combat, as well as an arsenal of sub-weapons. Many of the enemy types in this game would be repeated over the course of the series, not to mention the general tone and art style. Of course, Castlevania’s most timeless aspect is its music. The main theme, “Vampire Killer,” as well as many other audio tracks would be remixed and remastered dozens of times over the years.

Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest

Release: Aug, 1987 (Japan); Dec, 1988 (North America); Apr, 1990 (Europe)
Platform: NES
Setting: 1698
Main Character: Simon Belmont
Supporting Characters: None
Main Enemies: Dracula’s Spirit, Death

Simon’s Quest was a huge change from its predecessor. It took elements of the Japan-only home PC title, Vampire Killer and integrated them with elements of the first game. The result is the first of the “Metroidvania” titles, a formula popular in many of the series’ most recent efforts. At the end of Castlevania, Dracula’s dying effort was to lay a curse on Simon, slowly killing him and allowing his minions to roam free. He ordered his supporters to hide his remains, so he could be resurrected in the future, without the threat of the Belmonts to stop him. Simon embarked on a quest to reunite the remains and cleanse himself. Simon’s Quest featured many RPG and Adventure elements, with puzzles to solve, NPCs to talk to, items to purchase, branching paths, hidden passages to explore and a day/night cycle. A very early predecessor to Symphony of the Night, Simon’s Quest was not terribly well received at the time, but would be remembered years later for its influence on the series. Simon’s Quest was also the first game to use the “Bloody Tears” song, one of the series’ most recognizable tunes.

Castlevania: The Adventure

Release: Oct, 1989 (Japan); Dec, 1989 (North America); Dec, 1990 (Europe)
Platform: Game Boy
Setting: 1576
Main Character: Christopher Belmont
Supporting Characters: None
Main Enemies: Dracula

Castlevania: The Adventure was a very simplified version of the original game for the Game Boy. There were only four levels, sub-weapons were removed and the gameplay reverted to it’s pre-Simon’s Quest roots. The story followed Christopher Belmont, an ancestor of Simon, following the Belmont legacy of hunting Dracula. Being a Game Boy title, there wasn’t much else to the game.

Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse

Release: Dec, 1989 (Japan); Oct, 1990 (North America); Dec, 1992 (Europe)
Platform: NES
Setting: 1476
Main Character: Trevor Belmont
Supporting Characters: Grant DaNasty, Sypha Belnades, Alucard
Main Enemies: Dracula, Death

One of the earliest entries to the Castlevania timeline, Dracula’s Curse depicts one of the first battles between Dracula and the Belmont clan. Living in self-imposed exile, the Belmonts send Trevor to once again face the Dark Lord. Dracula’s Curse was the first game to feature multiple playable characters. At any time, Trevor could switch to one of three companions, each with their own unique combat and movement abilities. The pirate, Grant DaNasty enabled him to climb walls; the witch, Sypha Belnades, aided Trevor with magical attacks and Dracula’s own son, Alucard, could transform into a bat. Alucard and the Belnades clan would be major features of Castlevania lore for years to come. Gameplay was a fusion of the action platforming of the original Castlevania with small bits of Simon’s Quest’s branching paths. There were very few divergences in the path, but they actually formed two almost entirely different games, based upon the player’s decision. Remembered as one of the series’ highlights, Trevor’s adventure would bring newfound respect not only to the Castlevania series, but the Belmont clan, as well.

Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge

Release: Aug, 1991 (Japan); Dec, 1991 (North America); Nov, 1992 (Europe)
Platform: Game Boy
Setting: 1591
Main Character: Christopher Belmont
Supporting Characters: Soleiyu Belmont
Main Enemies: Dracula, Death

The title may be a bit confusing, but Belmont’s Revenge is the sequel to the first Game Boy title, Castlevania: The Adventure. At the end of the previous game, Dracula tricked Christopher into believing he had been defeated. Instead, he would possess the body of Christopher’s son, Soleiyu, on the eve of inheriting the family heirloom; the Vampire Killer whip. Instead, an aged Christopher would have to go on one final hunt to save his son. The game was a huge improvement over its predecessor, leading Christopher through four castles, each with their own boss before entering Castlevania itself, freeing his son and defeating Dracula once more.

Super Castlevania IV

Release: Oct, 1991 (Japan); Dec, 1991 (North America); Aug, 1992 (Europe)
Platform: SNES
Setting: 1691
Main Character: Simon Belmont
Supporting Characters: None
Main Enemies: Dracula, Death

Super Castlevania represented a huge step forward for the franchise in terms of graphics, sound and gameplay, thanks to the power of the Super Nintendo. Essentially a retelling of the original Castlevania, Simon once again steps in as the playable Belmont. Super Castlevania almost doubles the amount of stages from the first game, and introduces gameplay innovations such as multi-directional whipping as well as using the whip to grapple and swing. Also, after deep introspection, the Belmonts have finally learned to control their bodies in the air, changing the direction of their jumps. To this day, Super Castlevania represents one of the series’ highlights and the developers of Lords of Darkness have named it one of the major influences in the creation of their game.

Castlevania: Rondo of Blood

Release: Oct, 1993 (Japan); Oct 2007 (North America); Never properly released in Europe
Platform: TurboGrafx-16 (Japan), PSP (North America)
Setting: 1792
Main Character: Richter Belmont
Supporting Characters: Annete Renard, Maria Renard
Main Enemies: Dracula, Death, Shaft

The story behind Rondo of Blood is a complicated one. Originally released for the unpopular TurboGraphx-16 console (known as the PC-Engine in Japan), the game never saw a North American or European release. The game was remade in Japan as Castlevania: Dracula X for the Super Nintendo, with North American and European versions. That version of the game was completely redesigned, removing just about everything that made Rondo of Blood great. Rondo of Blood would finally see a proper release, with both a faithful remake and the original version included with Symphony of the Night on the PSP as Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles.

Rondo of Blood expands upon the Super Castlevania formula, with the enhanced gameplay elements and branching paths. It adds to the franchise by introducing a new villain to the series. While Death was a constant presence in many of the earlier games, he basically did whatever Dracula told him to do. Death is still present in Rondo as Dracula’s right-hand, but the new villain, the dark priest Shaft, is a full character with his own goals and motivations, making him a more interesting antagonist. He resurrects the Dark Lord once again and kidnaps Richter Belmont’s girlfriend, Annette. Early in the game, Richter finds Maria, Annete’s younger sister. Maria is a powerful magic user and aids Richter in his quest as a second playable character. Maria offers a completely different playstyle; Richter is stronger, with more weapons and attacks, but Maria is more agile, able to go places Richter cannot.

Castlevania: Bloodlines

Release: Mar, 1994 (All regions)
Platform: Genesis
Setting: 1917
Main Character: John Morris
Supporting Characters: Eric LeCarde
Main Enemies: Dracula, Elizabeth Bartley, Drolta Tzuentes

Richter would actually be the last actual Belmont to defeat Dracula in the Castlevania timeline (though not the last to be featured in a game). Bloodlines featured John Morris, the first non-Belmont to headline a Castlevania game. The Morris family are relations to the Belmonts, and thus capable of wielding the Vampire Killer and continuing the family legacy. Bloodlines also introduces Elizabeth Bartley (likely inspired by Elizabeth Bathory), niece to Dracula. Resurrected by the witch Drolta, Elizabeth set a plan in motion to stage a resurrection of her own and bring back Dracula. John and his friend Eric LaCarde would fight her every step of the way. Both were playable, with John using the famous whip and Eric using a spear. Much like in Rondo, the characters had different styles, and approached obstacles in different ways. Bloodlines was the first game in the series to take place outside of Romania, with Elizabeth’s plot stretching across Europe.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Release: Mar, 1997 (Japan); Oct, 1997 (North America); Nov, 1997 (Europe)
Platform: Playstation
Setting: 1797
Main Character: Alucard
Supporting Characters: Richter Belmont, Maria Renard
Main Enemies: Dracula, Death, Shaft

A direct sequel to Rondo of Blood, Symphony of the Night is the game that changed the franchise and catapulted it to superstardom. It goes back to Simon’s Quest and adds Adventure and RPG elements into the core action gameplay. Of course, with a decade of refinement, the action side of the formula was much more robust than its predecessor, making the change to playstyle more fun. In Simon’s Quest, it was a chore to get from one area to the next, slowly climbing stairs the whole way; in Symphony, you can run, jump and fly your way across the castle. The addition of a map also made things better this time around. Alucard, son of Dracula and main character, levels up, equips new weapons and armor and gains new abilities as the game progresses. He crosses Castlevania several times over, returning to previously inaccessible areas once he has gained new abilities. Many future games in the franchise would follow in its footsteps, with “Metroidvania” being a common nickname for the type of gameplay, as it’s so similar to that other timeless series. The series’ iconic music also got an overhaul, with high-quality modern versions of many of its iconic tunes.

The game literally begins where Rondo of Blood left off, with the first encounter being Richter’s final battle against Dracula. During his previous battle with Shaft, the dark priest cast a spell on the vampire hunter. After finishing off the Dark Lord, Richter disappears. Years later, Alucard, slumbering since his actions in Castlevania III, senses that the scales have become unbalanced and awakes to once again fight against his father. He’s stripped of his vampire powers by Death, enabling the gameplay elements of him regaining those powers over the course of the game. It’s not long before Alucard encounters the new “master of the castle”; Richter. While it’s possible to end the game here, there’s far more to Symphony. Using special glasses, Alucard can see Shaft’s dark influence over Richter and free the Belmont, unlocking an entire SECOND castle. This “mirror castle” exists on top of Castlevania, and is a reverse image of the first castle. Defeating Shaft and Dracula once more, Alucard returned to his slumber, removing the last remnant of Dracula’s dark influence from the world. After finishing the game, players could start a new game with Richter instead of Alucard, or Maria in the Saturn and PSP ports.

Castlevania Legends

Release: Nov, 1997 (Japan); May, 1987 (North America); No European Release
Platform: Game Boy
Setting: 1450
Main Character: Sonia Belmont
Supporting Characters: Alucard
Main Enemies: Dracula

I had forgotten just how long the Game Boy was kicking around. Castlevania Legends was released a full eight years after the first Game Boy Castlevania, The Adventure. Legends predates Castlevania III as the earliest title in the timeline, presenting the series’ first female main character, Sonia Belmont. Sonia is a powerful mage, earning new powers as she defeats boss characters. The game goes into the origins of the Belmont clan, a family with great power. Sophia and her love Alucard fought against Dracula, with Sophia reclaiming many of the lost relics of the Belmont family, though unable to use them herself. In the end, Alucard begins his long slumber and Sonya swears that there will always be a Belmont to counter Dracula’s darkness. Unable to overcome the limitations of the Game Boy as well as Belmont’s Revenge, Legends is one of the few missteps in the series’ history, and the origin story would later be retold.

Castlevania 64

Release: Mar, 1999 (Japan); Jan, 1999 (North America); Mar, 1999 (Europe)
Platform: Nintendo 64
Setting: 1852
Main Character: Reinhardt Schneider
Supporting Characters: Carrie Fernandez, Charles Vincent, Rosa, Renon, Malus
Main Enemies: Dracula, Death, Actrise, Gilles de Rais

Yeah… Castlevania 64. Castlevania’s first attempt at 3D is not remembered fondly by fans. In its defense, the graphics are about the best the 64 could deliver, and it had a solid story with a large cast of interesting characters. Unfortunately, like many Nintendo 64 games, the camera and controls were major issues, overshadowing much of the good. Like John Morris in Bloodlines, Reinhardt Schneider is a blood relative of the Belmonts, though not a direct descendant. Reinhardt, along with the young sorceress Carrie Fernandez, herself a descendant of the famous Belnades family, once again takes up the battle against Dracula. The Dark Lord has been resurrected once again, but has not yet been seen, so the heroes head to Castlevania to investigate. The player would choose one of the characters from the beginning, providing two completely different games, not just in gameplay but in story as well, as the two heroes would have different roles to play.

Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness

Release: Dec, 1999 (Japan); Nov, 1999 (North America); Mar, 2000 (Europe)
Platform: Nintendo 64
Setting: 1844
Main Character: Cornell
Supporting Characters: Henry Oldrey, Ada
Main Enemies: Death, Arctrise, Gilles de Rais, Ortega

Legacy of Darkness was both a prequel and remake of Castlevania 64. It tells its own story focusing on the werewolf Cornell, as well as containing an expanded version of the entire Castlevania 64 game. Cornell ventures to Castlevania to rescue his sister, Ada, from being sacrificed to resurrect Dracula. Cornell finds out his former friend and rival, fellow man-beast Ortega, was responsible for Ada’s kidnapping, and Ortega is a constant presence throughout the game. Along the way, Cornell would rescue a young man named Henry Oldrey, from his father, a newly-turned vampire. Eventually facing off with a partially-resurrected Dracula, Cornell sacrificed his werewolf powers to save Ada, seemingly defeating the Dark Lord. Little did he know, this power was the sacrifice needed to truly resurrect Dracula, setting up the events of Castlevania 64. After completing Cornell’s story, players could play as Henry, returning to the castle years later, and after completing that, the remixed version of Castlevania 64 was available.

Castlevania: Circle of the Moon

Release: Mar, 2001 (Japan); June, 2001 (North America & Europe)
Platform: Game Boy Advance
Setting: 1830
Main Character: Nathan Graves
Supporting Characters: Hugh Baldwin, Morris Baldwin
Main Enemies: Dracula, Camilla

A new platform and a new era for the series. Over the next eight years, Castlevania would see six handheld releases, all following the “Metroidvania” formula. I won’t be going too in-depth on their gameplay, as it’s all largely the same. If you’re familiar with Symphony of the Night, you’re familiar with all the post-2000 handheld entries. Circle of the Moon’s unique elements was its Magic Cards. Cards dropped from enemies and the player could combine two cards together to create unique attacks. Once again, Dracula is resurrected, this time by a woman named Camilla. With no Belmonts in sight, Morris Baldwin, his son Hugh and protege Nathan Graves step in. While no blood relation was ever claimed, it’s assumed they’re relations to the Belmonts, as Morris and Nathan are capable of wielding the Vampire Killer. Upon entering Castlevania, Morris is kidnapped and the two young men split paths. Over the course of the game, Hugh becomes increasingly jealous of Nathan for being his father’s chosen successor, eventually leading to a confrontation. With Hugh subdued, Nathan rescues Morris and again defeats Dracula.

Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance

Release: Jun, 2002 (Japan); Sep, 2002 (North America); Oct, 2002 (Europe)
Platform: Game Boy Advance
Setting: 1748
Main Character: Juste Belmont
Supporting Characters: Lydie Erlanger, Maxim Kischine
Main Enemies: Dracula, Death

For the first time in five years, a Belmont returns to the spotlight. Harmony of Dissonance is the followup to Simon’s story in Castlevania and Simon’s Quest. Juste Belmont is Simon’s grandson and the story follows the familiar trend. Female friend Lydie is kidnapped, so Juste and his friend Maxim go to rescue her. Over the course of the game, Maxim falls under dark control and Dracula is eventually defeated. Everyone lives happily ever after. Nothing new here. What is new is Harmony’s unique gameplay innovation. The castle models itself after Maxim’s fractured psyche, eventually creating two nearly-identical structures. Juste can teleport between the two castles, and changes in one would affect the other.

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow

Release: May, 2003 (All Regions)
Platform: Game Boy Advance
Setting: 2035
Main Character: Soma Cruz
Supporting Characters: Mina Hakuba, Genya Arikado (Alucard), Yoko Belnades, Hammer, J
Main Enemies: Graham Jones

With its final entry for the GBA, Castlevania makes its first move into the future with Aria of Sorrow, set in 2035. After being defeated in 1999 (an event unseen in any game), Dracula swore to rise in 2035, with a new host gaining his power. The story is incredibly complex, with a huge cast of characters. The basics involve a youth, Soma Cruz, battling with the fear he may be the reincarnation of Dracula. Soma controls dark power, able to absorb the souls of monsters and use them for his own purposes. Many characters from Castlevania’s past show up, making this a very fun game, tying the past of the series in with the future. Aria uses a combat system known as the “Tactical Soul” system, where Soma uses the powers of fallen enemies to attack. A second playthrough of the game can be started after completing the first where players control J, better known as Julius Belmont.

Castlevania: Lament of Innocence

Release: Nov, 2003 (Japan); Oct, 2003 (North America); Feb, 2004 (Europe)
Platform: Playstation 2
Setting: 1094
Main Character: Leon Belmont
Supporting Characters: Sara Trantoul, Rinaldo Gandolfini, Joachim
Main Enemies: Mathias, Walter Bernhard, Dracula

Another attempt to transition Castlevania into 3D, Lament of Innocence tells the true origin of the Belmont clan and even Count Dracula. Leon Belmont is after the vampire, Walter, who has kidnapped his fiance, Sara. Yes, we’ve been here before. Leon meets an alchemist, Rinaldo who grants him with the Whip of Alchemy, the weapon which will become the Vampire Killer, but only after a sacrifice by Sara. After defeating Walter, Leon discovers his friend, Mathias was behind the entire event, in an attempt to gain immortality of his own. Leon swears that his descendants will hunt him down for his treachery, and Mathias becomes known as Dracula. Lament of Innoncence was a decent game, if a bit too similar to other 3D action games at the time. The level design was a bit bland, but the game had tons of style and fluid combat. During Leon’s exploration of the castle, he finds Joachim, a vampire being held prisoner by Walter, who becomes playable after the completion of the normal game.

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow

Release: Aug, 2005 (Japan); Oct, 2005 (North America); Sep, 2005 (Europe)
Platform: Nintendo DS
Setting: 2036
Main Character: Soma Cruz
Supporting Characters: Mina Hakuba, Genya Arikado (Alucard), Hammer, Yoko Belnades, Julius Belmont
Main Enemies: Celia Fortner, Dmitrii Blinov, Dario Bossi

Transitioning the handheld Castlevanias from the GBA to the DS, Dawn of Sorrow is a direct sequel to Aria of Sorrow. It continues the story of Soma Cruz and his quest to come to terms with his dark power. The cast from Aria returns, and the story is just as robust as it’s predecessor. A cult is after Soma, believing his death will result in a true resurrection of Dracula. After the confrontation, Soma is no closer to coming to terms with his fate, leaving the door open for future sequels. The Tactical Soul from Aria returns, and the game adds the “Magic Seal” system on top of it. Boss monsters must be defeated by drawing a magic seal on the touchscreen to fully defeat a boss. Dawn of Sorrow again features a Julius Mode, with Julius, Yoko and Genya all playable.

Castlevania: Cursse of Darkness

Release: Nov, 2005 (Japan); Nov, 2005 (North America); Feb, 2006 (Europe)
Platform: Playstation 2, Xbox
Setting: 1479
Main Character: Hector
Supporting Characters: Trevor Belmont, Julia Laforeze, St Germain
Main Enemies: Dracula, Isaac, Death

Castlevania’s most recent 3D entry focuses the story on Hector, a Devil Forger. The primary gameplay element is the Innocent Devils, creatures Hector can create to help him in battle. There are dozens of different creatures with different effects, ranging from combat to healing to exploration. The devils level up, based upon Hector’s choice of weapons in combat and can be combined together to create stronger Devils. Hector is a former minion of Dracula who gained freedom after Trevor Belmont’s defeat of the Dark Lord in Castlevania III. Hector returns to Castlevania years later, after fellow Devil Forger Isaac was responsible for the death of his love. Hector’s quest eventually leads him to a confrontation with Death and Dracula himself. Trevor Belmont is a playable character in his own mode after completion of the game.

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin

Release: Nov, 2006 (Japan); Dec, 2006 (North America); Mar, 2007 (Europe)
Platform: Nintendo DS
Setting: 1944
Main Character: Jonathan Morris
Supporting Characters: Charlotte Aulin, Vincent Dorin, Wind
Main Enemies: Dracula, Death, Brauner

Jonathan Morris is the son of John Morris from Castlevania: Bloodlines. Players can control both Jonathan and his friend Charlotte in Portrait of Ruin. Jonathan is the typical Castlevania hero, wielding the Vampire Killer while Charlotte is a sorceress, descended from the Belnades clan. It’s very similar to the Richter/Maria gameplay from Rondo of Blood. The characters can even combine attacks in powerful “Dual Crush” attacks. A vampire by the name of Brauner is able to draw power from paintings, and Jonathan and Charlotte must venture into these paintings to fight him, taking them to various locations. Jonathan and Charlotte are aided by the priest Vincent and the ghost Wind, but also hindered by Brauner’s daughters Stella and Loretta. Portrait of Ruin features several alternate gameplay modes, most notable Sister Mode. Sister Mode allows the player to control Stela and Loretta in a prologue, delivering attacks solely through the use of the stylus and touchscreen.

Portrait of Ruin goes a long way to filling in many gaps in the Castlevania lore. Through the game, it is revealed that while the Morrises can use the Vampire Killer, they cannot call upon its true power. The Belmonts were required to give up the whip, in order to prepare for the year 1999, when they would be presented with a chance to defeat Dracula once and for all (as referenced in Aria of Souls). So, they left the Vampire Killer in the hands of two related families, the Morrises and the Lecardes. Working together, they could use the whip, but it would drain the life force of its wielder. With no Lecardes, Jonathan could not use the whip for its true purpose. It’s at this point that Wind reveals himself to be Eric Lecarde from Bloodlines, and that Stella and Loretta are his true daughters. Charlotte performs a ritual to purify the Vampire Killer, allowing Jonathan to defeat Brauner and Dracula.

This is why I love Castlevania. Even after all the years and games, the stories still intersect in creative ways.

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia

Release: Oct, 2008 (Japan); Oct, 2008 (North America); Feb, 2009 (Europe)
Platform: Nintendo DS
Setting: 1810
Main Character: Shanoa
Supporting Characters: Barlowe
Main Enemies: Dracula, Albus

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia is the most recent handheld entry in the franchise. In the timeline, it’s the first story to feature a non-Belmont character. Now that Portrait of Ruin has explained why many recent games have not featured Belmonts, we get a better understanding of what happened in the 200 years between Rondo of Blood/Symphony of the Night and the year 1999. The “Order of Ecclesia” is a group that formed during this period to attempt to combat the forces of Dracula in the Belmonts’ absence. Barlowe, the head of Ecclesia had developed a powerful series of Glyphs, known as Dominus, equaling, yet countering Dracula’s own powers. Shanoa was chosen as the host for Dominus, angering Barlowe’s assistant Albus to the point that he absorbed the power for himself. Shanoa chased after Albus, eventually learning that Dominus was created from the remains of Dracula himself. Barlowe created it, not to defeat Dracula, but to resurrect him. Albus knew all this and stole the glyphs in an attempt to stop Barlowe’s plans.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Release: Dec, 2010 (Japan); Oct, 2010 (North America); Oct, 2010 (Europe)
Platform: Playstation 3, Xbox 360
Setting: 1047
Main Character: Gabriel Belmont
Supporting Characters: Marie (Gabriel’s wife), Zobek (Gabriel’s mentor)
Main Enemies: The “Lords of Shadow”

Lords of Shadow (Xbox 360 | PS3 | PS3 Limited Edition) is a fresh start for the franchise. The titular “Lords of Shadow” have cut Earth off from Heaven, literally unleashing Hell on Earth. They’ve power and influence, and slowly but surely they are wiping out the humans. Gabriel Belmont is a member of a holy order fighting against the Lords of Shadow. When his wife is killed, he embarks on a quest for the source of their power, the God Mask. Gabriel wants to use the mask to bring Marie back from the dead, but the world needs him to use it to restore order.

Screenshots

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