AS the old castelvanias and beyond, new elements, awesome and i mean awesome story, the artistic design and the dialogues are simply unique good, very good graphics, more than proper sounds, and a kick-ass soundtrack honestly from someone that have played old castelvania, this is almost heaven also elements such as the notes it makes you feel really on the environment like a pretty hardcore game also the difficulty makes it delicious honestly the only way to dislike this is if you are who hated the old castelvanias or if you are mad because ps vita has no games.… Expand

An amazing game. the perfect mix between old Castlevania and New Castlevania. The gameplay is amazing and the 3D effect will make you WOW. Plus: great story with an impeccable twist

This isn't just one of the best 3ds games, its also one of the best games for any system. The atmosphere in this game is fantastic. The implementation of 3d in this game is the best I've seen on the 3ds with lots of depth and variety of artistic gothic background (better than luigis mansion which is applauded for its 3d also). This adds tremendously to the immersion along with the outstanding orchestral soundtrack which is one of the best soundtracks in gaming period. (A true delight when listened to with earphones). The combat is tight and has a hefty weight to it which makes the player feel more connected to the action as you can feel your whip hitting your enemy. The block, dodge, grab, and other variety of moves all add to the gameplay experience. Nothing feels just simply tacked on. Everything is useful for a certain situation. The pacing and longevity of the game also feel more balanced than previous ds castlevania games. The shorter, tighter quest helps prevent the game from becoming a tedious grind. The game simply feels epic from the very beginning. It helps that the story told in mirror of fate is an emotional and heartfelt one. This makes the combat and traversal feel very purposeful and not simply added to kill a bunch of monsters along the way. Theres a large variety of creatures you encounter and awesome boss fights. The quick time events are perfectly implemented and make you feel like a badass. The puzzles are fun and the platforming feels natural and easy to maneuver. The sound effects are also top notch. Mirror of Fate returns to the darker feel of the earlier Castlevanias and its very exciting. This is one of the best mature games for the 3ds. Its refreshing to see the developers create such a mature experience for a nintendo system. Overall, this game is amazing and one of the best castlevania games ever! Hopefully we will see this series continue as you can see the developers are very passionate about making a good castlevania game. Looking forward to Lord of Shadows 2!!!… Expand

If you grew up playing The classic Castlevania games like Draculas Curse, Vampires Kiss, and Super Castlevania IV you'll love this game. If SOTN was your first Castlevania game you'll probably not like it as much. I grew up on both and I love it. It's much darker than other Castlevanias and looks amazing. Dont let IGA purists dissuade you from buying this game. True classic castlevania fans love the Lord of Shadows series, SOTN fans like SOTN and its many clones and are not satisfied unless the dames are structured like SOTN.… Expand

This game is AMAZING..
One of the best looking 3DS game and its a very good mix of OLD eps like Castlevania 3 or 4 and LOS, with some Metroidvania features.
Its really challenging, you will die a lot before you learn how to beat the ennemies and the QTE are not over-intruisive. The story is ok, but there is a lips synch issue on the cut scene..
If you ONLY played the Metroidvania, maybe you will not like it on first attempt(you will if you get over what you except of such an episode)

Anyway, it's a shame to not at least try this Castlevania before judging it, you will probably miss on of the good exclusive title in 3DS.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Fantástico!
simplesmente muito bom, muito complicado!
gráficos razoáveis, mas porra e castlevania!!!!!
E muito bom, so q a expectativa criada era maior!

Muito fantástico!… Expand

This game is really great. I haven't been able to put it down. For once I like having a story in a Castlevania. The characters are great, the music, awesome graphics, the gameplay it's excellent. I know a lot of people are bashing this game without a GOOD reason. I've played the old Castlevanias a thousand times, fan of SOTN and I cant tell that this game is AWESOME.

I'll try to be simple:

i) graphics: 9.5
ii) sound: 9
iii) script: 8
iv) art (if the game has a soul): 10

Castlevania at its best. The game resembles the NES and SNES Castlevanias (in a Lords of Shadows approach, of course). If you have a 3DS, don't miss this excelent game!

I have been a castlevania fan for a long time and this game does not disappoint. This has a great story and fluid game play I have no idea why ign has to give great games crap reviews but i have not trusted their reviews since they gave kingdom hearts 2 a bad review. so if your a castlevania fan you have to pick this up asap.

I have to say that I really like it a lot. It really is more like the older NES and SNES Castlevania games I grew up with, and that's not a bad thing at all. I see it as sort of a retro reboot of the series. I know some people wanted it to have more light RPG elements, but honestly, I'm having too much fun with what it is to complain about what it isn't.

Don't listen to the whiney Castlevania snobs whose expectations are impossible to please (unless of course you are one If you enjoyed fun, 2D action/adventure games on the NES and SNES back in the day you'll love this. Trust me.

Things I love about it:
- Killer orchestrated music
- Fast-paced action
- Beautiful, varied, and immersive level design
- Fun and rewarding combat system
- Sound effects are fantastic
- Excellent checkpoint system that prevents frustration
- Compelling storyline
- Handy note system (add markers on your map with a custom note, so when you get necessary upgrades you'll know where to go to access new areas/items)
- Solid voicework which gives life to the characters

If this game doesn't look appealing to you then it's probably not what you want. But at least download the demo and try it. If you like the demo I can assure the full game is even better.

Bottom line:
This is exactly what I've wanted on my 3DS for a long time. I wholeheartedly endorse it.… Expand

Simply an excellent game. I love the way mercury steam do the things. They've refreshed the concept it works great. Graphics, music, story, playability, difficulty, challenge, everything contributes to give you an excinting game. One of the best things that my 3ds console has tasted. Happy with my game.

WTF!! with the reviews, its a great game, there is no more metroidvania, but anyways its a great game, a must have game for the 3ds, and a best looking for a handled with and old harware like the 3ds.

This game is absolutely fantastic! Ignore the IGN review the guy clearly has issues. Try it for yourself you won't be disappointed. The graphics are amazing and combat is fab. Deserves better.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. OMG I totally agree! This game is AMAZING! The best 3DS game I've played so far and the best use of the 3D graphics. There's an amazing scene with an evil lesbian that lures Simon into her lair "come closer Simon" before kissing her girlfriend, which gives her the energy to create a force field. Nuts! I'm so surprised this game got a score in the low 70s.… Expand

This feels like CLASSIC castlevania, referring to pre-SOTN era whipping fun. You have the SOTN era castle map as well as the RPG style upgrades that came with SOTN, but each area of the castle is divided up on the main map just like you would see in what were referred to as stages or levels in classic era castlevania. So far I'm enjoying the game, the combos seem repetitious at times, but seeing that it looks like they were trying to convey the classic style castlevania, well, they didn't have combos in those games. You had one move: whip the heck out of anything coming your way. The fact that the conveniences of SOTN and beyond have been incorporated into the game make it more appealing to someone that wouldn't have suffered a thought of going through something like Castlevania or Super Castlevania.

Overall, I like it. I think some of the reviewers may have missed what specifically this game was intending to do. Hell, I could just be reaching with my assumptions, but it seems like a solid fit, and that's satisfying to me. An absolute must for anyone that enjoys the Castlevania of old, Lords of Shadow, Platforming, Action Combat.… Expand

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Mirror of Fate is a FINE new game in the Castlevania series, owing much to what came before the genre modifying SOTN, and it's a nice homage to some old style gameplay of the earlier parts of the series. This game has a depth of humour, an enjoyable script/story, very reasonable voice acting,and a truly awesome soundtrack helping it along. Couple that with engaging gameplay and the fact that this is a graphically superior game compared to some other 3DS titles, and in my opinion, you have a fine, fine game.

It's not an easy game by any means, but perseverence and learning about each enemy makes your battles fast & engaging.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Mirror of Fate is NOT the rpg lite that Castlevania SOTN was.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Mirror of Fate is it's own game, and is great for this reason.
If you want a challenge and to play a wonderful addition to the Castlevania series, this is the game for you.
Go and buy it now, and help support a talented software developer, who will hopefully then make another one

Gamplay:- 8/10
Graphics:- 9/10
Script:- 7/10
Music:- 10/10
Design:- 10/10… Expand

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Mirror of Fate (phew) easily deserves a place within the top 3DS games. Everything about the game, from it's ridiculously high production values (stellar graphics, decent voice acting and good quality music) down to its fun cross between action and exploration. The atmosphere in the game is pitch-perfect, running along a rooftop while the moon, clouds and extended view of the castle loom in the background is truly a sight to behold and really sets the game well. However, to find all the secrets a fair amount of back-tracking is required and this can get a little tedious. It's not a hard game, but it is not too easy either (some bosses will take a few attempts). Now, the main aspect of the game really is combat, and thankfully, this does not disappoint, the combination of long and close range attacks combined with the right timing of magic and items really works and is exciting to play. You can only reach a certain level (18) and each level-up gives you a new move to work into your combo, while these are fun, you will inevitably only really use the short range, more powerful attacks. All in all though, this is a fantastic (if slightly flawed) game that most likely will not give much enjoyment to diehard Castlevania fans, but if you're like me and have only played one game in the series before this, Mirror of Fate is ace and is unlike anything else on the 3DS. Awesome, 90/100.… Expand

Plisskin seems like u plagiarized the ign review highly doubt u beat the game yet is it like the old ones no but it doesn't mean it's not good i only been playing for a hour and I'm enjoying the hell out of this game and if u dident like well use your own words to say it plisskin cause this game is a new take done well unlike your new metel revengence assuming your a metel gear fan boring!!!!

I never quite liked the metroidvania games to begin with. Im not saying they're bad, but the so called hardcore castlevania fans must understand those games are niche, not of a wide appeal. That being said, Im a fan of the original nes-snes castlevanias and castlevania64, and I absolutely loved Lords of shadow. With that in mind, and taking into account how divisive the different castlevania games can be, I can say that to me, and I know Im not alone, this game is exactly what I was expecting, and what I was hoping for: a great 2.5D platformer, in the vein of LoS with elements of those old old school castlenvanias, prior SotN. Great game, but certainly not aimed at the metroidavnia fans, which I think, gives it a much wider appeal and I think that's what konami is going for). Not perfect, but definitely a great start for a new generation of portable castlenvanias.… Expand

This game is awesome, ist so sad that many give it low score because it isnt another Igavania clone. and WTF metacritic? your forget a lot of critic reviews, Nintendo Insider: 93 IGN:(Germany) 8,0 IGN: (Spain) 90 gamerfuzion: 8.8/10 GameInformer: 8.5/10 playturn: 7.5 Gamestrust: 85 CVG: 8.4 ntower: 9 /10 godisageek: 8/10 sfx.co.uk: 4/5 Zimbio: B- thegamershub: 4,5/5 huffingtonpost: 4/5
press-play: 4/5
tvballa: 4/5
MComputerandvideogames: 4/ 5
gadgetshow: 4/5
Giga: 80
Eurogamer: 7
EGM: 6.5/10
kotaku: "Mof is fun in its own fashion"
multiplayer: 8.8
gamestats: 8.9
gamepro: 8,7
gamesvillage.it: 8 10
vgnetwork.it: 8.5 10
Biogamer Girl: 8/10
GamersGlobal: 8.5
gamingtruth 10/10… Expand

Probe el demo y me encanto, ahora con el juego final en mis manos no cambio mi sentido hacia el juego, Mercury Steam el estudio español a venido haciendo las cosas de muy buena manera, Mirror of Fate, un juego como pocos con un gameplay a la altura, mas tirado al hack and slash (tipo gow) pero le sienta muy bien, la historia que tiene atrazs lo mejor sin duda, para los que jugamos el Lordss of Shadow sabemos de que hablamos, unos gráficos muy bien echos, no son la gran cosa pero resaltan, Pruebenlo!!… Expand

Ah the lovely "I gonna bash this, because it's different" guys. The "Fate" of Mirror of Fate is tragic. What we have here is an excellent Action Adventure set in the superb Lords of Shadow Universe. No one ever said this title will gonna be a next Metroidvania. It's not created by Igarashi, it's created by MercurySteam and they have indeed a very unique style.

Mirror of Fate looks beautiful on the 3DS. The view is 2D, but it is completely rendered with 3D Models. The same goes for the environment. The depth of the 3D effect also is very nice. The only flaw is, the game slows a bit down with the 3D effect turned on.

The atmosphere is some kind of melancholic, very dark. It is maybe the most dark Castlevania ever made.
The story is a sequel to the first Lords of Shadow. So it's a complete new interpretation of the Castlevania franchise, set on the new Lords of Shadow Timeline. You will dive deeper in the story of the Belmonts. And yes, fan favourite Alucard is also back.

The fighting is much like the same as we experienced in Lords of Shadow. Most of the time, like in it's predecessor, you won't need so many moves. New moves will unlock after you gain a new level. So, combat is still one of the major flaws in the game. Anyways, bashing creatures in Mirror of Fate is still fun.

Verdict: With an campaign of about 10 hours (about 15 if you unlock every secret to unlock a secret Cutscene), you will definitely have a unique experience. You shouldn't listen to these awful reviews. I'm a big fan of the old Castlevania games also, but I totally love the Lords of Shadow Games. Well, this is not another Symphony of the Night. It is Mirror of Fate. The game totally stands on it's own. Prepare for the final game in the Lords of Shadow saga with Mirror of Fate. You will not regret it. 9/10.… Expand

Would have been a solid 9 if they didn't make it so unbelievably lenient when you die. I mean don't get me wrong I don't mind check points but my god it picks up in the MIDDLE of a boss encounter. Hopefully they patch like a hardcore mode or something because honestly it takes away the fun of a good Castlevania boss. I give it a soft 8/10 buy it used.

Castlevania Mirror Of Fate is a good game but it's not without its flaws. In ways it does look like a portable Devil May Cry game with its style and gameplay. But given that it is a 3DS game and not a PS3 or Xbox 360 game give it a break.

If you have ever played a Castlevania game you will more than likely enjoy this game. This is not as similar to the DS games that were released in the past years, but it is still a great game. The story is a bit weird at times but in no way does it hinder the game. The graphics and the locations are beautiful. The game does get a bit laggy in some areas, but to me that wasn't a big problem. All in all I was sort of expecting a Dawn of Sorrow-esque game, but they decided to go in a different direction. Don't get me wrong though, this is still a great game and a must for any 3DS owner.… Expand

Great 3D effects and a nice job with the Castlevania's atmosphere. Everyone should play this game at least once in their lifetime. Has a decent gameplay (around 9 hours) but it did not bring the 20 hours gameplay that was promissed. But I still recommend.

Looks and sounds beautiful! This game is underrated and considering the duo of resident evil games on the 3ds, this is the best game 3ds game for the mature gamer. I love the current run of castlevania.

this is my opinion on it, i'm a long time castlevania fan, and i was honestly hoping for a metroidvania game, i've been itching for one for a good while. at first i wasnt sure about this one its odd hybrid play reminds me more of older castlevania games like the original 3 more than sotn mixed with los. i will say it is nowhere near perfect, however from what i have played so far (first two acts down) its not bad. the hit detection bosses are really my only major gripe, and its a little short but for a first shot at a 2d castlevania game, which mercury had no previous experience with where as the old team had decades to perfect its a pretty good start. i just hope if they make further 2d games they learn from currect mistakes because they have the potential to make something truely great. i do feel ign was overly harsh in their review.… Expand

Sequel to the acclaimed Castlevania reboot moves the franchise into the 2.5D perspective, while still maintaining its combat heavy roots. I am still a big fan of GBA and DS' Castlevanias and not its 'newer iteration', and while these Metroid-vania installments are great, they don't really sell that well outside their hardcore fans. The Lord of Shadow 'franchise' is the closest that Castlevania get to financial success and like it or not, is here to stay. Mirror of Fate may never be my cup of tea, but at least it is an attempt to bring the series to the 21st century. By bringing LOS into the 2D plane, it brings problem with its combat, which despite all efforts from Mercury Steam still feels awkward. Nevertheless, still a pretty good installment and if you own a 3DS and a fan of the series, it's something that you should try.… Expand

ok, so lets first start out by saying this isn't Symphony of the Night. So if you're buying this game thinking it is, you'll be very disappointed. what you are getting is a nice, clean and polished castlevania game, similar to castlevania 3. as much as the fanboy in me wishes it were another symphony of the night clone (because they are still incredible to this day), this is still a very enjoyable entry into the series. we got a different spin on Kid Icarus last year and Castlevania is getting the same treatment. I applaud companies for taking risks with franchises that we all love dearly since we were younger, and sometimes these ideas don't always translate into incredible results. all in all its a fun game and a nice addition to the 3ds lineup. enjoy it for what it is and stop trying to pretend your mustang is a Ferrari.… Expand

this is not a mediocre game, is it a good game? yes, but not excellent, this is a game you must first play the demo and then decide, it has it's bad moments but generally I had fun playing it, and for me that's what's most important, and don't listen to colin moriarty from IGN, just because it doesn't SotN gameplay means it's bad

I should start with the fact that i never played a previous castlevania game in my life. But i thought it was pretty good overall, it feels like a side scrolling God of War game a little, and is a lot shorter than i was hoping for but i liked it. The combat was pretty fun, if not extremely entailed, and the different powers were fun to experiment with. Nowhere near as many secrets as i wanted, from what i've heard about castlevania there are usually lots. (Unless that boss at the very beginning that you're "supposed" to lose to has something behind him.... Hmm.). I had fun while it lasted but its not the epic game i was hoping for, so it gets a 7.… Expand

The game is fun and confusing at the same time.

Even a bad Castlevania game can still be fun, but this one is the weakest in some time, especially after three excellent hand-held titles. The element of exploration is still there, but the castle is pretty linear and backtracking is a drag. The main characters each explore separate areas of the castle, meaning that the joy of seeing a big map unfold before you is gone. Enemies are pretty sparsely distributed, meaning most of the time, you'll find yourself walking and grappling around empty hallways and chambers. Also, Mirror Of Fate is not as challenging as previous Castlevania games the monsters and traps are tougher, so you may find yourself dying every 90 seconds, but you respawn right away, so it doesn't really mean anything. For me, this isn't a love-it or hate-it game, it's just pretty meh.… Expand

I like this game, and i'm giving this a 6/10 because of the game itself, not because of it being a Castlevania game. It's all pretty good (besides awful controls!) but for a game of my favourite franchise, i did expect some more of it.

You would be hard-pressed to find a game more inoffensive than Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Mirror of Fate.

Mirror of Fate’s plot occasionally threatens to be interesting. The otherwise tepid dialogue is delivered pretty well, and the game does mess with the established Castlevania lore in a mildly interesting way as you might expect, since this yarn takes place in the rebooted Lords s of Shadow universe. Yes, the Belmont family tree has been messed with a little. Trevor is now the direct descendant of Gabriel, and Simon is Trevor’s son. Also, Dracula and his progeny are significant characters, because Alucard was in the best Castlevania game. If none of that means anything to you, then maybe the attempts at pathos won’t really hit their mark. The game seems to assume you already care about these people and their plight. I had a passing knowledge of the existing mythos, so I did kind of appreciate the new twist on Alucard’s character and what it meant for the Belmonts. To be honest, I might have preferred actual emotional investment to mere appreciation, but the reality of Mirror of Fate isn’t too disappointing.
It’s a nice looking game, in all fairness. About half of the cutscenes are rendered in a gorgeous cel-shaded style that really should be seen with the 3D slider cranked as high as your eyes will allow. The framerate is a bit dicey at times, but the environments are well crafted, and each part of Dracula’s castle feels new enough, preventing confusion when it comes time to explore or backtrack. Everything is well designed, especially the various monsters you will probably just start bypassing after a while.

Yes, after about 5 or so hours in, I started trying to skip the combat whenever possible. Mirror of Fate is a fairly simple brawler. You have two basic attacks; a straightforward slash and 180 degree whip. If you feel like mixing it up, sometimes you can throw a projectile. Killing monsters unlock combos, but said combos usually just consist of pressing the same button more than once. Dodging/blocking is mapped to the left shoulder button, which is a delight if you’re playing on a regular-sized 3DS unit with the hands you would find on a slightly large 18 year old guy. Not only is the combat incredibly shallow, but using combos screws you over every so often. I kept unintentionally triggering an upward spin attack that usually resulted in my character taking an attack from an enemy waiting directly below. Apparently, if you jump right after pressing the ‘Y’ button, you’re stuck in that animation. I had to repeat many a boss fight because of that combo. To be fair, blowing through standard encounters has a satisfying weight to it, but when things get too complicated, it was just smarter to avoid fighting.

In between fighting, there are puzzles and platforming sections to deal with. The puzzles are kind of clever, but if you’re playing a Castlevania game to break up your Calculus homework like I did, you probably don’t feel like using your brain any more than you just did. Each large-scale puzzle has a dead soldier nearby with a hint system you can take advantage of. Stuck? You can activate a hint, but it will lower the amount of XP you earn from completing the puzzle. Activate every hint, though, and you can just click a button to solve the puzzle. I’ve never seen this in a game before. The option to just skip a difficult section is brilliant, and I wish every game had this. It would have come in handy when it was time for platforming. Sadly, the characters are too floaty and their jumps too imprecise. Frequent deaths be they a result of hazards or misjudged leaps are but a certainty.

Even after everything I’ve said, I still find it necessary to emphasize there was something about Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Mirror of Fate that kept me playing…up to a point. I wasn’t going to beat my head against a certain Trevor Belmont section with mine carts and fire, but if the game had just one more significant issue, I would’ve stopped far earlier. And vice versa. Improve on a single design aspect and my hour count would’ve been slightly longer. Mirror of Fate is a game right on the cusp: a perfectly serviceable entertainment. If you expected more than just a passable 2D action platformer, I’m sorry to disappoint.… Expand

You have no idea how much I wanted this game. But honestly it's just not a good game. Like lords of shadow before it, it takes something awesome (I.e. God of War) and pulls down there pants to crap all over it. But at least this game is not as bad as lords of shadow.

All castlevania games by mercury stream are They have terrible stories, music and gameplay. You want to know how to beat lords of shadow attack 4 times then roll. Thats works for everyone except last boss. And this game is laughable as well. I am surprised and happy that ign got the score right!!!

Is it a good Castlevania game? No. Is it a good game in general? No, it's mediocre. I'm only giving it a 1/10 because some are overinflating the score. In general it's a 6/10, at best a 7/10. Not worth a full price, buy it once the price drops or used.
The attempt of mixing SotN with LoS is sadly a failure on both ends.
The controls are stiff, doesn't allow for d-pad for platforming sequences that should have it, there are problems with hit detection, which gets quite annoying at times. Laughable boss fights, QTEs, uninspired enviornments and no leveling system.
Combined with the failure in the use of multiple characters, with them being locked experiences and never really allowing yourself to invest in each character.

Let's just hope LoS2 turns out good.… Expand