Less than a year after Castlevania
first hit N64 comes its prequel,
which is known as Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness.
The original plan for Castlevania was much
more ambitious, with four playable characters and a larger cartridge size.
That didn't happen because of time constraints, so many have unaffectionately
referred to this follow-up as a "director's cut." Upon closer
inspection, however, Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness
has more value than initially meets the eye. Don't dismiss this game just
yet.
Gameplay & Control
Castlevania: Legacy of
Darkness plays very similarly to its predecessor. Item and control
information, therefore, can be gleaned from that
review. The only differences are an extra attack (Cornell's werewolf
attack with the L button) and a few other items that are linked to events
and secrets during your quest.
For starters, only one of the four characters is
initially playable in Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness.
Cornell, a.k.a. Blue Crescent Moon, is a man-beast. He looks like a mortal
and lives in harmony with humans. But he has tremendous physical ability
and is almost immortal. When he returned to his village from a year of
ascetic training, it was engulfed in flames and his closest blood relative,
his sister Ada, was missing. Through the magic of the Ancients, which
gives him his magical sickle throw attack, he vows to rescue Ada by tracking
her scent.
The three other playable characters are Reinhardt,
Carrie, and Henry. Reinhardt Schneider and Carrie Fernandez were fate's
warriors in the original game. In Castlevania:
Legacy of Darkness, their quests are eight years
before the first game, which will reveal even more truths for die-hard
fans of the N64 original. The fourth character, Henry, is a holy crusader
sent on a quest to rescue six children in seven days while Reinhardt and
Carrie battle Count Dracula. You need to complete the game with Cornell
first to enable the other characters to be playable.
Cornell's quest will take him through somewhat familiar
and very unfamiliar territory. His adventure starts on a ship destined
for the Forest of Silence. But once he finds his way off the ship, he
will take a different trip through the forest, making the quest completely
different at first. Then, just like before, he'll have to scale the Castle
Wall and enter the Villa. But traps and events have changed, leading Cornell
on a different yet familiar looking path. Once inside the castle, there
are completely new levels and a few of the same levels with completely
different layouts. It's like a completely new quest, which is even longer,
but similarities (texture design, same items, returning characters) will
give you a sense of déjà vu.
Story is once again a strength in Castlevania:
Legacy of Darkness. Much more impressive introductions and endings
only fall below Zelda: Ocarina
of Time and Rare's latest efforts (Jet
Force Gemini, Donkey Kong 64)
in terms of presentation. The movie-like introduction, complete with opening
credits, uses cinematic techniques, choreographing, and timed sound to
revel Cornell's story. The story isn't moved along as much during the
actual quest as the original, but it's more inspiring overall.
Both control and the camera system are improved,
too. The control isn't as loose, and the character seems more responsive
and seems more accurate with his or her attacks.
Veteran fans of the first N64 Castlevania
game will notice the much-improved camera. The camera is closer to and
a little higher off the ground compared to Castlevania.
It now swings around behind the character more quickly, too. Most importantly,
however, "auto cam" is now used quite often to give you the best fixed view possible when navigating platforms
and other events.
Graphics & Sound
Graphics weren't overly impressive in the original,
but they're noticeably better here—that
is, if you have the Expansion Pak. Without the Expansion Pak, the graphics
are still low-res and blurry. Castlevania: Legacy
of Darkness, however, does move more quickly and smoothly thanks
to a better frame rate. With the Expansion Pak, expect much clearer graphics
and much less fogging. The disadvantage is that it doesn't move as fast.
Still, the clarity of the high-resolution mode is worth the slightly slower
speed, which is equivalent to the original, anyway.
The sound in Castlevania:
Legacy of Darkness ranks among the N64's best. Instrument sample
rates seem higher, making the music sound even better. The music ranges
from remixes of tunes in the first N64 game to completely new compositions
to exact replicas. Sound effects are more numerous and realistic, lending
even more to the audio. Voice plays a less prominent role in this prequel,
however, which is the only slightly disappointing part.
Conclusion
Is Castlevania: Legacy of
Darkness worth the full price of admission for owners of the original
Castlevania? That depends on how much you
enjoyed the game. Big fans of the original N64 game will appreciate the
new back-story and the challenge of new level layouts. And the game is
just so much more polished overall. Others will see Castlevania:
Legacy of Darkness as a "director's cut"-type game that
should have been released as the original in the first place.
No matter how you feel about this fact, Castlevania:
Legacy of Darkness, on its own, is a great game. The excellent
story, good level design, and amount of action add up to engrossing gameplay.
Any way you slice it, Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness
is a winner.
Final Rating: 4.1 out of 5.0
are eight years
before the first game, which will reveal even more truths for die-hard
fans of the N64 original. The fourth character, Henry, is a holy crusader
sent on a quest to rescue six children in seven days while Reinhardt and
Carrie battle Count Dracula. You need to complete the game with Cornell
first to enable the other characters to be playable.
give you the best fixed view possible when navigating platforms
and other events.