Castlevania: Lament of Innocence

Leon Belmont (possibly the earliest known member of the family, but who can keep track?) gives up his title and charges into a haunted forest to save his girlfriend from a vampire named Walter. A friendly alchemist named Rinaldo gives him a magic whip to help him out, and then he’s off to the monster-killing races. Oh, and Leon’s best friend Mattias figures into this somehow; but I’m sure the fact that he’s pale-skinned, power-hungry and a master of mystic secrets means nothing.

( Good, not great. Middling mechanics and hammy cutscenes. )

Overall: It’s fun for a bit, and it’s not that long, but it can be very frustrating if you’re not great at 3D action-platformers. If you’re a fan of the series in general but can’t get into the game, try to find the cutscenes on Youtube. “So bad they’re good” does accurately describe them.