“The Art of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow” Book review
Without showing my age, back in the late 80s the various topics of conversation on my primary school playground were usually football or console related. You were either a Liverpool or Manchester United fan (Everton…I liked to buck trends even then) or you were a Sega or Nintendo fan. I fell firmly into the Sega camp but was always a little jealous of the Nintendo camp, as amongst their game library they had the slightly “edgier” horror title Castlevania.
Fast-forward 28 years to find Castlevania, the darkly exquisite multi-generational video game series from Konami known for its extraordinary gothic visuals and brooding medieval feel, has developed into an iconic and influential gaming franchise, with over 20 million copies sold worldwide since it’s release in 1986. To celebrate the latest release in the franchise, Titan Books have released The Art of Castlevania:Lords of Shadow. Sure to appeal to the franchise’s globally devoted fanbase, the book delves deeply into the most recent and successful games to date, concluding with the stunning Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 which was released on the 28th of February for Playstation3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC.
Starting from the very beginning with an in-depth look at the game’s development art and moving through a wealth of concept art and detailed creator commentary, this lavish art book takes readers on a thrilling journey through the ethereal world of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, its recent sequel and the chilling side story Mirror of fate. The book offers an exclusive look at Gabriel and the rest of The Belmont family’s everlasting struggle against demonic forces and supernatural terrors.
This is the third “Art of” book that I’ve reviewed for Titan Books and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how different each one is. They really know how to reflect the tone and visual style of each game. This book feels like a collection of sketches and doodles leading up to the large pieces of finalised concept art, conveying a real sense of the artists’ thought-processes and workflow. My one gripe is that I would have liked more of an insight into the CG modelling pipeline, especially of the many characters (playable and non-playable) across both titles.
Martin Robinson has done a sterling job documenting the development process and getting some great interviews with the team at Mercurysteam, who are responsible for taking the franchise in this interesting new direction. Previously the Content Editor at the UK office of IGN.com, Martin Robinson is an award winning journalist and Features Editor at Eurogamer and was also the author of the recently reviewed, The Art of Assassins Creed 4.
If you’re a fan of the Castlevania franchise, vampires, ghouls and ghosts, or of beautiful, Gothic art in general you’ll find yourself getting lost in this book for long periods of time. Just make sure you have the garlic and holy water close by.
The Art of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is available to buy here.
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