Castlevania: Curse of Darkness

Castlevania: Curse of Darkness followed the three-dimensional line of the series established by Lament of Innocence, setting the story in 1479, shortly after the events of Castlevania III, where we follow the mercenary Hector, a former devil forgemaster capable of summoning and controlling demons, who sets out after a betrayal to avenge the death of his beloved and confronts his former ally Isaac. The key new feature was the so-called Devil Forge system, which lets the player capture defeated demons and use them as summonable companions in battle, and further upgrade them by combining items and materials obtained from enemies, bringing a depth comparable to RPG crafting systems.

The combat system remained based on melee weapons supplemented by help from summoned demons with specific abilities, ranging from offensive to supportive, allowing for different approaches to combat tactics. Collecting materials from fallen enemies and forging them into new swords, spears, or gauntlets drew the player into an endless cycle of upgrading and gave meaning even to ordinary battles, since every defeated opponent could be hiding material for the next tier of gear. The demon companions also evolved based on how they were treated, so the player effectively raised their own combat retinue.

The game's environments ranged from frozen forests to underground dungeons, adorned with the series' typical gothic aesthetic and accompanied by a quality orchestral soundtrack. Although the graphics didn't seem exceptional for their time and the technical execution was criticized for a certain stiffness, the depth of the demon system and the engaging story of betrayal and revenge secured the game a lasting place among the beloved action titles of the Castlevania series on PlayStation 2. The game also became the last entry of the series released for PlayStation 2 before the Castlevania brand moved for a long time to handhelds and the new generation of consoles.