If you wanted to view it as one, it does have all the hallmarks of the series, but, if you don't care about Castlevania, you will find that it functions entirely autonomously as a self-contained and unique title.

The elephant in the room is the God of War formula, which can be an immediate turn-off. But, if you're willing to stay open-minded and give it a chance, you'll discover that it's not limited by this formula and improves everything about it. In structure the game has more in common with something like Ubisoft's Prince of Persia series with a sprinkle of Metroidvania influence. It is linear, but the levels have a lot of twists and turns, some of which will need certain gear to unlock, which you will find later in the game. This makes the world feel like an actual place and adds replayability without detracting from the sense of adventure that the game ultimately aims to create.

In your journey you will explore ruins of dead cities, abandoned castles and temples, reclusive villages, and many natural landscapes. Locations inspire awe and fascination, making you wonder what civilizations must've built them, what life there used to be like, and how it all collapsed. Along the way you find notes of dead warriors, telling you of their grim last moments, which further reinforces the main theme of the game: the ravages of time. What you're essentially doing the entire game is trying to reverse it, to save those who are long gone and restore some kind of mythical order that has obviously not been around for a long time. It's all over, but there is a semblance of hope that is pushing the protagonist forward. I'd be lying if I said the game is well-written, but the environmental storytelling alongside perfect voice-acting helps the game convey its main themes even with mediocre dialogues.

But to return to the topic of combat, which occupies about half the game, alternating with serene exploration and puzzle-solving, it exemplifies how simple incremental changes can lead to a disproportionate increase in depth. Aside from being somewhat faster than God of War, it introduces two new systems:

1. Dodge-meter
2. Light and Dark magic

The way it works is: if you successfully dodge enemy attacks, next time you hit enemies, they release these magic orbs, which you can then absorb either as light magic or dark magic. Your light magic will then help you restore health, while your dark magic will increase your damage. This is brilliant on so many levels. Firstly, it incentivizes you to actually use the dodge move all the time. This is an organic way of telling the player how the game should be played without forcing them. Dodging in this game is absolutely paramount, everything revolves around it, similar to Killer Is Dead. You have to employ the samurai tactic: attack and retreat. Choose the right moments, it's all about the timing. And then you gotta choose the moment to absorb the magic points because that immobilizes you, leaving you vulnerable. You have to make the decision whether it's worth the risk. Secondly, if you wanna heal yourself, you need to activate the light magic and attack opponents. Which means you're still participating in the healing process while continuing to fight. You are encouraged to be aggressive and "take" health points instead of just receiving them, which reinforces player agency. Alternatively, you can choose to get reckless and activate the dark magic in hopes that it'll help you kill the enemies faster and then hopefully you'll find a health altar afterwards. Sometimes this can save your life, as killing a dangerous enemy fast might be a more effective strategy, like a cornered boxer who chooses to fight his way out of the corner. Just the amount of different possibilities and strategies that arise from just that is incredible. But then on top of that your combos and secondary items will perform other functions with the magic enabled, varying based on whether it's light or dark. And, despite all that complexity, it all feels very intuitive and easy to remember.

Another thing that's improved compared to God of War is the QTEs. I'm sure everybody dislikes them. Lords of Shadow standardizes them by making it not matter which button you press. It's all about the timing now. And these moments are usually accompanied by slow motion and a minimalist interface that you don't have to pay too much attention to, making the action on the screen spectacular and more easily observable.

And there's a lot to observe, as the art design in this game is simply amazing. This is easily one of the most stunning games I've ever played, and this applies not only to how the environments look, but almost every single object in the game (not counting some breakable crates and stuff like that) is designed with so much creativity and style. Barring the original Silent Hill games, I can hardly remember another game that paid this much attention to little details. And it's all accompanied by a beautiful orchestral soundtrack.

I've always liked the first Lord of the Rings movie more than its sequels because it always felt like a journey through a fantastical and mysterious world with a variety of vivid locations, and different trials and tribulations that you go through with the characters. This game is probably the closest experience to that. Probably an even purer one, as you're the one experiencing it.

P.S. this Kojima trailer is fantastic and does the game absolute justice.